Columbia River Reader July 2024

COLUMBIA RIVER READER PRESS BOOK BOUTIQUE

LEWIS AND CLARK REVOLUTIONIZED

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.

IN FULL VIEW

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

Some families have skeletons in the closet; mine has apes in the attic.

Reading my brother Mike Perry’s story (see page 4) — which we are running in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Great Ape Hunt of 1924 — and thinking about the upcoming Perseid Meteor Showers brought back memories of past summertime fun in my family.

For years growing up, and since, my brothers and cousins and I have heard about and speculated about Uncle Fred’s reported experience at Ape Canyon, near Mt. St. Helens.

Could it be true? Were Fred Beck and his companions really attacked by large apes? Or was it just a prank played on our gullible great-uncle? What about all the other sightings and legends of Bigfoot/Sasquatch? What about the book Where Bigfoot Walks: Crossing the Dark Divide (and subsequent movie, The Dark Divide) by Robert Michael Pyle, a highly educated scientist and credible person who wouldn’t make stuff up?

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper

Columnists and contributors:

Hal Calbom

Nancy Chennault

Alice Dietz

Joseph Govednik

Jim MacLeod

Michael Perry

Ned Piper

Robert Michael Pyle

Krysten Ralston

Ryan Ralston

Marc Roland

Alan Rose

Greg Smith

Tami Tack

Debra Tweedy

Judy VanderMaten

Editorial/Proofreading Assistants:

Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Tiffany Dickinson, Debra Tweedy

Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632

Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave, Longview, WA 98632

P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048

Office Hours: M-W-F • 11–3* *Other times by

E-mail: publisher@crreader.com Phone:

Sue’s Views

Bigfoot, shooting stars, and family folklore

Over many years, Fred Beck’s incident had become a family joke we scoffed at, in a way, but we were also intrigued by the idea and sheepishly proud of the association.

And we wanted to believe. We still do.

When my parents and aunts and uncles were alive, the extended family enjoyed gathering for picnics. An embellished annual event evolved as my dad — an armchair astronomer and geology buff — would explain, over potato salad and homemade pie, the annual Perseid Meteor Showers.

They peak every year around August 12 when Earth passes through the debris trail laid down by Comet Swift-Tuttle. As tiny bits enter the atmosphere, they glow and form “shooting stars.”

Increasingly, other family members started taking chairs and joining my parents in their late-night vigil, watching the sky. Several of my relatives still lived on property once part of the old Beck homestead, and the large, open fields offered a good view toward the northeast sky.

One year, my real estate partner at the time, Doug Smith, who was a good sport, agreed to put on an ape costume and make a surprise cameo appearance during the campfire we enjoyed after the picnic, and prior to the viewing session.

Doug suited up grabbed the copy of Real Estate Today from his car (to read while waiting), and hid in a nearby grove of trees before family members assembled around the campfire. Everyone was chatting, or gazing at the fire, awaiting darkness to set the stage for the meteor shower to begin.

At the right moment, Doug crept out of the trees, crouching, approached the campfire and wandered into view, then made a few ape noises to startle, scare, and amuse everyone before running off. He left no trace except a large footprint and some random real estate listings.

Every year, I recommend going out the night of August 12 and watching for “shooting stars.”

The first quarter moon (50 percent illuminated) will be up that night, so even if you get away from city lights, the sky still may not be dark enough to see any meteors until around midnight. But we could get lucky, and no matter what, still enjoy the summer night sky. And besides shooting stars, don’t forget to watch for Bigfoot!

Sue Piper

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.

website

the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.

Photo by hal Calbom

from page 4

assay result for an ore sample showing a value of $2,000 a ton, the men were well on their way to striking it rich, or so they hoped.

The mineshaft was at the bottom of the narrow canyon and the only way to get to it was by ropes from a ledge near the top of the north wall, at the base of Pumice Butte. Their log cabin located there had a sturdy shake roof to withstand the heavy snow loads. The nearest drinking water came from a spring about 100 yards from the cabin, down a slight draw.

On the evening of July 10, 1924, Beck and Smith went down to get water from the spring. They each carried a gun. To their surprise, they saw a tall hairy creature standing by a pine tree on the opposite side of the canyon, about 100 yards away. Smith fired three times and was sure he hit the creature in the head each time. But it turned and ran upright along the edge of the canyon; Beck shot three rounds as it disappeared. The two men returned to the cabin and told their partners the animal was about seven feet tall with blackish-brown hair, weighing upwards of 500 pounds.

It was too dark to leave that night. but the frightened men agreed to pack up and head home the next morning. They barricaded the cabin door, ate and went to bed. Their only light came from lanterns and the fireplace since there were no windows in the cabin. About midnight, the men were awakened by a tremendous thud against the cabin wall. The filling material had been knocked loose from between two logs and fell onto Smith. The men grabbed their guns upon hearing a great commotion outside the cabin — footsteps on the roof, trampling over a pile of shakes, and rocks hitting the cabin and even coming down the chimney. When Smith looked through the crack in the wall, he saw three creatures in the moonlight.

During the next three hours, the mountain apes attacked the cabin and tried to break down the door, while the men inside fired their guns through the roof, walls, and door. They were afraid for their lives!

Twist of fate

When a hairy arm reached in through the opening in the wall and grabbed an axe by the handle, Beck swiftly rotated the axe head so it caught on the logs before being pulled through the gap. At the same time Smith fired a shot, barely missing Beck’s hand. The attack finally ended about 3am.

Next morning, when the men decided to lower themselves down to the mine to retrieve some of their equipment and supplies before leaving, Beck saw another ape-like creature standing at the top of the canyon, about 80 yards away. He shot three times, hitting it in the back each time. The creature toppled over the cliff and fell 400 feet to the bottom of the narrow gorge. The men left their supplies and scrambled out. Keep this under your hats, boys Assuming nobody would believe them, Beck urged his companions not to talk about the incident. But when they reached the Spirit Lake Ranger Station, Smith told the ranger what had happened. And once back in Kelso, he went to the Blue Ox Tavern and spilled the beans to anyone who would listen. Soon, a reporter from Portland’s Oregonian arrived in town to interview Smith. Articles appeared in area newspapers over the next few days.

The Great Ape Hunt of 1924

Within days, many people headed to the mountain to look for Bigfoot. Beck went back to the cabin just once, with a couple of reporters and a detective from Portland. They found 19-inch long tracks and the ransacked cabin, but no trace of the creature he had shot a week earlier.

In the Oregonian interview, Smith said he believed the apes lived in a cave close to the cabin and he thought he knew where it was located. However, it wasn’t until 1947 that a logger, Lawrence Johnson, discovered what we now call Ape Caves, located

In 1922, they found a promising vein of gold at the upper end of the deep gorge now known as Ape Canyon. Fred Beck and Marion Smith filed a Location Notice for their mine, the Vander White, on September 2, 1922. By summer of 1924, after receiving a positive cont page 6

Fred Beck holds the 30-30 Winchester rifle he shot at the ape-like creatures. Photo at left: Ape Canyon looking east with Mt. Adams in the distance.

Fred Beck in 1966 at age 78 courtesy photo

Ape Canyon near Mt. St. Helens

from page 5

further down the mountain. There is no evidence that anyone or any thing ever lived in them.

The gold mine was abandoned after the attack; none of the men were willing to return. Beck didn’t give an interview until 1960, but he delighted in telling the story to family members whenever he got the chance.

In 1967, his son, Ronald Beck, wrote a 22-page booklet titled I Fought The Apemen of Mt. St. Helens, based on what his 79-year old father remembered.

After reading the book, people often shake their heads. The final chapter explains that the mountain apes would never be captured or killed because they lived in another time-space dimension and could appear and disappear at will. His father may have shared that belief, but friends of Ron Beck said he admitted to adding that chapter. Fred Beck’s booklet is long out of print, but you can read it online at www.bigfootencounters.com/classics/beck.htm.

A booklet published in 1967 tells Fred Beck’s story.

To conduct your own Ape Hunt, start here: Driving Directions to Ape Canyon Trailhead: Take I-5 Exit 21at Woodland, and go east 30 miles on SR-503 to Cougar. Continue on SR-503 Spur 6.5 miles, following the signs to Lava Canyon and Ape Cave. Turn left onto FR-83; go 11 miles to Lava Canyon Trail parking lot. Buy a parking permit there and return a quarter-mile to the small paved parking lot on the right, located at the north end of the Muddy River bridge. Roads are paved all the way.

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Ape Canyon, looking east from the east slope of Mt. St. Helens.

WEPISODE 4

DISCOVERY TRAIL

Peace Pipes, Pills and Birthdays in the “Garden of Eden”

By Michael O. Perry

hen the Expedition departed St. Louis in 1804, it was questionable whether members of the Corps of Discovery would survive their daring and dangerous quest into the unknown. But despite lack of medical care, poor diet and miserable conditions, only one crew member died on the trip.

Medical care had been of great concern to Lewis and Clark. Before starting the journey, Lewis studied medical treatments and procedures. He took along about 30 different pills and drugs to be administered as needed. Still, medical knowledge 220 years ago was not what it is today, and most remedies are laughed at now.

Dr. Benjamin Rush, a top physician of the day, sent along 50 dozen purging pills with Lewis and Clark. These pills, containing a mixture of mercury, chlorine and dried morning glory root, were thought to be a cure for pretty much all the ills of mankind and were the medicine of choice for almost every ailment. They were, however, undoubtedly the wrong thing to use in most cases. The pills were a strong purgative of explosive power and the results so awesome they were called Rush’s “Thunderbolts,” or “Thunderclappers.”

Very few of Lewis and Clark’s campsites can be accurately located today, but modern-day researchers

… unknown territory ...

“

have managed to identify some by the mercury content of soil in former latrine sites.

On July 7th the journals tell of “one man verry Sick, Struck with the sun, Capt. Lewis bled him & gave Niter which has revived him much.” Bleeding was a standard remedy of the time, and potassium nitrate (saltpeter) was used to increase the flow of urine and perspiration.

Mosquitoes and gnats continued to be a major problem. Some mosquitoes probably carried malaria. Clark made numerous entries in his journal about the pesky insects. In fact, he spelled the word mosquito 26 different ways (musqutors, musquetors, musquitors, mosquitors, misqutors, misquitors, etc.) and never once got it right!

The Lewis and Clark Expedition officially started on May 14, 1804, but the men would not begin exploring unknown territory until 1805. Fur trappers and Indian traders had previously explored and mapped the Missouri River from St. Louis up to present-day Bismark, North Dakota. But there was still a great sense of discovery as the Corps members documented new species of animals and plant varieties in the journals.

On July 29, a French fur trapper was sent to invite Oto and Missouri Indian chiefs to come to a council (near present-day Council Bluffs,

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.

There’s a good reason we don’t hear much of significance, really, about the entire first year of the Expedition. When they were going up the Missouri from St. Louis to Fort Mandan, they’re doing virtually nothing but working their butts off every day going against the current, and moving their keelboat off sand bars and through logs and brush. The territory was already explored and known.”

Iowa). When he hadn’t returned after four days, it became obvious he had either run into trouble or deserted. A day later, a regular member of the expedition disappeared. Detachments went out to look for both men.

Pink slip

They did not locate the elusive Frenchman, but after two weeks of searching, they found the Corps member and brought him back to face charges of desertion, a crime serious enough to warrant hanging or a firing squad. Instead, he was courtmartialed and received a flogging and dishonorable discharge. He ran the gauntlet four times, with each member of the Corps striking him with nine switches as he went by. Indians present were dismayed by the harsh punishment and asked for mercy. While the deserter was expelled from the Corps, he stayed with the party until the spring of 1805 when the keelboat was sent back to St. Louis.

Why can’t we be friends?

Six Oto and Missouri Indian chiefs and some warriors arrived at camp on August 2. Clark “Sent them Som rosted meat Pork flour & meal, in return they Sent us Water millions.” At a council held the next day, the captains put on their full dress uniforms, raised the American flag, and paraded the men to create a ceremonial atmosphere. They delivered a long speech telling the Indians they had a new “great father” (Thomas Jefferson), that Americans wanted the Indians to trade exclusively with them and to stop warring with other Indian tribes.

The Indians wanted guns to wage war with the Teton Sioux, who were fast becoming the dominant power in the area. While neither side got what they wanted, a calumet (a ceremonial native pipe) was smoked and presents exchanged. The chiefs received peace medals with Jefferson’s profile on the front and two clasped hands on the back

Dinner on the hoof

The Great Plains was a Garden of Eden that no American had ever seen. Herds of elk numbered in the thousands, buffalo herds stretched as far as the eye could see, and deer appeared as plentiful as chickens on a farm. Clark turned 34 on August 1, and his dinner menu demonstrates the diversity of food available from the land now known as our nation’s breadbasket: “This being my birth day I order’d a Saddle of fat Vennison, an Elk fleece & a Bevertail to be cooked and a Desert of Cherries, Plumbs, Raspberries, Currents and grapes of a Supr. Quality.” Besides those fruits and berries, Clark noted “the Praries Contain (crab) Apple, Gooseberris and Hastlenuts and a great Variety of Plants & flours not Common to the U S. What a field for a Betents [botanist] and a natirless” [naturalist]. When Captain Lewis celebrated his 30th birthday on August 18th “the evening was Closed with an extra Gill of Whiskey & a Dance until 11 oClock.” One of the men who had brought along his fiddle played it that night when the men gathered around the campfire.

Four years ago, we introduced a revised version oF Michael Perry’s popular series which began with CRR’s April 15, 2004 inaugural issue and was reprised three times and then expanded In the new book, Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, edited by Hal Calbom and published by CRRPress. It includes an in-depth author interview and new illustrations and commentary.

July 15, 2024 / Columbia River Reader / 7

Lewis & Clark from page 7 Only one man died Disaster struck less than 100 days into the journey. Sgt. Charles Floyd became very sick on August 19 with “Beliose Chorlick,” and was nursed through the night by Captain Clark. The next morning, while Clark was preparing a warm bath “hopeing it would brace him a little” Floyd died, most likely from appendicitis. Even

if he had been in Philadelphia, likely nothing could have helped him — not even Dr. Rush’s Thunderclappers. Floyd was buried on the top of a bluff in Iowa.

Next episode we will learn about prairie dogs and the crew’s efforts to capture one, and the discovery of dinosaur bones.

fire

We hear so much about food eaten and cooked, and I always wondered something more basic — how did they light all these fires when half the time, especially on the Pacific Coast, they are drenched by rain all day and firewood was scarce? I attended a re-enactment at Fort Clatsop while researching the series and found out about “char cloth,” and a guy there, a reenactor, showed me how they did it. He gets some moss and if you let the wind blow through it it dries quickly. Then he takes a chunk of cedar and takes a knife and starts whittling off little shavings — and the wind keeps drying stuff out.

The back of this U.S. Nickel created in 2004, shown above, right, features the design from the Peace Medal Lewis and Clark gave to Indians they met on their journey. The design shows two hands clasped in friendship: the military uniform cuff symbolized the United States, and the eagle-engraved wristband represents Native Americans with whom the U.S. wished to forge good relations. Above the hands, a crossed peace pipe and tomahawk symbolize peace. Three additional nickels were introduced showing Lewis and Clark’s keelboat, the American bison, and a scene depicting ‘Ocian in View! O! the Joy,’ with Thomas Jefferson’s likeness on the other side.

And then they take out their little magic silver pill bottle, like a little round thing you keep your pills in, and there is this piece of char cloth. I said, ‘Char cloth, what is char cloth?’ He says it’s a piece of cotton that they fold up, put in the little tin and stick it in the fire. It’s got a hole in it, one little hole on top for air to get in. It gets hot and there’s enough oxygen in there that it starts to burn but then it can’t burn anymore and that cotton turns to charcoal, basically. So, when they need to light a fire they take the char cloth out and put it down there in their little bird’s nest and they take a couple pieces of flint — chip, chip, chip, make sparks and pretty quickly that char cloth catches fire.”

offer discounts from date of hire; 401K, PTO, Medical, Dental, Vision, Chiro with eligibility reqs

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion and welcome individuals from diverse backgrounds. E.O.E.

… The Peace Nickel series …

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: A friend of ours hosted a brunch for several new parents. The brunch was on a hot summer day and held squarely in the middle of morning nap time. When the five other couples arrived, we found out that the host’s baby was still asleep, and we had to sit around for 20 minutes (with hot babies in tow) waiting for the host’s baby to finish his nap. Is this fair play or foul?

GENTLE READER: Babies not being great conversationalists at the best of times, Miss Manners would have thought 10 parents, hot babies and all, could have improvised a party on their own while young Jethro finished his nap.

Whether the resulting event would be fair or foul would, she supposes, depend on the moods of all involved — and whether sustenance was withheld pending Jethro’s arrival.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am an 89-year-old lady. My daughter is taking me on my very first cruise. She insists that I must wear nail polish on my toenails if I wear open-toe sandals.

I have not worn any kind of nail polish since I was in my 20s. I do not want to polish my toenails, or my fingernails, either. My toenails are neatly cut regularly by my podiatrist.

What should I tell her? She is very firm about this.

GENTLE READER: Cruises involve a lot of free time. So while Miss Manners does not want to pick a fight, she does think it would be well to establish from the start that the primary activity on this cruise will not be Telling Mama How To Behave.

If “Thank you, but I don’t like to wear nail polish” is not working, you may have to escalate to, “In my day, ladies did not do that.” Or even, “I’ll be at the bar.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I placed a rush order (two hours’ notice) for four items for my local grocery store’s curbside service. I parked in the appropriate spot, informed them I was there, then proceeded to wait almost 30 minutes for my items. (Someone from the store did assure me, about 10 minutes in, that my order was coming.)

When my order arrived, the young man apologized for my long wait with what seemed like great sincerity. I told him “thank you” and asked him to place my items in the trunk. He then apologized again, wearing a look that seemed to indicate he was waiting for a different response.

I thanked him again, both after the second the apology and after my groceries were safely in my trunk. Was there something else I should have said?

GENTLE READER: Of course you know that he was hoping for a tip. And while Miss Manners sympathizes with tip fatigue, you should have given him one. He may or may not be paid a pittance, but he depends on tips. And it wasn’t his fault that the order was delayed.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I live in the city, with driveways that are close together. I was playing cards on my front porch, and the neighbor’s car was sitting right next to us in their driveway, with the windows open. It started to rain. Do I call the neighbor to tell them? Or would that be intrusive?

GENTLE READER: Telling neighbors that their teenager left the car windows open would be intrusive. Saving them from wet upholstery is neighborly.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am the relative and legal guardian of a woman who was born severely disabled. Now middle-aged, she still has the mentality of a toddler. I promised her and myself, when we were children, that I would take care of her (for reasons that are not relevant here).

The problem? All kinds of people, who probably mean well, keep telling me what a great person I am for taking care of her, how wonderful of me, how selfless I am, etc.

Miss Manners, I am none of these things. I take care of her because ... she needs someone to take care of her. Period. Why praise me for doing something that needs to be done? What would be the alternative, in their eyes? Have they no loved ones?

The adulations are getting nauseating. Family members, friends and health care workers have all said something along those lines at this point. What do they expect me to say in response? “Yes, I know”? That sounds self-congratulatory.

When people praise me like this, what I hear is: “I’m so glad I’m not in your shoes. I would never give up my life to do something like this.”

Sorry for going on and on. What do I say, in a “Miss Manners” way, to people who keep saying things like this?

GENTLE READER: “I’m sure you would do the same. Any feeling person would.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My boyfriend and I have been dating for five years, and we just graduated from college a year ago. We’d like to continue dating for some time before getting married for numerous reasons -- including (but not limited to) the cost, the lack of vacation days in our entrylevel jobs, and commitments to attend other weddings, including my sister’s. We’re committed to one another; it’s just a matter of timing. However, I feel that this is nobody’s business but our own.

I’m from the South, where relationships that begin in college carry the expectation of an immediate marriage proposal upon graduation. I’m getting very tired of deflecting distant relatives

or my family, there are few things that compare to a weekend spent at the beach. The Oregon Coast offers rugged beauty, serene nature, and charming seaside towns nestled between forest and the Pacific Ocean. Here, countless opportunities for outdoor exploration and relaxation make it ideal for families seeking to make lasting memories.

Story by Krysten Ralston • Photos by Ryan Ralston

My husband and I, with our two toddlers — ages 2 and 4 — in tow, made our way to the coast over Father’s Day weekend. We typically like to split a day trip between Seaside and

Cannon Beach, a mere 15 minutes apart. Seaside boasts an aquarium, a beautiful stretch of beach, an arcade, an amusement park, and more gelato shops than you can count, making it the perfect destination for a family with young kids.

The first stop on our itinerary is the Seaside Aquarium. This is a mustdo with little ones where they can come face-toface with our off-shore residents such as Wolf Eels, the Giant Pacific Octopus, sea stars, and a variety of crawling crustaceans. The aquarium’s touch tank offers curious visitors a hands-on experience with vibrant star fish, shy snails and mollusks.

Our favorite exhibit here must be the rambunctious and endearing crew of harbor seals that put on a show for a snack! Friendly tip: You may want to stand a few feet back from the splash zone. After the aquarium, we head down to the beach, just steps away. Our beach strolls, usually consist of a scavenger hunt for seashells and sand dollars, running in and out of the chilly surf, constructing sandcastles, and watching kites dance in the sky.

After our busy morning, we order lunch from The Grizzly Tuna, a drive-thru shack right off the main strip with some of the tastiest fish and chips around, then head south along the highway towards Cannon Beach.

Our first stop here is Sleepy Monk Coffee for a latte and a fresh pastry. While often busy, the café’s atmosphere is always warm, with its cozy corners, nooks, and Adirondack chairs sprawled on the lawn.

Once we left for the beach, to our delight we discovered we were in town for the Cannon Beach annual Sandcastle building competition. We admired some impressive structural feats, some crumbling attempts, and intricate carvings.

Our kids had a wonderful time running up and down the strip, peering at the castles and carvings, but they equally enjoyed digging in the sand, chasing sea gulls, and exploring the tide pools around Haystack Rock, teeming with colorful creatures.

In true North Coast fashion, a hailstorm brought our afternoon to a shuddering, shivering halt.

For dinner, we head back into town and opt for one of the several family-friendly breweries Cannon Beach offers. A steaming bowl of chowder anyone?

After a full day of sun, some rain, and fresh, salt air we drive home through the mountains, our kids fast asleep in the backseat. I can’t help but smile because someday these trips and summer traditions will become their cherished memories.

IF YOU GO: Seaside Aquarium

200 North Prom, Seaside, Oregon

Directions: From the north or south, take U.S. Highway 101, one of the most picturesque drives in the United States. The Aquarium is on the beach at the end of Second Avenue and North Promenade, two blocks north of the Seaside Turnaround.

Hours: Open daily, 9am, closing time varies; call 503-738-6211 for specific hours.

Admission: Adults $11, Kids 6–13 $5.50; Seniors 64+ $9, Family (up to 6) $36, Kids under 5 free with paid admission

photos: seasideaquarium.com

Krysten Ralston is a freelance writer and poet based in Longview where she resides with her husband and two children. When she’s not writing, you can find her in her garden, thrifting at local shops, or exploring nature.

Elizabeth Marrs Branch Manager

Sandy Fromm Escrow Officer-LPO

Mount St. Helens Hiking Club

(E) - Easier: Usually on relatively flat ground (up to 5 miles and/or less than 500 ft. e.g.)

(M) - Moderate: Longer and more elevation gain (over 5 miles and/or over 500 ft. e.g.)

(S) - Strenuous: Long hikes and/or elevation gain (over 8 miles and/or over 1200 ft. e.g.)

Call leader to join outing or for more info. Nonmembers welcome. Driving distances are from Longview, Wash.

July 17 – Wed • Salmon River (M)

Drive 200 miles RT. Hike 7.5 miles with 950’ e.g. A beautiful hike beginning at the edge of the Salmon River, through a mossy old-growth forest with wildflowers. Trail is well maintained, has gentle terrain but several steeper sections traveling along the Salmon River. Takes you to a rocky vista overlook where we will have lunch. Leader: Susan M. 360-751-1255

July 19 – Fri • Coyote Wall Loop Trail (M/S)

Drive 216 miles RT. Hike 6.3 miles on a loop trail with 1,800’ e.g. Gorgeous views of the Columbia River Gorge and Mt. Hood. It’s a moderate to difficult hike with steep inclines. *WASHINGTON DISCOVER PASS RECOMMENDED JUST IN CASE. Leaders: John & Mary Jane M. 360-508-0878

July 24 – Wed • Pacific Way Dike (E) Hike 5 miles RT on level gravel path. Leaders: John R. 360-431-1122

July 27 – Sat • Juniper Mountain (S)

Drive 102 miles RT. Hike 8 miles RT with 2000’ e.g. to the Juniper Mt. summit at 5593’. Great views of Cispus River Valley, Mt. Rainier, Mt. Adams and Gifford Pinchot Nat’l Forest. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256

July 31 – Wed • Lake Sacajawea (E)

Walk a 4-mile loop around the lake or walk half the lake for approximately 2 miles. Leaders: Art M. 360-270-9991

Aug 2 – Fri • McNeil Point from Top Spur Mt Hood (S)

Drive 190 miles RT. Hike 10+ miles with 2,000’ e.g. This hike is out and back so fewer miles are possible. Amazing views of Mt. Hood, an alpine experience with wildflowers! Leader: Pat R. 360-225-7232 or 360-5609554 cell.

Aug 3 – 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

Aug 7 – Wed • Portland Urban Hike –The 6T’s (M/S)

Drive 100 miles RT. Hike 6 miles with 1,100’ e.g. on the Marquam Trail in Portland’s Forest Park up to Council Crest for fantastic views of surrounding mountains, down to the Marquam Shelter, up to ‘Pill Hill,’ down to Terwilliger Blvd, up to the Chart House for more views, then down to the Portland waterfront where you can ride the tram up and down. We’ll walk across the Tillicum Crossing Bridge and back, before taking the trolley and train back to the Washington Park/Zoo MAX Station. 8-person maximum, Leaders: Bill D. 503-260-6712

Sketch by the late deena MartinSon

Lego® – Not Just for Kids

Recapture childhood joy building space exploration models

By Greg Smith

Lego offers a NASA series of spacecraft sets. These are serious adult builds, some with more than 1,000 pieces. I have the Saturn V rocket set that stands 36” tall, with 1,976 pieces. It also includes a tiny Apollo Moon Lander inside. This set was so popular that availability slowed down, with a waiting list of a couple of months.

I also have a Mars Rover that is just like the Mars Rover Curiosity currently on Mars. It was designed with the help of the JPL engineers who built the real one. It has more than 1,100 pieces, including the Mars helicopter “Ingenuity.”

The Lego Space Shuttle (2,300+ pieces) is a large model with a cargo bay that will hold a model of the Hubble Space Telescope. The HST is a separate model to build (included with this set).

The Lego ISS space station is fragile. It balances on its stand and any quick movement will make it fall apart. It is for display only; you should not try to “play” with it. It does give you a real idea of the complexity and fragility of the real ISS.

The Apollo 11 Moon Lander is a tricky build. It, too, has about1,000 pieces. You may find yourself getting confused on which part of the lander you are working on, as it has three sides very similar to each other, I know I had that trouble. But it was, and is, a very

Exercise Classes

satisfying model to build. Astronauts are included. I’ve added a couple of Star Wars droids for fun.

It took me a full day or more to build each of these sets. The models are very complex and the instructions to build them can be thick books.

The Artemis Space Launch System (rocket and launch tower) has 3,600+ pieces. I don’t have that one yet. But at $300, it will be a while. The NASA sets are less expensive. Some Star Wars Legos are priced above $500.

These large sets — serious reproductions of the machinery — are recommended for people 18 years old or older. There is hope that Lego will produce the James Web Telescope model. Some 10,000 people sent in requests for it. Each request was from a potential buyer of the set. I am sure there will be a lot more than just those requesters who would purchase it. I know I would be one!

Fortunately for me, I have a daughter who is into Legos. She got me mine as Christmas, Birthday, and Father’s Day gifts.

Return to your childhood days of wonder and excitement of the NASA launches and dreams of exploring the Moon and Mars. Put Lego NASA on your Christmas list, and maybe your favorite Santa will bring you one.

SKY REPORT

Looking UP

The Evening Sky

A clear sky is needed.

Aug/Sept/Oct/Nov/Dec • Tai Chi for Beginners

Tues and Thurs – 10 AM Longview Parks & Rec 360 442-5400

Chi for Health and Senior Fitness

TCHI Certified Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention (Standing/Seated) Tai Chi & Qigong for Health and Wellness (Standing/Seated)

The Administration on Aging (AoA) has rated the TCHI Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevent (TCA) program as the highest evidence-based program for older adults and wellness. More information at www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org.

Tai Chi for Life Workshop • Sunday, July 21 • 2 – 4pm

Introduction to a sequence of six gentle tai chi forms beneficial for enhancing and sustaining strength, flexibility, balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life. Register through Longview Parks & Rec (see above) Instructor: LaNay Eastman

By Greg Smith

July 18 – August 17, 2024

No planets show in the evening sky at this time. Saturn doesn’t return to the night sky until late July after 11pm. The Summer Triangle is strong in the mid-eastern sky. Within that triangle of stars is the cute asterism of the Coat Hanger, a group of seven stars that form an upside-down coat hanger. It lies on a line between Altair and Vega, about halfway between the two stars.

The Morning Sky

A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required.

By 5am Venus is rising in the eastern sky near the Beehive cluster, shortly followed by Mercury. The brilliance of Venus is its own marker showing you where to look for the cluster. The sunrise will wipe out the sight of any other planets.

Night Sky Spectacle

All times are Pacific Daylight Savings Time

MOON PHASES:

Full: Sun. July 21st

Last Quarter: Sat., July 27th

New Moon: Sun., Aug 4th

First Quarter: Mon., Aug 12th

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.

Wed., July 17th: 9:34pm Wed., July 24th: 9:26pm Wed., July 31st: 9:17pm Wed., Aug 7th: 9:06pm Wed., Aug. 14th: 8:54pm

A clear sky is a must. By 10pm when the sky is dark, the three stars of the Summer Triangle are high in the evening sky. The three stars making up the triangle are Vega in Lyra (the Harp), Altair in Aquila (the Eagle), and Deneb in Cygnus (the Swan). The Summer Triangle has 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, Vega is an extremely bright star at Magnitude of 0.0, the second star to come out in the early twilight of the evening. Altair is just a bit dimmer with a magnitude of +0.75. Deneb at 3,200 light years, is at magnitude +1.25. Remember, the larger the number. the dimmer the star. Be sure to look for the Coat Hanger.

The constellation Pegasus is rising in the East along with the Andromeda Galaxy (M31), visible in binoculars as a fuzzy smudge. There is another galaxy 14 degrees down towards the horizon that is very beautiful in a telescope. As of writing this, the Corona Borealis nova is not seen. By the end of July, Corona Borealis is high in the southwestern sky. Hopefully it will be visible by this time.

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.

Diane Kenneway Escrow Closer / Assistant

Celinda Northrup Escrow Officer / LPO

Alison Peters Escrow Officer / LPO

Miss Manners from page 9 and acquaintances who keep asking (often in a rude and judgmental way), “When are you and X getting engaged?”

Firstly, I’d like to be surprised by his proposal, so I genuinely don’t know. But I also feel that it’s rude to ask — in a similar way as asking, “When are you going to get pregnant?” or “Why are you single?”

How should I respond to this question without doubling the rudeness of the inquirer? I’ve been asked repeatedly since age 18 -- and I am now an old maid, by Southern standards, at 23.

GENTLE READER: “We don’t have any immediate plans to become engaged,” to which Miss Manners would append, “but thank you so much for asking” — which she has been given to understand is the Southern way of saying, “so mind your own business.”

•••

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.

Biz Buzz

What’s Happening Around the River

Port of Kalama partners with Shaver Transportation for new electrified dock

Tug dock will reduce emissions and improve tug efficiencies

The Port and Shaver Transportation Company are partnering to construct a new electrified tug boat dock at the TEMCO grain terminal. When complete, the new $1.2 million facility will provide numerous benefits to the environment and result in a marked increase in operational efficiency for the tug company.

“Our collaboration with Shaver on this new tug dock is a great example of our Port mission statement at work — inducing capital investment in an environmentally

responsible manner to create jobs,” said Tabitha Reeder, Port Director of Environmental Services. Look for updates in CRR’s “Biz Buzz,” and an expanded feature in a future issue of the Port’s TradeWinds quarterly newsletter, in print and also available at portofkalama.com.

Where do you read THE READER?

Patiently waiting Rose Valley (Kelso) resident Bob Anunson reading the Columbia River Reader at St. John’s Emergency Department for a non-life threatening health concern. “Lots of time; read two issues,” noted his wife Marlene Anunson, who took the photo.

Oh, my god ... It’s Apollo!

Land of the Midnight Sun, and varoom! varoom! fun!

Longview resident Paul Alexander in Alaska near the Arctic Circle.

Longview residents Steve Jones, PJ Peterson, Cree Anne and Chuck Henderson, in front of the statue of Apollo at the entrance to Old Town, Nice, France.

The four spent three days in Geneva, then boarded the AmaCello riverboat in Dijon, France. They enjoyed 8 days on the Saone and Rhone Rivers in southeast France, followed by three days in Nice. From there they visited Monaco City and Monte Carlo, as well as Eze, a medieval walled city overlooking the Mediterranean Sea. PJ said she carried the CRR the entire trip, but it was unseasonably cold and windy until they hit Nice, where they finally had a couple days of nice weather and a picturetaking opportunity.

WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?

Send your photo reading the Reader (high-resolution JPEG) to publisher@crreader.com.For cell phone photos, choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. Include names and cities of residence. Expect an acknowledgment within 5 days of submission; otherwise, please re-send. Thank you for your participation and patience, as we usually have a small backlog!

Special night on the River Centralia, Wash. resident Sonja McCully wrote that she and husband Jim “had dinner and spent a too-short but sweet night for our 37th wedding anniversary at our favorite river spot, McMenamins Kalama Harbor Lodge, May 31st.” Photo by Jim McCully.

Lifelong Learning

MUSEUM MAGIC

SMuseum on the move!

Children’s Museum relocates in Cowlitz Museum, enroute to Catlin School

Story and photos by Joseph Govednik, Cowlitz County Historical Museum Director

ince 2016, the Children’s Discovery Museum has offered a creative and engaging space for youth and families — free of charge! It is an important part of our community and provides vital educational and stimulating activities to our kids.

Recently, remarkable opportunities presented themselves to CDM through a successful fundraising campaign and partnership with the Kelso School District. The CDM will close its doors at the current location at 1209 Commerce Avenue in Downtown Longview and

relocate to a new space at Catlin School, in Kelso. During this transition, the CDM will be closed to the public while staff and volunteers focus on the relocation and installation of new exhibits.

An opportunity arose for partnership between the Cowlitz County Historical Museum and the CDM to collaborate on temporary exhibits located at CCHM during this transition. This will be the second such partnership between the two organizations.

“We are thrilled for this opportunity to maintain a public interface with the families we serve at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum,” said Seth McNally, Executive Director of the CDM. “This was a natural fit while we prepare the new space which will open later this fall.”

Hwy 101, South Bend, WA 360-875-5224

• Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau 3914 Pacific Way (corner Hwy 101/Hwy 103) Long Beach, WA. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542

• South Columbia County Chamber Columbia Blvd/Hwy 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

To: Walla Walla Kennewick, WA Lewiston, ID

from page 17

“We look forward to incorporating new familyfriendly temporary exhibits and work with our partners who share a similar mission of service to our community,” said Joseph Govednik, Cowlitz County Historical Museum director.

The new CDM exhibits will open at CCHM on July 30, (until the new location is ready) and then close its doors on Commerce the following day.

The last chance to see the CCHM’s exhibit 1923: The Year That Changed Cowlitz County will be July 20, Govednik said. “Come down and see both museums during this exciting time!

For more info please visit:www.cowlitzcdm.com or cowlitzcountyhistory.org/

Nevaeh, of Children’s Discovery Museum, at the Nature Niche.

Production notes

“Both - And” versus “Either - Or”

t Wo automobiles W ind their Way

over the Willapa Hills of Southwest Washington. Both pull over near the top of KM Mountain, some 800 feet above sea level.

Below them stretches a common Northwest vista — a few forlorn stands of timber interspersed with extensive clear-cuts, slash piles and logging refuse. Two- to three-foot fir sprouts are replanted throughout the harvest ground, and numerous signs remind us that its owner, the forest products company, is a steward of the land and committed to future generations.

The first car is simply changing drivers for the run down home to Naselle. To them the vista is unremarkable, the equivalent of a regional family farm at harvest time.

The second car’s passengers are more animated. Piling out in a fit of selfcongratulatory pique, their phone cameras begin blasting immediately. Sacrilege! Rape of the land! We have the proof!

Their license plates are out of state.

For those of us who live in this region, still dependent upon natural resources, these conflicting views seem as old as the hills themselves. Indeed, they are as old as the human condition. We know we can both harvest the timber crops, and perpetuate them.

What’s worse than ever these days, in everything from politics to economics to issues of personal privacy and identity, is the rise of “either – or” as the differentiator in these debates, and demise of “both – and.”

Neither indiscriminate clear cuts nor enshrinement of every last evergreen needle is a responsible or reasonable treatment of the land and the people who forge a living and shape their lives on and around it.

The rise of “either – or” politics and cultural warfare benefits no one. We Pacific Northwesterners know better. “Both – and” is built into our DNA.

Timber 2.0

Our oldest industry sustains itself

“We call it optimization. Getting the very most out of every log that we can,” says Lois Perdue, manager of Hampton Lumber’s big mill in Warrenton, Oregon.

“In the meantime, we’re replanting the forests — like we always have — but a lot more productively.”

Hampton Lumber, Portland-based and family-owned for more than 80 years, owns 10 mills and hundreds of thousands of acres of Northwest forest land. This month, we’re checking in on one of our oldest, and often most contentious, local industries — what’s new, what’s old, what’s up, what’s down in our mills and forests.

“You’ll need those earplugs!” says Perdue, escorting me on a walking

and catwalk-climbing tour — rattling chains, crowded conveyors, ripping saws, and grinding chippers.

Despite modernization everywhere, the cutting floor still screams and spits sawdust. We shout the questions and answers to each other, plugs wedged in and plucked out as we move through the process: logpicking, head rig, trimmers, stackers, pallets, dry kilns, packaging.

Most of the time-honored saw milling practices remain the same. It’s the command and control, however, that’s dramatically different.

“If you notice what’s going on out there, very few of the operators ever even touch the lumber,” Perdue told me. Modern robotics and hydraulics now run on state-of-the-art software: multi-window computer screens are everywhere.

THE CUTTING FLOOR STILL SCREAMS AND SPITS SAWDUST

to the

The Optimization Environment

The other half of Hampton’s story is out in the woods, boots on the ground.

“My grandfather, John Hampton, was a pioneer in the local wood products sector,” says Peter Hampton, who today, following his graduation from the University of Oregon, works as the family company’s sustainability coordinator.

Welcome

cyber sawmill. Timber 2.0.

Log loading at Hampton Lumber’s Warrenton, Oregon, mill. Hampton employs more than 1,700 people.

“Today we live with a whole world of forest rules my grandfather probably wouldn’t agree with, let alone even understand,” he told us. “But it’s a more cooperative world than you might expect.”

In a recent web post the younger Hampton pointed to three significant environmental changes influencing working timber foresters: better buffering for fish-bearing streams to protect water quality; the Oregon Private Forest Accord (see sidebar at right), which brings logging and environmental groups together to further improve stream buffering and planting practices; and road building that’s more closely monitored to inventory and upgrade culverts and protect water quality and fish passage among logging roads and transportation corridors.

OREGON PRIVATE FOREST ACCORD

Signed in 2021

13 conservation & fisheries groups 11 timber companies

Sets new standards for forest roads, culverts, fish passage barriers, no-cut buffers

Source: Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife

Peter Hampton cites improved private / public sector awareness of forest conditions — “it’s driven by science and technology, GIS [Geographic Information System] mapping, and drone surveillance” — for this new atmosphere of cooperation and collaboration.

“We’re getting first-hand knowledge of the terrain, soil types, streams, and slopes to make more informed decisions,” Hampton notes. “Harvest planning begins two years in advance, and includes wildlife biologists, geologists and other professionals.”

WE’RE GETTING FIRST-HAND KNOWLEDGE OF THE TERRAIN, SOIL TYPES, STREAMS, AND SLOPES TO MAKE MORE INFORMED DECISIONS

Weatherguard

At Hampton Lumber’s Warrenton mill, the nine major machine operators never physically touch the lumber, controlling operations from computerized command stations.

Kobe Parlin Lower Columbia College Men’s Basketball

Home Grown Human Resources

“I’m from a saw-milling family,” said Lois Perdue, whose roots are in northeastern Washington. The Warrenton mill manager worked her way up job-by-job through this mill and the original Hampton Mill in Willamina, founded in 1942. She moved up its chain of leadership and now runs the place. Hampton’s work force includes around 15 percent women, something that would have astonished the elder Grandfather Hampton.

“Our retention in this company is great,” said Perdue. I asked her if automating and optimization had cost jobs and she said no, that in fact many of the operators had augmented their skills with new learning and remained with the company even as computer screens dominated their work view.

“People don’t realize you can get a great job like this,” said Hampton’s public affairs director Kristin Rasmussen. “The training often combines traditional apprenticeships with personalized development plans for each employee. It’s a great work environment!”

The World of Wood

In a world worried by omnipresent plastics in its environment, from microscopic to gross square miles of debris in our oceans,

Millrunners: Managers Lois Perdue and Andrew Kost oversee 10-hour shifts four days a week.

WE PUT TOGETHER THE LATEST SCIENTIFIC ADVANCEMENTS WITH TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE

the world of wood is making a comeback. “Wood is the most sustainable building material out there,” said Peter Hampton. “And demand is huge.” The United Nations’ Global Status Report says cities will need to create an additional 2.5 trillion square feet of building space to house the world’s population over the next 30 years.

For the Pacific Northwest, experienced producers of forest products, this offers a wonderful opportunity. Yes, there are tightened environmental regulations and potentially diminishing natural resources. But after decades of operating in an “optimization” environment — nothing new, really, Hampton stands on the shoulders of recycling pioneers — our region can realize the best of both worlds.

Oregon and Washington are still the top two softwood lumber producers in the nation, together accounting for a formidable 29 percent of the building materials produced in the U.S.

cont page 22

“We

Hampton owns and manages more than 280,000 acres of Northwest forest land.

from page 21

With the combination of improved optimization and better forest management — best practices in both the sawmill and the woods themselves — Hampton Lumber and its Northwest peers seem well-positioned to take advantage of a back-to-thewood “natural” material’s return to form.

“We do two things well,” says Peter Hampton. “We put together the latest scientific advancements with traditional knowledge and experience.”

For the near future at least, Hampton Lumber and similar local companies will provide not only the building materials and new growth timber necessary for economic sustainability, but also the experienced people running the show and supporting their local enterprises.

Interviews are edited for clarity and length.

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.

Editor’s note: During his college years, Hal worked three summers in local sawmills and at the Longview Fibre Company

Providing Clean Power

Since 1936 Northwest hydropower produces no carbon emissions, thereby significantly reducing the total carbon footprint of the region’s energy production.

More than 15 percent of Hampton’s employees are women; Hampton stresses its family forest roots.

Elect Steve Ferrell

Wise Watering

Guidance to follow prior and during summer dry spells

Story & Photos by Nancy Chennault

Pacific Northwesterners usually have ample water for our gardens throughout the summer. However, we do have periods of drought each growing season. With Northwest summer temperatures heating up around the Fourth of July, we should prepare for a typical seasonal dry spell.

Drought is defined by Webster’s Dictionary as “an extended period of dry weather, especially one injurious to crops.” Ours can last from 6 to 8 weeks and those dry spells most injurious occur between mid-July and the onset of fall rains, about the third week in October.

Just about the time we proclaim, “We are in the middle of a drought,” a torrential summer storm saturates and refreshes the soil. Then we continue with our Northwest-watering regime, always assuming that we will have a never-ending supply of water for landscapes, gardens, containers and baskets. A succession of days when the temperature rises above 90 degrees without a good, soaking rain may challenge this supply, no matter what the source.

We have experienced longer drought periods and higher temperatures for more than our usual three days the last few years, due in part to the warming of our planet. Be ready to adjust your watering schedules and your plant selection. We can no longer assume Pacific Northwest gardeners will be rescued by summer rains.

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 from 2006 until early 2017. After a seven-year hiatus she came out of “retirement” to reconnect us with some of her favorite gardening topics.

It is always appropriate to use resources wisely, and Pacific Northwest water is no exception. Conscientious water use is vital even after an exceptional rain-soaked spring, before a “drought” situation occurs. Over-watering recklessly will result in excess run-off, which contaminates groundwater and streams if allowed to carry consumer chemical products, such as fertilizers and pesticides. It’s never too early — nor too late — to begin using water wisely. Guidelines to help conserve precious water resources

1. Avoid overhead sprinkling, especially mid-day when most evaporation occurs. If you must use this type of sprinkler for lawn irrigation, use a timer, (or get up with the birds), so the watering occurs early in the morning.

2. Install a soaker hose at the base of established shrubs and trees to apply water directly to the root zone. Remember, the roots that soak up the water are not next to the trunk, but out at the edge of the canopy of branches.

3. Drip systems (also set on a timer) for containers and baskets will help prevent excessive water use. Containers grouped together are pleasing to the eye and maintain moisture levels longer than those spaced randomly around a patio or porch. This arrangement is also easier to set up with a drip-type watering system.

4. Water newly-planted ornamentals, perennials and annual flowerbeds by hand to assure even distribution to the root zone without waste. Keep water pressure low and use a “water breaker” nozzle to softly moisten the soil around each plant. This allows you to soak the expanding root zone with the minimal amount of water. By keeping the pressure only high enough to give each plant a thorough watering, you prevent wasteful run off.

Photos, from top: Encourage root growth of new plants with a good soaking without runoff. Watering foliage is water wasted. Water at the base of newly planted landscape plants.

5. Mow lawns less often and water deeply (longer settings) to encourage deeper root growth. When mowing, leave more leaf blade for better heat tolerance. The shorter the lawn, the more water is required to keep it green. Use organic fertilizers to slowly feed the lawn instead of chemical, high nitrogen fertilizers that encourages rampant new growth requiring more water.

6. Apply mulch, such as fir bark, 2 to 4 inches deep to keep soil cool and help maintain soil moisture. Apply to areas already well watered, not to parched soil. A bark mulch, as well as layers of newspaper, will also help prevent weed growth. Weeds are unsightly and rob desirable vegetation of much-needed moisture.

7. When landscaping a new area, be aware of your plants’ water requirements and group those requiring more water in the same area. Shallow rooted shrubs, such as rhododendrons, azaleas and heather, will need a good watering at least once a week during dry periods even after they are well established. Deeply rooted plants, those from arid regions and those that have succulent leaves will survive an extended Northwest drought with no supplemental watering whatsoever. Make sure plants that like dry conditions, such as sedums, lavenders, sequoia, yucca and phormiums, have exceptionally good drainage; our wet climate will cause many of them to rot during the winter.

Summer watering is a relaxing, therapeutic activity that lets you spend time “up close and personal” with the plants and flowers in your garden. Giving each a deep, satisfying, cool drink is as refreshing for the gardener as it is for the garden. You will be rewarded with bountiful harvests, beautiful blossoms and an evergreen experience exclusive to our moisture-laden area

of the Pacific Northwest. Water with confidence, knowing you are doing your part to assure every garden and gardener plentiful summer moisture.

*A Note about Timers: We tend to want to put these timers on “auto-pilot” and forget that the changing weather pattern requires various levels of moisture. Pay attention to the temperature and the plants; don’t automatically water at the same level regardless of the weather. Be ready to adjust for changing conditions.

Where Kalama’s town name came from

By Michael Perry

Many towns have names that can be traced back to their source; others are a little more obscure. Both Native Hawaiian and Native American threads intertwine in the tapestry of Kalama’s heritage.

Many Kalama residents will tell you their city was named after John Kalama, a full-blooded Hawaiian born in Kula, Maui, about 1814. He came to the

Pacific Northwest around 1830 and worked for the Hudson Bay Company on their Cowlitz Farm (near Toledo, Washington) in 1847. He married the daughter of a Nisqually Indian Chief and lived for a while at the mouth of today’s Kalama River.

Some say the river was named after John Kalama, and that later, in 1871 after the Northern Pacific began laying tracks from Kalama towards Tacoma, a railroad official named their new town after the nearby river.

Sixty-five years earlier, however, in 1806, the Lewis and Clark Expedition passed by the present-day Kalama River.

Sgt. Joseph Whitehouse wrote they “passed the Mouth of a River called by the Natives Calamus.” In 1811, Gabriel Franchere (a French-Canadian explorer) wrote in his journal that he “arrived at a large village called Thlakalamah… built on a little river.”

Both men were describing the Kalama River and were simply trying to record the Indian name phonetically.

In 1923, in his book Origin of Washington Place Names, Edmond Meany (a history professor at the University of Washington in the late 1800s and early 1900s) stated that

“Kalama” came from the Indian word “calamet” and meant either “pretty maiden” or “stone.”

Perhaps it was just a “happy coincidence” that John Kalama’s name sounded similar to the Indian name for the river. It’s easy to see how the story got its start and why ties to Hawaii have become part of the fabric of Kalama’s history. We can celebrate it all at this year’s Kalama Cultural Festival (see ad, page 36).

Michael Perry is the author of “Dispatches from the Discovery Trail” column (see page. 5) and the subsequent book by the same name.

Doctors Lauder, McLeod Offer Specialized Care

A.J. Lauder, MD, and Jake McLeod, DPM, provide treatment for patients having problems with their extremities.

Dr. Lauder deals with hand-wrist issues, including carpal tunnel, Dupuytren’s contracture, arthritis, and trigger finger. Dr. McLeod treats foot-ankle problems that include arthritis, flat feet, and bunions. Both Dr. Lauder and Dr. McLeod perform minimally invasive arthroscopic procedures, as well.

Call today to schedule an appointment with one of these outstanding physicians.

Dr. McLeod, DPM

“Dr. McLeod is very precise in telling you what is going to happen. He is a very knowledgeable doctor.” - G.K.

Dr. Lauder, MD

“Five stars for Dr. Lauder. He’s the best. Staff and facility couldn’t be better. Thanks for being here.” - JL

Hikes from page 12

August 9 – Fri     Kings Mountain (M/S)

Drive 160 miles RT. Hike 5.5 miles with 2800’ e.g. to a high point with very little view, except for Oregon Coast Range trees. This out and back hike is a great workout Leader: Bill D. 503-260-6712

August 14 – Wed    Discovery Trail (E/M)

Drive 135 miles RT. Hike 6 miles up and back. Trailhead starts in Ilwaco. Hike up to Beard’s Hollow Trailhead, then down to Beard’s Hollow, then north along the coast then back. The trail is fairly steep at the start for the first half mile, then more gradual. Beautiful forest and ocean views. Pack a lunch for after hike. Leader: Art M. 360-270-9991

Aug 14 – Wed     North Head Discovery Trail (B) (E)

Drive 140 miles RT. Bike 14.5 miles RT with 400’ e.g. Beautiful ride on a well-maintained path with views of the Pacific Ocean and interesting artwork/history along the way. Leader: Dory N. 213-820-1014

Aug 17 – Sat    Squirrel Bridge Urban Walk (E) Walk 4.5 miles through Longview’s Old West Side and visit nine squirrel bridges that are suspended in the air to protect our furry friends from traffic. There is minimal e.g. This day is also the 13th Annual Squirrel Fest held at the Civic Circle. Leader: Barbara R. 360-431-1131

Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” to be performed – first time EVER in Longview!

The Columbia River Chamber Music Festival August 2nd – 11th will present six free concerts in Longview, Wash., with top soloists and top regional musicians:

Concerts at Rose Center for the Arts, Lower Columbia College •Fri, Aug 2, Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” with Maria Sampen, violin. •Fri, Aug 9, Mozart’s “Piano Concerto No. 21,” theme of the movie Elvira Madigan, with Grant Mack, piano.

Concerts at St. Stephen’s Church, Louisiana St and 22nd Ave, Longview: •Aug 3, 4, 10, 11. A selection of works by Brahms, Beethoven, Schubert, Poulenc, Tchaikovsky, and others.

Please visit www.crfest.org for program details, and to reserve seats, volunteer or donate to this community nonprofit. Most seats are free but now you can reserve and donate to help pay for musicians. Sign up to receive CRCMF’s newsletter.

•Aug 1, Aug 2 Stories with Music for Children, Longview Public Library. Original works by Franzi Brech and performed with other CRCMF. Free admission, no reservations.

•Thur, Aug 1, 3pm: “Musical Calamities” (all ages).

•Fri, Aug 2, at 10.30am: “Once Upon a Note” (children).

see ad, page 35

Where to find the new Reader

It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month. Here’s the handy, regularly-refilled sidewalk box and rack locations, where you can pick up a copy any time of day and even in your bathrobe:

LONGVIEW

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)

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)

Luckmans Coffee, Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama

WOODLAND

The Oak Tree

Visitors’ Center

Grocery Outlet

Luckman Coffee

CASTLE ROCK

Parking lot near Post Office

Parker’s Restaurant (box, entry)

Visitors’ Ctr 890 Huntington Ave. N., Exit 49, west side of I-5

Cascade Select Market

VADER

Little Crane Café

RYDERWOOD

Café porch

TOUTLE

Drew’s Grocery & Service

CLATSKANIE

Post Office

Mobil / Mini-Mart

Fultano’s Pizza

WESTPORT

Berry Patch (entry rack)

RAINIER

Post Office

Cornerstone Café

Rainier Hardware (rack, entry)

Earth ‘n’ Sun (on Hwy 30)

El Tapatio (entry rack)

Grocery Outlet

Senior Center (rack at front door)

DEER ISLAND

Deer Island Store

COLUMBIA CITY

Post Office

WARREN

Warren Country Inn

ST HELENS

Chamber of Commerce

Sunshine Pizza

St. Helens Market Fresh

Big River Tap Room

Safeway

SCAPPOOSE

Post Office

Road Runner

Fultano’s

Ace Hardware

WARRENTON

Fred Meyer

CATHLAMET

Cathlamet Pharmacy

Tsuga Gallery

Realty West

Puget Island Ferry Landing

SKAMOKAWA

Skamokawa General Store

NASELLE

Appelo Archives & Café

Johnson’s One-Stop

ILWACO

Time Enough Books (entry table)

IThe Ripple Effect Gathering spots, conversation, wine...community!

by Marc Roland

n the heart of Longview, Washington, a movement is happening! Nestled in a valley where three rivers meet, local businesses and organizations have become a haven for connection and community. It’s not just the allure of the beautiful outdoors that draws us, it is also the small boutiques, good food and drink, innovative organizations drawing people to this place, and their welcoming atmosphere.

Many leaders are envisioning their place as more than a business; they want it to be a gathering place where people could come together, share stories, and foster a sense of belonging. Every week, these places buzz with activity. Locals and tourists alike mingle at the wellthought-out décor, live edge bars, and live music almost every night, strolling and savoring the array of goods and services, and outreach.

Yes, the outreach! Service clubs, charities, and events galore seem to increase every year. Murals are going up; work is getting done. The air is often filled with laughter, the clinking of glasses, and the sound of conversation. It is here that the possibility of joy and uplift can happen amidst the warmth of good company, where friendships are forged, and community bonds strengthened.

I have many regulars who come in who have recently moved to Longview. One of them shared how hard it is to relocate. He felt the pang of loneliness that often accompanies moving, missing the familiar faces and routines of his old neighborhood. On a whim, he decided to visit the winery one cold and dreary Saturday night.

As he sat at a table, a conversation ensued with a local artist who frequented the winery to unwind and seek inspiration. Their initial exchange about the nuanced flavors of the wine soon blossomed into a deeper conversation about art, travel, and their shared experiences of finding a sense of place in Cowlitz County.

now share other activities. Charity events get organized in these gathering places, using the venue to raise funds for local causes. Their initiatives bring together people from all walks of life, uniting them in a shared purpose.

I have watched with great pride as many local businesses have been catalysts —a microcosm of community spirit. I see how the simple act of sharing their passion can break down barriers and foster connections. I’ve noticed regular patrons transformed from strangers to friends, and how groups use the space to give back to the community.

I’m reading a revised version of Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of Community, by Robert Putnum, published in 2000. The book details research on the decline of community in an era where social isolation was becoming the norm, individuals retreating into their own worlds, disconnected from the fabric of society. ‘Joining’ has been in decline. Whether it is a service club, union membership, a social club or church, folks seem to want to go it alone. The verdict is still out on the effects of social media and virtual interaction—helping or causing further decline?

As a wine columnist, my job is to write about wine. You may ask what all this has to do with wine —everything. Wine is a social drink! Its joy is only realized through connections to the past and present. But all places where people gather can nurture relationships and cultivate a sense of belonging, rippling out into the wider world, making it a little warmer, a little kinder, and a lot more connected.

NOTES FROM MY LIVES

Tby Andre Stepankowsky

Space Invaders

As we colonize the cosmos, would we be an invasive species?

he age of colonialism ended as the last century drew to a close, although vestiges of its abuses continue to plague the human community.

But another is already underway, although we don’t like to think of it in the imperialistic terms that drove the four-century European conquest of the Americas, Africa and other lands.

I’m taking about human colonization of space.

It seems like every month brings news that the Webb and Hubble telescopes have found earth-like planets outside our solar system. It is typically followed by speculation about how we can overcome the challenges of traveling immense distances to get to them.

Editor’s note: No, Marc, your job is more than writing about wine. You are also our guru of grapes, groovin’ and getting along. And you’re good at it!

For the next two decades, NASA’s Mars Exploration Program will focus on searching the “Red Planet” for potential life, understanding its geology and climate and preparing for human exploration. The space agency is planning a human mission to our planetary neighbor early in the 2030s.

Space exploration is driven by human curiosity and love of adventure. In addition, there are practical reasons to seek beyond our own planet for future habitation.

For one, human populations are expected to grow, and already exceed Earth’s sustainable levels. We’ll need more space unless governments take steps to curb population growth.

For another, as long as our species is limited to one home, we’re vulnerable to extinctions from a cosmic catastrophe, such as an asteroid strike or gamma wave burst from an exploding star. Eventually, our own sun will fail and we’ll have to move or be fried — if our species still is alive in 5 billion years or so.

invasive species? How “intelligent” or “advanced” would such species have to be to decide the matter?

Would we be wanted? Native Americans did not really want Europeans here, but disease spread largely by early missionaries cleared much of the continent for colonization.

I’ve always wondered how history may have been different had it been the colonizers who were decimated by disease instead of the native Americans. Would we fight wars of conquest? If a dread disease lurked on Planet X, would we be justified in eradicating it — without knowing the implications of doing so?

Isn’t it arrogant presumption to do with other planets as we please? Humans emerged on Earth after billions of years of evolution. If we settle a land that already harbors life — or even if it does not — what besides our own survival justifies our intrusion and potential disruption of another world?

Assuming that we are technologically advanced enough to settle other worlds, shouldn’t we first bring that intelligence to bear on our own engineering, social and spiritual troubles before exporting those problems to other worlds?

I’m asking in plain language: Is our species intellectually and ethically fit to colonize space? The reality that the superpowers eventually will weaponize space is not a good sign.

This is not a call to end space exploration. Reaching into the cosmos makes us better and spurs the imagination.“A man’s reach must exceed his grasp, or what is a heaven for?” poet Robert Browning tells us.

A few of my wine friends have met for years on Wednesday evenings, sharing our joy and love for wine. Others have joined us, quickly discovering a mutual love for wine and a desire to stay active and engaged in the community. Many in this group have become friends and

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 360-8467304.

However, as we venture out to find new cosmic homes, there are some questions to ask so we avoid the abuses of our last age of colonialism.

Are we ethically entitled, for example, to settle another planet, especially given how we’re damaging our own? Might a sentient species there consider us an

So, yes. Let’s reach for the heavens, but first let’s not forget the lessons that, hopefully, we learned from our earlier, lamentable history of colonization.

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

UIPS & QUOTES Q

Selected by Debra Tweedy

Smells are surer than sounds and sights to make your heart-strings crack. --Rudyard Kipling, English novelist, poet and journalist, 1865-1936

To correct the evils, great and small, which spring from want of sympathy and from positive enmity among strangers, as nations or as individuals, is one of the highest functions of civilization. --Abraham Lincoln, American lawyer, statesman and 16th President, 1809-1865

When you cease to make a contribution, you begin to die. --Eleanor Roosevelt, American political figure and First Lady, 1884-1962

Sadness is caused by intelligence. The more you understand things, the more you wish you didn’t understand them. --Charles Bukowski, GermanAmerican poet and writer, 1920-1994

So long as we love, we serve. So long as we are loved by others, I would almost say we are indispensable; and no man is useless while he has a friend. --Robert Louis Stevenson, Scottish novelist and writer, 1850-1894

When a true genius appears in the world, you may know him by this infallible sign; that the dunces are all in confederacy against him. --Jonathan Swift, Anglo-Irish satirist, author and Anglican cleric, 1667-1745

You should abstain from arguments. They are very illogical ways to convince people. Opinions are like nails; the stronger you hit them, the deeper inside they go. --Decimus Junius Juvenalis, Roman poet, 55 AD128 AD

Be wiser than other people if you can, but do not tell them so. --Philip Stanhope, 4th Earl of Chesterfield, British statesman, 1694-1773

We must plunge into experiences and then reflect on the meaning of it. All reflection and no plunging drives us mad; all plunging and no reflection, and we are brutes. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German writer and polymath, 1749-1832

WWhat are

you reading?

Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose

by Jim MacLeod

hen Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast in 2005, it killed more than a thousand, displaced millions, and left behind damage in the hundreds of billions of dollars. The Great Escape begins as critical infrastructure lay in ruins and skilled workers were in short supply. For hundreds of itinerant welders and pipefitters in India, it appeared to be the opportunity of a lifetime.

Labor organizer Saket Soni introduces the key figures in this true story, detailing the circumstances of their lives and families. It’s easy to see why they would sign labor contracts, scrape together the $20,000 fees, and endure months of separation for the chance to earn permanent resident status in the United States. But it proved to be a conspiracy of lies. They were committed to years of underpaid labor without a legal path to the promised Green Card.

Sleeping in crowded dormitories, they survived on a subsistence diet and paid rent out of their meager wages. Their H-2B visas were issued in the name of their employer, they could not work for anyone else, and one misstep could cause them to be sent home in disgrace. When Soni finally convinced them that they had no other choice, the workers walked out en masse. Their daring escape was only one act of a tragedy that played out over years of hardship.

Our nation has a long, sad history of inducing migrant laborers to build our railroads, toil in our fields, and help us recover from natural disasters, but our gratitude wears thin and their contributions are soon forgotten. The Great Escape lets us walk a mile in their shoes.

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.

The Great Escape by Saket Soni

Jim MacLeod writes as

JJ MacLeod, the author of seven books in the Harry & Company Mystery series.

PAPERBACK FICTION

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses

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Lisa See, Scribner, $18.99

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Shane Hawk (Ed.), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.), Vintage, $17

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9. The Midnight Library

Matt Haig, Penguin, $18

10. A Novel Love Story

Ashley Poston, Berkley, $19

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending June 30, 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

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8. Poverty, by America Matthew Desmond, Crown, $20

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10. All About Love bell hooks, Morrow, $16.99

BOOK REVIEW

HBy Alan Rose

The Wide Wide Sea: Imperial Ambition, First Contact and the Fateful Final Voyage of Captain James Cook

Hampton Sides

Doubleday $35

ampton Sides, bestselling author of Blood and Thunder and Ghost Soldiers, can make history read like a novel. He tells vivid, gripping stories, often relying on people’s journals and other first-hand accounts to bring an immediacy and intensity to events that happened decades or even centuries ago.

In his latest book, he recounts the third and final voyage of Captain James Cook. Perhaps the greatest explorer of the Age of Enlightenment, Cook was different from many European explorers, “his interest was more inquisitive than acquisitive, more

1. The Women

Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, $30

2. All Fours

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Chris Whitaker, Crown, $30

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Creatures

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Top 10 Bestsellers

1. The Demon of Unrest

Erik Larson, Crown, $35

2. On Call

Anthony Fauci, M.D., Viking, $36

3. The Creative Act Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32

4. The Anxious Generation Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Press, $30

5. The Wager David Grann, Doubleday, $30

6. Atomic Habits

James Clear, Avery, $27

7. A Walk in the Park

Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, $32.50

8. Somehow Anne Lamott, Riverhead Books, $22

9. Democracy or Else

Jon Favreau, Jon Lovett, Tommy Vietor, ZandoCrooked Media Reads, $28

10. The Wide Wide Sea

Hampton Sides, Doubleday, $35

1. Goodnight Moon

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2. Bluey: The Pool Penguin Young Readers, $4.99

3. Bluey: The Beach

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9. Blueberries for Sal Robert McCloskey, Puffin, $8.99

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1. The One and Only Family Katherine Applegate, Harper, $19.99

2. Working Boats

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3. Plain Jane and the Mermaid Vera Brosgol, First Second, $14.99, 4. Swim School

Penguin Young Readers, $5.99

5. Orris and Timble

Kate DiCamillo, Carmen Mok (Illus.), Candlewick, $16.99

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8. Hatchet

Gary Paulsen, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99

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10. A Wolf Called Wander Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $9.99

The age of discovery and cultural misunderstandings

empirical than imperial.” Where others sought glory and treasure, Cook was propelled to investigate and understand this planet as it was known and unknown in the late 1700s.

On his first voyage (1768-1771) he explored the east coast of Australia; on his second (1772-1775), he crossed the Antarctic Circle, seeking a rumored great southern continent. On his final voyage (1776-1779), Cook was tasked to find the Northwest Passage —a navigable waterway connecting the Atlantic to the Asian markets of the Pacific — from the “backside,” or west coast, of the North American continent, becoming the first person to cross both the Arctic and Antarctic circles.

Along with tales of high seas adventures, Sides also describes the indigenous peoples that Cook and his men encountered. Healthy, robust societies whose diets and lifestyles were superior to those of most Europeans of the time, Tahiti and Hawai’i were described as tropical paradises—if you overlooked the frequent wars between islands, the human sacrifices, and occasional cannibalism.

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.

His officers were noticing subtle shifts in his mood and command style. He had become erratic, and at times tyrannical. Cook was known as humane and reasonable. But increasingly, he, too, began to dole out the lashes, the breadand-water treatment, and other punishments. As he headed into the southern hemisphere once again, it appeared to some that Cook’s judgment — and his legendary equanimity — had begun to falter […] It was as though the strains and stresses of the previous voyage were finally catching up with Cook. This was certainly true of his vessel, for the Resolution was revealing her many cracks and flaws. She was, wrote one Cook scholar, a “tired ship, commanded by a tired man.”

–from The Wide Wide Sea

Featured prominently in the Englishmen’s journals are descriptions of the relaxed sexual customs of the Polynesians. The sailors were particularly impressed by the females’ amorous virtuosity. (Sides notes that, interestingly, “there are no stories passed down through Hawaiian oral history that speak of British sexual prowess.” In other words, sex with English sailors was probably similar to English cooking: nothing to write home about.) The Europeans were less rhapsodic about the fact that, in addition to their many wives and concubines, Hawaiian kings also had a number of aikane, or male lovers.

Private property was also a European concept that did not translate well into Polynesian culture. What the English saw as theft, the native peoples understood as sharing — You have so much, of course you’d want to share it! It was one of these cultural misunderstandings that would result in Cook’s death on the island of Hawai’i in February 1779.

The Wide Wide Sea is perfect for the armchair adventurer, offering tales of extraordinary courage, extraordinary fortitude, and, not least for the young seamen, extraordinary sex.

Clatskanie, Ore.

Fultano’s Pizza

770 E. Columbia River Hwy

Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more!

Dine-in,Take-out and Home Delivery. Visit Fultanos.com for streamlined menu. 503-728-2922

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant

640 E. Columbia River Hwy

Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. Dine-in, curbside pickup. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344

Rainier. Ore.

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.

Longview, Wash.

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,

Regents

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

COLUMBIA RIVER dining guide

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 4.

Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview Tues–Thurs 11am–7pm; Fri & Sat 11am–8pm. BBQ meat slowcooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541.

Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse 760 Ocean Beach Hwy, Suite J 360-425-9696.

Japanese food, i.e. hibachi, Bento boxes, Teppanyaki; Sushi (half-price Wednesdays); Kids Meal 50% Off Sundays. Mon-Th 11-2:30, 4:30-9:30. Fri-Sat 11am10pm. Sun 11am-9pm.

Lynn’s Deli & Catering

1133 14th Ave.

Soups & sandwiches, specializing in paninis, box lunches, deli sandwiches and party platters. Mon-Fri 8-3, Saturday 10-2. 360-577-5656

Castle Rock, Wash

Luckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche. See ad, pg 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.

Kalama, Wash.

LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Market Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 11–7. See ad, pg 38.

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.

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, Ore.

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.

Toutle, Wash.

DREW’S GROCERY & SERVICE

5304 Spirit Lake Hwy (10 mi. fr Exit 49) 24-hour fueling (gas & diesel, card at pump, cash at Jule’s Snack Shack (when open). Red Leaf Organic Coffee. See ad, page 24.

Fire Mountain Grill 9440

Woodland, Wash.

Roland Wines 1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, and beer. Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Fri, Sat. 1–9. 360-846-7304 See ad, pg 17.

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

FIRESIDE CAFE

Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. See ad, pg. 39

Birrieria La Vaquin The best Birria Tacos! Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama. 360-4317732. Open 11–7.

St. Helens, Ore.

Sunshine Pizza & Catering

2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. Limited inside seating, curbside pickup and delivery. 503-397-3211 See ad, page 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.

Sunday 11am–6pm. 360-841-8941. Wine Wednesdays: $5 pours

Luckman

Coffee Company

1230 Lewis River Rd. Small batch on-site roasted coffee, breakfast, lunch. Inside seating. M-F 5:30am–6pm,

Restaurant operators: To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide, call 360-749-2632

THE TIDEWATER

REACH FIELD GUIDE TO THE LOWER COLUMBIA IN POEMS AND PICTURES

Poem

by

Robert Michael Pyle

Photograph by Judy VanderMaten

Field Note by Hal Calbom

HIGHS AND LOWS

Due to the river’s extreme tidal range, the canneries used pilings elevated well above the surface to accommodate tidal fluctuations. Most of today’s piling remnants are short, rotted and continuing to erode. The few high pilings remaining evoke the elevated life among the canneries, the network of ladders and ramps that accommodated the shifting tides, and the fishermen and work gangs laboring 24 hours a day during rich salmon runs

Ship Report

Nine ships on the river today four outside, five inside Tongue Point, how I count them. Each morning the radio station gives the Ship Report, telling who’s here, where from and where to, and what they carry, potash, grain, logs, cars. Most of them have black tops, white bridges. and red hulls, but sometimes blue, or green.

Since 9/11 and the Patriot Act, the happy sight of crewmen traipsing the town is behind us. No more parties for Russian sailors, no Asian men in watch caps and pea coats schlepping bags: gifts and goods bound for Seoul, or Manila. Now the greeting committee and only customs official: this great blue heron hunched on rotten piling, exacting duty from anyone who thinks of coming ashore — tribute paid solely in the coin of cold raindrops, falling on his sodden plume.

EMPIRE OF TREES

AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER

by Hal Calbom

Movers and Shapers

“The hands of men and the sweat of horses built Longview.”

Historian Lenore Bradley marvels that every inch of Longview’s excavating and grading — including the painstaking shaping of Lake Sacajawea — was accomplished by scrapers pulled by teams of horses. Imagine the miles of ditches, thousands of pipes, acres of dikes and pilings all dug up and and re-buried by horse and by hand, without a single bulldozer, ditch digger or backhoe.

WORDS AND WOOD

by Debby Neely

PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODCUTS AND HAIKU

Flying with grand grace

Craves tasty frog legs for lunch

Disrupted by rain

This page and page 5 feature samples from CRRPress’s four books.

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.

Across Deer Harbor

Photo courteSy of longview Public library

Laborer with horse-drawn scraper and dike building in background, circa 1923

Submission Guidelines

Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) relevant to the publication’s purpose — helping readers discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road — are welcome. Longer pieces, or excerpts thereof, in response to previouslypublished 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.

Stella Historical Society Museum Museum open Sat-Sun through Aug. 26. Buildings handicapped-accessible. Free admission, donations appreciated. Info: 360-423-3860 or 360-423-8663.

Mr. Long, Timber Baron Original play about Longview’s founder, by Dr. Travis Cavens. Thru July 21. ThursSat 7:30, Sun 2pm. Free. R.ALong Mainstage Theatre., R.A. Long High School, 2903 Nichols Blvd, Longview. mrlongtimberbaronm./ludus.com

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR

Send your non-commercial community event info (incl name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com

Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to:

Columbia River Reader 1333-14th, Longview, WA 98632

Submission Deadlines Events occurring:

Aug 15–Sept 20 by July 25 for Aug 15 issue.

Sept 15–Oct 20 by Aug 25 for Sept 15 issue.

Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines below

Outings & Events

Zorro’s Grape Adventure Stageworks Northwest, through July 28. See photo & details, page 35.

Columbia River Chamber Music Festival Aug 2–11. LCC Rose Center for the Arts, St. Stephen’s Church, Longview. See ad, below, right. Children’s programs, pg. 27

Citing Your Sources Aug. 8 program by Ginny Majewski, genealogist/ lecturer. Virtual meeting doors open 6:30pm, program 7pm. Lower Columbia Genealogical Society. Public invited. For link: contact lcgsgen@yahoo.com.

Cascadia Chamber Opera Festival 2024 Weekends, Aug 9–25. Events will include fully-staged productions all sung in English at the Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts, Astoria, Ore. For more infot www.cascadiachamberopera.org

BROADWAY GALLERY

1418 Commerce Avenue, Longview Tues thru Sat, 11–4. Visit the Gallery to see new work. For event updates check our website: the-broadwaygallery.com, at Broadway Gallery on Facebook, and broadway gallery longview on Instagram.

FEATURED ARTIST

JULY: Guest artist Ken Spurlock, (paintings)

AUGUST: “FLOW” community art show. Entries due by July 31.

Columbia City Celebration and Annual “Show & Shine” Car Show Aug. 10. Strawberry breakfast, music by The Decades, book sale, quilt raffle. Columbia City Community Hall, 1850 2nd Street. Car Show: Columbia City Grade School, 2000 2nd Street, Columbia City, Ore. All vehicles welcome. See ad, page 5.

Perseid Meteor Showers Annual event peaks Aug 12; go outside, look up toward northeast sky. Earth passes through debris trail of Comet Swift-Tuttle. Best views after midnight.

Movies at the Lake Fridays, starting Aug 16 at dusk. Lake Sacajawea, Longview. Longview Parks & Rec. See schedule in sponsor Fibre Federal Credit Union’s ad, page 24.

FIRST THURSDAY •Aug 1, 5:30–7pm

Join us for New Art, Nibbles & Music by Dan Hoggatt

Classes & Workshops are back! Check our website or visit the Gallery for details.

OPEN

Tues - Sat 11–4

Free Gift Wrap on request.

CALL TO ARTISTS

Annual August Community Show “FLOW” All ages welcome. Work accepted July 20-31.

Free Drop-in Drawing Saturday,July 27 12:30–3pm.

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.

Premier Group

Squirrel Fest/Crafted Beer & Food Festival Sat., Aug 17. R.A.Long Park, Longview Civic Circle. Food, live music, beer & wine, squirrel bridge tours, kids’ activities, crafts. All ages. Rotary Club of Longview. Squirrel Fest free; Crafted tickets $5–75. Info: longviewrotary.com, lvsquirrelfest.com, craftedbrewfest on Facebook.

Local Fairs & Festivals

•Columbia County Fair July 17–21. Fair and Rodeo, 58892 Sausler Rd., St. Helens, Ore. columbiacountyfairgrounds.com

•Castle Rock Fair July 18–20. 120 Fair Lane, Castle Rock. Carnival, arcade, exhibits, entertainment. castlerockfair.com

•Kalama Fair July 18-20. Haydu Park, 253 Kalama River Rd, Kalama. Vendors, kids’ activity, live music, beer garden. kalamafair.com

•Cowlitz County Fair July 24–27. Expo Center, 1900 7th Ave., Longview. Carnival, rodeo, entertainment, vendors, exhibits. cowlitzcountyfair.com

•Longview Blues Festival Aug 3–31, Roland Winery (see ad, opposite page)

•Kalama Cultural Festival Aug 9–11. Louis Rasmussen Park, Kalama. Celebrating Native Indian and Hawaiian culture. see ad, page 25

Outings & Events

‘Zorro’s Grape Adventure’ new play by Leslie Slape, in Longview thru July 28th

T.J. Wistrick performs the dual roles of Diego and Zorro in this rehearsal photo for "Zorro's Grape Adventure," by Rainier, Oregon, playwright Leslie Slape, now playing through July 28 at Stageworks Northwest Theatre, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview. Tickets ($12 –25) at the door or online: stageworksnorthwest.com

Photo by Shannon harPer PhotograPhy

CRR readers are:

Community-spirited

Curious and cordial

Appreciative

Generous

Life-long learners

Thanks for reading CRR!

ME AND MY PIANO*

*or

other instrument

By Tami Tack

Magical Mystery Tour

Her journey to become a musician began as a young girl

Looking back, I can see that the piano always had a magnetic appeal, drawing me to it over and over, despite obstacles that might have ended my playing. My earliest memories are of reaching up to touch the keys, creating music so beautiful, I was convinced I was a musician. I still hear that music in my dreams, although I have yet to replicate it in my waking life.

When I was age five, my father consented to teach me to play, and I eagerly began lessons. All that came to a halt three years later when I contracted mumps-encephalitis, which damaged the connection between my brain and my extremities. I fell down frequently and still have scars on my knees as a reminder. More devastating was my inability to play the piano.

Sitting on the piano bench with my father, I experienced not only sadness and confusion, but deep shame as he exclaimed, “You knew how to play this!” But I refused to give up, and as my hands and feet regained their function, I eventually resumed playing piano.

Even as a child I was disciplined, waking early to feed cows, sheep, and horses with my brother, and practicing the piano before catching the bus for school. In my early teens my parents divorced and I needed a new piano teacher. Doris Hall was that person, and our lessons both challenged me and provided a safe space during that tumultuous time.

Later, Linfield College provided more challenges as I experienced a memory fail during my first recital. To this day, that particular piece, “Liebestraum,” makes me cringe. I learned never to

earlier, and my mother died 12 days after. I thought this would most likely be my only piano CD.

My husband and I moved to my childhood home and we settled into life in Rainier. My nephew was taking piano lessons from Martin Kauble, and when I heard his name, I had a flash of recognition, knowing he was to be my next teacher.

While Martin didn’t know how to teach composition, he knew classical music thoroughly, and somehow the synergy between us led to my creating two more CDs, which Michael Harrison recorded.

And with that, I was complete with composing. From time to time, I bring

Share the story of your relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@crreader. com. If possible attach/include a current mugshot and/or a photo of you with your instrument, then or now. Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.

out my old piano music, playing the pieces I studied in high school and college, and often I hear echoes of their music in my own. I realized I’d incorporated all that I’d learned and it showed up in my compositions without my notice or intention. I am grateful to all the composers whose works I have played, to all my brilliant and encouraging teachers, and for whatever it is that has called me to the piano..

Tami Tack lives in Rainier, Oregon, with her husband, Kim Worrall.

perform a piece that was not totally secure. My new teacher, Richard Fuller, focused on emotionality as well as technique, and I discovered my home in Romantic and Impressionistic music. I also decided that I loved music too much to try to earn a living either by performing or teaching, and focused on psychology. For my senior recital, I broke with tradition and combined vocal and piano selections, presenting a one-woman show.

Music took a back seat as I pursued a master’s degree in social work, married and had children. I played guitar and piano music for my children even before they were born. A friend mentioned Michael Allen Harrison, and something in me knew he would be my next teacher. He encouraged me to “noodle around” and to discover what music came out of me when I wasn’t playing someone else’s. I composed my first piece, “I’ll Be There for You,” for my mother when she was diagnosed with breast cancer. More pieces followed and flowed, and soon I had enough to record. I already had created a tape of songs with guitar accompaniment, but this was very different. I gave my first CD release party on my 45th birthday at the Old Church in Portland, dedicating the CD to my parents. My father had died 15 months

The French sign reads, “For you to play.” Tami encountered freeto-play public pianos in many train stations during recent travels to France, and in the Calgary and Rome airports.

Tammy Tack in her early playing days.

Get En Garde! for fun at the theatre

The Columbia River region is in for a theatrical treat.

Zorro, the most dashing masked hero of the Old West, has ridden into Longview’s Stageworks Northwest on the prolific pen of local playwright Leslie Slape.

I had the honor of watching Zorro’s Grape Adventure evolve from a one-act sketch to a fullblown melodrama in the writers group to which Leslie and I belonged. By the way, the play’s title is correct. What began as Zorro’s GREAT Adventure , thanks to a smart aleck wisecrack by a member of the group, became a “Grape” adventure. In the play, Count Villano is attempting to wrest ownership of a successful winery from the beautiful Constancia and her mother, Dona Luisa. Zorro’s interference was inevitable in cursing Villano’s evil plan.

In Grape , Slape combines her many years as a crime reporter for The Daily News in Longview, with her connection to Stageworks Northwest — as an actor, director and stage manager — to bring to life a humorous, enjoyable play during which audience members will love throwing popcorn, a tradition with all Stageworks melodramas.

PLUGGED IN TO

COWLITZ PUD

Considering Solar?

Slape’s first successful play, A Harder Courage” is a hardscrabble drama about a man accused of murder and the sheriff who tries to keep his prisoner from a mob of locals who are hell-bent on hanging him. The play, based on a true incident, received critical acclaim. I was pleased to attend the premiere of A Harder Courage in Salem, Oregon, a few years ago.

If you go, watch for a surprise “appearance” of Columbia River Reader, and please be sure to stand up and cheer!

Performances through July 28. Photo and ticket info, page 35.

Longview resident Ned Piper coordinates CRR’s advertising and distribution, and enjoys meeting/ greeting friends, both old and new.

By Alice Dietz, Cowlitz PUD Communications/ Public Relations Manager

Let Cowlitz PUD be Your FREE Resource!

Before you install solar, have you utilized our free, payback calculator? We can help you check! Utilize questions from our expert engineers. We have a great list of questions to ask yourself and ask your solar installers. Is solar what’s best for your home? Cowlitz PUD offers FREE home energy audits. Will prioritizing your home’s energy efficiency first help your solar install go further? What about tax credits? Let our Energy Efficiency Team answer all your questions about state and federal tax credits. Call us for:

How to get started on your solar project

Simple payback calculator Federal Tax Credit and Washington State sales tax exemption information Courtesy contractor list How to compare multiple bids

Questions to ask yourself:

What is my reason for going solar?

Is my home as energy efficiency as it can be? What is my average electric bill?

Do I have a south-facing roof?

Do I have shading from trees, buildings, chimneys, or roof gables?

Know your usage history from the past 12 months.

Questions to ask your Solar Installer:

How long have you been in business?

What is the manufacturer’s warranty on the equipment?

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Can you show me equipment spec sheets?

What is the total project cost?

What size solar system do you suggest for my home (in kW)

How much will this offset my electric bill?

Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications/Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360-501-9146.