Columbia River Reader August 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

As we approach the end of summer, and begin to think about back-to-school, the fall harvest, and, of course, the political season “finale,” maybe there’s still time for a fun and educational day trip. It might be part of your own continuing education — and that of your kids, grandkids, or neighbor kids. And also time for one last summer read, as you lie in your hammock, book in hand, sipping lemonade. Or a martini? Your choice.

I’d like to offer a few suggestions: Two Day Trips

1. Salmon will be returning to Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery and nearby Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery, which you can read all about in this month’s People+Place feature (page 19-22). Cheri Anderson is an amazing host, the facilities and grounds are enjoyable to walk around, and the interesting, engaging displays. may cause you to say, as you depart, “Wow! Who knew?!”

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper

Columnists and contributors:

Darro Breshears-Routon

Hal Calbom

Nancy Chennault

Alice Dietz

Joseph Govednik

Malcom Hunter

Michael Perry

Ned Piper

Robert Michael Pyle

Marc Roland

Alan Rose

Greg Smith

Andre Stepankowsky

Debra Tweedy

Dennis Weber

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: 360-749-1021

Sue’s Views

Summer pleasures for lifelong learners

2. Consider a visit to Knappton Cove Heritage Center. Known as “The Ellis Island of the West,” the former cannery now features exhibits related to early river industry and settlement.

The building was sold to the U.S. Government to convert the facility to the Columbia River Quarantine Station. Between 1899-1938, thousands of European and Asian immigrants passed through health inspection at this West Coast Port of Entry.

It’s located three miles east of the Astoria bridge, on the Washington side (521 SR-401) and open on Saturday, Aug. 17, 24, and 31, from 1–4pm, with a guided tour at 2pm.

Books

Alan Rose reviews what he calls “a bingeworthy summer read,” The God of the Woods, (page 31). It sounds appealing. Maybe I’ll get to it next.

But first, when I heard that Hal Calbom’s men’s book club in Seattle would be reading Signature of All Things, I was inspired to join them in abstentia and re-read this, one of my favorite books. (By the way these gentlemen also read CRR...greetings, guys!)

By Elizabeth Gilbert, who also wrote Eat, Pray , Love, Signature is one of my three go-to, most-often recommended books. The others are Harvests of Joy, by Robert Mondavi, and Deep River, by Karl Marlantes.

Pick one of these — or one of those already stacked by your bed or favorite chair that you’ve been meaning to get to, or back to — and enjoy these last, lazy days of summer. Reading, and lifelong learning, are part of the good life!

May our remaining summer days and nights be relaxing, pleasant, and full of joy. Cheers!

Photo by hal Calbom

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 14,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.

Submission guidelines: page 34.

General Ad info: page 9.

Ad Manager: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.

archive of past issues from 2013.

Sue Piper

Garlic Ice Cream??!

Live music, food, libations, vendors and garlic entice crowd to Clatskanie Aug. 17

What’s so special about the Clatskanie Farmers Market Garlic Festival? Ask your friends. They may have been in the crowd of 2,000 visitors who showed up last year, or they might have been one of the 56 vendors. That’s a good trick for a small town.

This year the Festival is set for Saturday, August 17 from 10am to 3pm at Cope’s Park, across the street from the City Library in the oxbow of the Clatskanie River.

This event has grown steadily through the years, and last year’s attendance tripled from the previous year. Everyone seems to have an opinion regarding the success of this overnight sensation that’s been a decade in the making. Some say it’s due to the number of growers who specialize in garlic and are passionate about it. We have several growers in the Clatskanie area, but have also attracted some from as far east as White Salmon, Washington, and as far south as Eugene, Oregon. That matters because the climates in those two regions are different from here on the east flank of the Oregon Coast Range. All the growers bring the strains that grow best for them. This provides an enormous collection of varieties.

Backyard gardeners come to the festival because we have the best seed stock. Instead of shopping online and paying big bucks for garlic sight unseen, they can walk up to a beautiful display and actually pick up a bulb, inspect its quality, ask the grower about its characteristics and how to grow it successfully. And and they leave with their garlic —- no shipping fees and no waiting.

Many varieties

Some people think garlic is garlic. They come to buy it to use later that week. Others come for the education. Certain varieties are modest in flavor but have a shelf life of up to a year. Some strains are hot and spicy, some sweet and spicy. Some have a really bold version of that traditional savory sweetness that forms the backbone for most of the dishes we have come to love. What’s not to like about these garlic names: Nootka Rose, Turkish Giant, Spanish Roja, Krasnodar Red, Jacob’s Purple, Music, Inchelium Red, Italian Late, Lithuanian Purple? These garlic strains and many more originate from all over the world and, for this one day, many of them can be found in Copes Park.

Just for the fun of it, ask your friendly grocer if he has any Krasnodar Red in stock. They are likely to lead you to their liquor aisle. Ask the same question at the Festival and you’ll be handed a beautiful hardneck bulb that originated in Russia

next page

Story by Darro Breshears-Routon • Courtesy photos

Clatskanie’s Garlic Festival features an amazing number of garlic varieities and strains.

and is hot and sulfurous eaten raw but once it is roasted, becomes sweet and savory. Four pounds, please.

The Event of the Summer Friends and neighbors like the Festival because it has become “the event of the summer.” The atmosphere is joyous and festive. Many folks come for the music. This year Joe and Briar will return to open the day. This acoustic duo investigates an eclectic blend of genres. Briar’s vocals are at once familiar and delightful, weaving in and out of Joe’s various string compositions.

The Festival will then feature The Lorna Baxter Septet. Lorna will be backed by some powerhouse musicians steeped in the blues, rock and pop, but landing squarely in the world of Jazz. Need more convincing? Check out cascadebluesassociation.org/ladysings-blues-jazz/.

What better way to spend a summer afternoon than to sit in a beautiful park, surrounded by friends and listening to fabulous live music? Well, maybe you should try some of our culinary delight, too. The big draw for some of

from page 4 cont page 6

Besides garlic and garlic products, the festival offers live music, craft vendors, food and beverages... all in a friendly, park setting.

Richard A. Kirkpatrick MD, FACP

Rachel Roylance BS, MPAP, PA-C

Shannon Smith MPAS, PA-C

us is always the food. Need breakfast, lunch or early dinner? We’ve got you covered with egg and vegetable scrambles, brisket sandwiches and a plethora of baked goods. This year we will also have ice cream, including garlic ice cream! Yes, some strains of garlic are so sweet that they are used to create a savory sweet flavor sensation. No risk of dehydration

And there’s more! The Festival’s “Libations Garden” will feature locally- produced ales and distilled drinks, along with the non-alcoholic, carbonated drink called “jun,” produced here in town. It tastes a lot like kombucha but is sweetened with honey.

Lots of people come out to support the efforts of our dedicated artists, crafters and makers, and it’s really true, Clatskanie is developing a reputation as a community of creatives. Market booths will have everything from goat soap, dish towels, quilts and ceramics, to custom-made funky clothing and exquisite fine art. See you at Copes Park on August 17th, 10am-3pm at the coolest little market in Oregon.

Cowlitz County Elections

Candidate Debates Fall 2024

Come hear the candidates. A weekly series of candidate debates begins Wednesday, September 11, in the Rose Center for the Arts at Lower Columbia College, 7:00 – 9:00pm.

Candidates for the positions of Cowlitz County Commissioner, Positions 1 and 2, Washington State Senator and State Representative for the 19th District, and the 3rd Congressional District Representative will respond to questions addressing issues of local concern. The debates will be moderated by retired District Judge Stephen Warning, and Melanee Evans from Lower Columbia College.

The debates are free and open to the public. They will also be broadcast live by KLTV and can be viewed afterward on the KLTV website.

The series is hosted by the Civil Dialogue Project, a nonpartisan group of local citizens committed to fostering respectful civil discourse on issues important

Submitted by Alan Rose, Civil Dialogue Project spokesman

to our community, and presented in partnership with Lower Columbia College, the Kelso Longview Chamber of Commerce, and the Cowlitz Economic Development Council.

Find more information at https://www.civil-dialog.com

All debates will be two hours, with a 10-minute break at the midpoint, on the following days:

Sept. 11: Cowlitz County Commissioner, Position 1: Steve Rader (R), Mike Reuter (R)

Sept. 18: Cowlitz County Commissioner, Position 2: Amy Norquist (D), Steve Ferrell (R)

Sept. 25: Washington State Senator, 19th District: Jeff Wilson (R), Andi Day (D)

Oct. 2: U.S. Congressional Representative, 3rd District:: Marie Gluesenkamp Perez (D), Joe Kent (R)

Oct. 9: Washington State representative, 19th District: Joel McEntire (R), Terry Carlson (D)

to be confirmed

operates ongoing programs and over the years, has created and incubated new programs such as Head Start, Cowlitz Family Health Center, Emergency Support Shelter, Ethnic Support Council, and FISH of Cowlitz County, until spinning them off into stand-alone organizations

HFROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL

EPISODE 5

A Dinosaur, Plesiosaur, and Prairie Dogs

By Michael O. Perry

ow would you go about capturing a prairie dog to send to the President of the United States? And why would you want to do it in the first place? Many readers who have tried to catch a mole in their lawn or garden will get a kick out of what Lewis and Clark did.

By August 1804, Lewis and Clark’s Corp of Discovery had made their way up the Missouri River to present day South Dakota. While French trappers had been in the area for at least 75 years, the Corps of Discovery members were the first Americans to see the vast expanse of the Great Plains, which was a virtual Garden of Eden.

Every time they saw a new animal, they shot at least one so Lewis or Clark could make the detailed examination

needed to fulfill Thomas Jefferson’s instructions to document unknown plants and wildlife they encountered.

In the first four months of their journey, they had seen many new species of animals, including the coyote, magpie, gray wolf, mule deer, pronghorn (often wrongly called an antelope), and prairie dog.

Prairie dogs fascinated Lewis and Clark, and they saw a staggering number.

Some biologists believe there were 5 billion prairie dogs at that time, while 200 years later they were candidates for protection under the Endangered Species Act. As late as 1905, a government scientist found a village covering an area the size of West Virginia and housing an estimated 400 million prairie dogs!

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.

… a dinosaur ...

“

Nobody at all seemed even to know what dinosaurs were at this date. They obviously didn’t know what they had found, but it’s hard to believe that somebody hadn’t found big bones before somewhere, but I don’t know if they had. So, the option was just leave it, or put it on the trusty keelboat. And here are these poor guys that have been pulling that beast — the keelboat, not the dinosaur — and pushing and sweating upstream, and they say, ‘here you go, here’s a couple hundred more pounds of bones for you.’”

Flush them out!

Lewis was so intrigued by the prairie dog that he decided to catch a live specimen to ship to Washington, D.C. Clark wrote “near the foot of this high Nole we discovered a Village of an annamale… which burrow in the grown. The Village of those little dogs is under the ground a considerable distance. We dig under 6 feet thro rich hard clay without getting to their Lodges.”

Patrick Gass reported “Captain Lewis and Captain Clarke with all the party… took with them all the kettles and other vessels for holding water in order to drive the animals out of their holes by pouring in water; but though they worked at the business till night they only caught one of them.”

According to Clark, “ Some of their wholes we put in 5 barrels of water without driving them out, we caught one by the water forceing him out. The Village of those animals Covs. about 4 acrs of Ground on a Gradual decent of a hill and Contains great numbers of holes on

the top of which those little animals Set erect make a Whistling noise and whin alarmed Slip into their hole.

A bit of arsenic ought to do it

Earlier, Clark had written of a close call Lewis experienced: “by examination this Bluff Contained Alum, Copperas, Cobalt, Pyrites; a Alum Rock Soft & Sand Stone… also a clear Soft Substance which… I believe to be arsenic. Capt. Lewis in proveing the quality of those minerals was Near poisoning himself by the fumes & tast of the Cobalt which had the appearance of Soft Isonglass. Copperas & alum is very pisen, Capt. Lewis took a Dost of Salts to work off the effects of the arsenic.” Three days later, Lewis was still suffering: “Capt. Lewis much fatigued from heat the day it being verry hot & he being in a debilitated State from the Precautions he was obliged to take to prevent the effects of the Cobalt, & Minl Substance which

Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in Columbia River Reader’s early years and helped shape its identity and zeitgeist. After two encores, the series was expanded and published in a book. Details, page 2.

had like to have poisoned him two days ago” Maybe he had added insult to injury by taking some of Dr. Rush’s Thunderclapper pills that consisted of a mixture of mercury and chlorine?

Two days after Lewis tried to poison himself, the expedition came upon an area the Indians were deathly afraid to go near. Clark called it Spirit Mound and wrote “in an imence Plain a high Hill is Situated, and appears of a Conic form and by the different nations of Indians in this quarter is Suppose to be the residence of Deavels, that they are in human form with remarkable large heads and about 18 Inches high, that they are Very watchfull, and are arm’d with Sharp arrows with which they Can Kill at a great distance; they are Said to Kill all persons who are So hardy as to attempt to approach the hill; they State that tradition informs them that many Indians have Suffered by those little people and among others three Mahar men fell a Sacrefise to their murceyless fury not many years Since – so much do the Mahas Souix Ottoes and other neibhbouring nations believe this fable that no consideration is suffecient to induce them to approach the hill.”

One of the maps they obtained in St. Louis told of a volcano in South Dakota, but they were unable to locate it. Possibly it was a burning seam of coal (lignite) a St. Louis trader had seen.

One thing they did find was a dinosaur. In 1804, nobody even knew about dinosaurs (the word wasn’t coined until 1845). But, in present day South Dakota, Clark found fossil remains of a plesiosaur, an oceandwelling creature of the Mesozoic Era. Clark wrote “we found a back bone with most of the entire laying Connected for 45 feet, those bones are petrified, Some teeth & ribs also Connected.” Some of the vertebra are now in the Smithsonian Museum.

Loopy over the froot

The richness of the Great Plains was most impressive. As Clark wrote earlier, “The Plains of this countrey are covered with a Leek Green Grass, well calculated for the sweetest and most norushing hay – interspersed with Cops of trees, Spreding ther lofty branchs over Pools Springs or Brooks of fine water.

Low-impact

Exercise Classes

… they only caught one of them ...

Spending most of September 7, 1804, digging and flooding their tunnels, the crew managed to catch just one prairie dog. Lewis had a cage built for it with the intention of shipping it back to Washington D.C. for President Jefferson to see firsthand. Lewis loaded the caged prairie dog onto the keelboat and fed it every day in an effort to keep it alive. The crew would continue up the Missouri until the end of October when they reached the Mandan Indian villages near present day Bismarck, North Dakota.

Seven months after it was captured, the live prairie dog was loaded onto the keelboat, along with various plant and animal specimens, for the trip back to St. Louis. While it took more than five months to travel from St. Louis up to the Mandan villages, the return trip took just a month and a half. From St. Louis, the cargo was put on another boat and sent down the Mississippi River to New Orleans. Another ship took the cargo through the Gulf of Mexico, around Florida, and up the coast to Baltimore.

In August 1805 (almost a year after it was captured), the prairie dog arrived in Washington, D.C., alive! However, Jefferson was still at Monticello, and did not arrive in Washington until October 4, 1805. Jefferson then shipped the prairie dog to a natural history museum in Philadelphia, where it lived until at least April 5, 1806. No mere barking squirrel, he.

NASM Certified Senior Fitness

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

Register through

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

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Groops of Shrubs covered with the most delicious froot is to be seen in every direction, and nature appears to have exerted herself to butify the Senery by the variety of flours Delicately and highly flavered raised above the Grass, which Strikes & profumes the Sensation, and amuses the mind throws it into Conjecturing the cause of So magnificient a Senery… in a Country thus Situated far removed from the Sivilised world.”

Almost all of the native grassland has now been destroyed by farming. But along with the once uncountable buffalo and prairie dogs, there are still a few places left for people to see the same things Lewis and Clark’s party saw. The same holds true for the Missouri River; with the exception of

a short stretch of river in the southeast corner of South Dakota that is still free flowing, it is now just a series of lakes behind the many dams between St. Louis and Montana.

While some folks would like to preserve everything forever (including the Northwest forests), we should be thankful somebody saved at least a portion of it for future generations to enjoy.

Next episode we will learn of the tense meeting with the Teton Sioux, by far the most feared Indians in the west. Winter is fast approaching as they reach North Dakota.

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband and I enjoy an old-fashioned, typically served in rocks glasses. At a bar we frequent, they use one oversized cube of ice, rather than a scoop of crushed ice, to chill the beverage.

What is the etiquette for enjoying the last sips of your drink without that giant ice cube sliding down and bonking you on the nose?

GENTLE READER: Place a subtle forefinger on the offending cube, whilst clasping the rest of the glass with the thumb and middle. Miss Manners cannot entirely guarantee, however, that your finger will not bonk your nose instead -- particularly after the second or third old-fashioned.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I often receive gifts that creep me out -namely, gnomes and figurines. I just donate said items to a local thrift store. Is there any non-rude way to say you do not care for certain gifts?

Being a polite person, I am sure that I expressed my thanks when I received these things the first time. But now, years later, I am still creeped out, and I still receive them. My friends have never seen any of the items they gave me displayed in my home.

Sometimes expressing thanks for an unwanted item just brings on more.

GENTLE READER: And yet one must. But you may take comfort in knowing that someone, somewhere, is building a well-loved collection of creepy trinkets. Miss Manners suggests you continue to feign gratitude on their behalf, if not your own.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: My husband, George, insists that we thank our sweet puppy when he follows directions. I explained that I do not believe thanking a pet is necessary, but I would be willing to send an inquiry to Miss Manners, who is the authority regarding etiquette.

George responded that he did not believe Miss Manners is an actual person, and is more likely a group of people in an office. He then went on to explain that even if Miss Manners is “real,” she isn’t the authority in all areas of etiquette.

My questions for Miss Manners are: What is the appropriate amount of time for George to sleep in the doghouse, and does etiquette require that I eventually allow him back into our house?

GENTLE READER: George is a brave man to take on both his wife and Miss Manners. But a foolish one to disparage the authority who was about to sympathize with him.

Not to vindicate him, exactly, but to sympathize.

Aside from the silliness of your alleged argument -- and your satisfaction at getting Miss Manners to notice such silliness -- it is good to be in the habit of giving thanks, even when not strictly necessary.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: How does one dress for the opera nowadays? It’s our first time at the Met, and I got good seats for my wife and myself.

In London, I wore a suit, and then after the pandemic, I wore chinos and a jacket. London is easygoing. Is New York snooty?

GENTLE READER: Snooty?

Please do not use that word anywhere near the opera, which you obviously love. It is an association that has driven people away from enjoying robust music and stories of sex and violence, thinking that opera is fit only for snobs -- who don’t really enjoy it, but believe that it conveys class and status.

Nonsense. Historically, opera in America was mass entertainment. Opera companies traveled around the country, where towns had opera houses -- and opinionated audiences to fill them.

How did they dress? Probably in their Sunday best. Dressing up was a way to show respect and a sense of occasion. Besides, it can be fun.

But it can also turn competitive. And in 19th-century New York, competition among the rich centered on the opera house -- not only in regard to dress and jewels, but also as to who was allowed to buy box tickets. Ordinary people were priced out of the competition and reacted by rioting in the streets.

But the idea stuck: that opera was a somewhat ridiculous indulgence for showoffs, and not for honest folk. Which explains why this once hugely popular entertainment is in financial trouble today.

Wear whatever you like. You will not be the only person who dresses down -- and Miss Manners may not be the only one who dresses up. And neither of us will sneer at the other.

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I’m not welloff, and my friend is. She loves eating at nice restaurants. I can’t afford those, so I usually take her out for hamburgers. She knows my financial circumstances. I am very uncomfortable letting her treat me to fancy outings because I’m unlikely to ever be able to reciprocate. When I’ve asked her to take me to inexpensive hamburger joints, she will make excuses like she wants to try a restaurant she just heard about, and I’m the only one who can go with her. Should I refuse to accompany her? Or give up and figure that she can afford it, and that she doesn’t care that I can’t reciprocate?

GENTLE READER: The latter is obviously the case, but you should still reciprocate -- just not in a restaurant competition. Unless you can find a really good restaurant that is not yet well-enough known to charge high prices. Nah. Your friend would not be able to resist telling her rich friends about it, and the prices would soar. If you must stick with food, perhaps you can manage a good home-cooked meal.

But you needn’t; there are other ways to reciprocate. She must have interests besides eating well. You could give her a small, well-chosen present, such as a book that might interest her, or a gadget that could solve some problem she mentioned. Or volunteer to run an errand, saving her time or stress.

You needn’t do this at every meeting, as if in payment for lunch. Just often enough to show that you care about your friend and enjoy contributing to her happiness, as she does to yours. That is what reciprocation in friendship is.

Longview native performs Blues Brothers tribute at Squirrel Fest

TStory by Ned Piper • Photo by Craig Fennessy Music

his year’s Squirrel Fest, sponsored by Longview Rotary, will be hoppin’ with music, much of it provided by a Blues Brothers tribute band. The featured performer, Longview native and 1972 R.A.Long High School graduate Dave Koenig, takes on the Joliet Jake role once portrayed on Saturday Night Live by actor John Belushi.

Growing up, Koenig explained, his parents were very strict, not allowing him to attend school dances. His mother told him, however, that he could go to dances if he was in a band. That was different, she said. Koenig bought his first guitar the very next day. By the time he left high school, he was performing in various bands.

Orlando, where he performs regularly at “The Villages,” resort-like facilities for “snowbirds” and active retirees throughout Florida.

Koenig and a buddy entered a contest in 1989 at Bart’s Restaurant (then a popular eatery and night-spot) in Longview, lipsynching a Blues Brothers song. This planted the seed that led to Koenig’s current career, with a show he originally named “Brothers of Blues.”

He had a two-year gig at Disney World and worked for Universal Studios for 17 years, during which time he also performed privately around the world, in far-flung places like Germany and Australia.

Over the years, Koenig’s performed locally at Rainier Days in the Park, Lake Sacajawea’s Go Fourth celebration, and as part of a house band for five years at Longview’s then-popular Woodshed Restaurant (now with new name and ownership).

Koenig said he’s performed in live shows alongside many stars, and recalled one national television appearance singing “Soul Man” with Al Roker on the Today show.

Koenig, who exudes the same energy John Belushi paraded on SNL, now lives near

IF YOU GO: Koenig and his Blues Brothers tribute band take the Squirrel Fest stage for a 90-minute show during the 7–10pm live music program featuring his and other groups on Saturday, August 17, at Longview’s Civic Circle. More info: lvsquirrelfest.com

The original Blues Brothers was the brainchild of actors John Belushi and Dan Aykroyd in 1978 for a bit on an early Saturday Night Live show. It became a popular feature and later, in 1980, a full-length musical action comedy film. The Blues Brothers did covers of popular songs like “Soul Man,” “Sweet Home Chicago,” and “Gimme Some Lovin.”

Koenig, who once lived in a twobedroom apartment suite at the Monticello Hotel and had his office and recording studio there, said he looks forward to this gig at Squirrel Fest, with the nostalgia that goes along with playing in the same park he once looked out upon.

“We pretty much had the run of the whole second floor,” he recalled. A single dad with two kids, he spent a lot of time with them exploring the parks and nearby neighborhood.

“Between the civic circle park and the Library’s rose garden, there were more than a dozen squirrels,” he said. “We’d name them, we’d feed them.”

His kids named one squirrel, whose ears had been nibbled off, “What?”

I’ve never been to the Squirrel Fest,” Koenig said, “This is going to be special.”

Maybe What’s descendant will even be in attendance at this homecoming. See you at Squirrel Fest!

See ad pg. 35

Dave Koenig

MAN IN THE KITCHEN CLASSICS

Fire up the grill!

Tasty Indian spices in Tandoori Chicken satisfy, while boosting health

by Paul thomPsoN • for columbia rivEr rEadEr

Paul Thompson wrote his popular “Man in the Kitchen” column and other featuresn starting in CRR’s first issue. After a decline in health, he passed away in July 2021. We re-run some of his classic recipes from time to time, in fond remembrance and appreciation for his friendship and role in shaping the spirit of CRR.

For your grilling enjoyment this summer, I offer again one of my favorite tried-andtrue ethnic recipes, Tandoori Chicken. It’s the perfect dish for a summer barbecue.

Indian cuisine features unique spices and fragrances so healthful it may help us live forever and is a perfect replacement for boring, tasteless vegetarian dishes. Put your reservations aside and try Indian cuisine.

Indian food is much more than curry, its signature spice combo. Have you ever smelled a crushed cardamom seed or a pinch of garam masala powder? I hadn’t, until I walked into my first Indian restaurant years ago. And there are so many variations to please you. Not all the dishes are hot, even many of the spicy ones.

Health benefits

Health scientists applaud the value of turmeric, cumin, chili pepper and ginger for their potential to inhibit and kill cancer cells, reduce the size of tumors, work as highpowered anti-oxidants and much more. These spices, key ingredients of curry, have long been used in Indian medical treatments. Modern scientists are discovering their significance. I’ve even heard that turmeric may be a good substitute for ibuprofen.

A Veritable Garden of Eden

While lamb and chicken are the primary meats consumed in India, vegetarians and vegans find themselves in a veritable Garden of Eden. I’ve been to vegetarian restaurants and have walked away wondering where the flavor went (and I wasn’t chewing gum). That will never happen in India. It has more vegetarian-only restaurants, per capita, than any other country in the world, and enough flavors enhancing those veggies to satisfy even the most ardent carnivore.

People on low sodium diets know that spices can replace salt, and with satisfaction. Indian cuisine is also very low in saturated fats. Check out the skinless chicken recipe below.

I’ve bagged up and marinated enough of this chicken the night before a cookout to serve 50 people. They all devoured it, even the finicky eaters.

Tandoori Paste

1 tsp. cayenne pepper

Tandoori Chicken

1 chicken, whole or cut-up 1/2 cup tandoori paste 1/2 cup plain yogurt

Remove the skin from the chicken. Cut each breast-half in half and slash all the meaty pieces (breasts, thighs and legs) so they’ll more readily accept the marinade. Mix the paste and yogurt, place with the chicken in a plastic bag and fondle it until the chicken parts are evenly coated with the marinade. I double-bag to prevent leakage. Refrigerate for 8 hours or overnight.

Grill over medium heat outdoors, or bake in a 350º oven. When I grill this outdoors, I add some apple or cherry wood chips. Bottled Tandoori paste is readily available from specialty food stores in the Portland-Vancouver area or online. You can also make Tandoori paste in your own kitchen. Here’s a recipe:

2 tsp. garam masala (available in grocery store’s standard spice section)

½ tsp. salt

2 tsp. ground coriander seeds

1 tsp. turmeric

1 tsp. cumin

¼ tsp. fresh-ground nutmeg

¼ tsp. ground cloves

4 cloves minced garlic

2 Tbl. minced ginger

2 Tbl. lemon juice, fresh

Mix together all the above ingredients and blend in:

1 c. Plain low-fat yogurt

Use as directed in the preceding Tandoori chicken recipe.

Tandoori chicken is a stand-alone dish anytime, but if you want to extend the flavors of India to a complete dinner, add Indian-inspired side dishes such as Matar Paneer (tofu and peas) or Aloo (potato) with Cardomom. Recipes abound in traditional ethnic cookbooks and online.

Longview Outdoor Gallery

Unique sculptures along the sidewalks of Downtown Longview, both sides of Commerce Ave.

Teri’s

Mount St. Helens Hiking Club

thE latE dEENa martiNsoN

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

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

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

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

Aug 17 – Saturday    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

Aug 21 – Wednesday  Gnat Creek Campground Trail (E) Drive 80 miles RT Hike 3+ miles through shaded forest to fish hatchery and back. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122

Aug 24 – Saturday   Cispus Point (S) Drive 198 miles RT. Hike 9 miles RT with 1300’ e.g. to site of an old lookout on historic Klickitat Trail #7. This is one of the most remote trails in Gifford Pinchot National Forest. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256

Aug 28 – Wednesday    Puget Island Bike/Hike (B) (E) Drive 60 miles RT. Bike 15-20 miles. Maps will be provided showing various distances. Pack a lunch! We’ll enjoy a picnic afterwards on the back porch facing the Columbia River. Water, iced tea and cookies provided. Leaders: Mary Jane R. 360-355-5220

Sept 4 – Wednesday   Squaxin Park Olympia (E) Drive 142 miles RT. Hike a 3-4 mile loop through forest on mostly dirt and gravel trails. Great views of Budd Inlet and depending on the tide, it’s possible to walk on the beach. (Park formally known as Priest Park.) Bring a lunch for after hike. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122

Sept 6 – Friday  Mount Margaret (M/S)   Drive 260 miles RT. Hike 11 miles out and back RT with 1658’ e.g. from Norway Pass TH to Mt Margaret. Stunning views of Spirit and St Helens Lakes. MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS – 8 PEOPLE. Leader: Bill D. 503-260-6712

Sept 7 – Saturday      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

Sept 11 – Wednesday     Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge (E) Drive 56 miles RT Hike 4 miles RT Begin walking the overpass to the Carty Lake Trail and Oaks Wetland Trail going by Native American plank house, large oaks, possibly deer and birds on the way. Bring binoculars to help identify birds. Faster walkers may choose to walk from the boat launch then back on the street sidewalk. America the Beautiful annual pass or senior pass is required for each car. Leader: MJ R. 360-355-5220

Sept 13 – Friday   Tatoosh Ridge (S)  Drive 216 miles RT. Must sign in wilderness sheet at TH. Hike is 10 miles RT with 3848’ e.g. with great views. Bring plenty of water. MAXIMUM PARTICIPANTS - 12 PEOPLE. Leader: MJ R. 360-355-5220

Nice crinkly paper

Hold it in your hands

Never needs re-charging

Doesn’t break if you drop it

And it’s all local

Made with love

Thanks for reading

SKY REPORT

Looking UP

The Evening Sky

A clear sky is needed.

By Greg Smith

Aug. 18 – Sept. 17, 2024

Venus is visible in the evening after sunset in the west. It will only be visible for a short time as it sets an hour after the sun does. Venus is coming out from being on the far side of the sun and is giving a nearly full face view of itself. In a telescope you may see Venus as a full circular disk.

In mid-August, Saturn will be rising around 10 p.m. in the East, and by the end of the month by 9 p.m. But wait an hour for it to rise high enough above the horizon to see clearly. We will be starting to see planets again in the evening.

The Morning Sky

A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required. Jupiter rises about 1 a.m. in mid-August and just after midnight by the end of the month. Mars, Neptune, Uranus, and Saturn are all up and visible. A pair of binoculars on a tripod will give you the steadiness you need to pick out Neptune and Uranus, both of which are positioned between Jupiter and Saturn in the eastern sky in these wee hours of the morning. Use your astronomy app to help you find them. Good luck.

30 minutes before sunrise on September 9th, Mercury will be a moons width from the star Regulus in the rising constellation of Leo in the East-Northeast. Mercury now has a brightness of -0.8 out shining Regulus(+1.3) in the brightening dawn.

Night Sky Spectacle

A clear sky is a must.

MOON PHASES:

Full: Mon., Aug 19th

Last Quarter: Mon., Aug 26th

New Moon: Mon, Sept 2

First Quarter: Tues., Sept 10th All times are Pacific Daylight Savings Time

END OF TWILIGHT- when the brightest stars start to come out. It takes about another hour to see a lot of stars. Finally, it’s getting early enough for the kids to come out and look at the stars.

Sat., Aug 17th, 8:48pm Sat., Aug 31st, 8:22pm Sat., Sept 7th, 8:08pm Tues., Sept 17th, 7:48pm

Of course, August brings the annual Perseid Meteor Shower, peaking overnight on the 11th and 12th.This year, an almost-first quarter moon set before midnight and will have had nearly no effect on viewing the shower on those nights. The shower’s peak will be mostly over by the 17th, but there still are meteors in the night sky, left over from the mid-shower a few days before.

Find the heart encircling a heart. The bright mid star of the constellation of the Swan is named Sadar (mag. +2.2), which is Arabic for heart, so it’s the heart of the swan. There is also a line of stars in the shape of a heart that surrounds Sadar. They are visible only in binoculars. So give it a try and see if you can find the heart encircling the heart. Use a bit of imagination to make a heart out of the stars. I had to use mine to do it.

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.

Summer

Biz Buzz

What’s Happening Around the River

Biz Buzz notes news in local business and professional circles. As space allows, we include news of innovations, improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones of interest to readers. Please email to publisher@crreader.com

Washington Interstate Broadcasting, the 100 percent locally owned parent company of KLOG, KUKN and 101.5 The Blitz in Longview/Kelso, Washington, is expanding into Astoria, Oregon, with the purchase of 94.3 KRKZ from Meadows Broadcasting.

“There are a lot of synergies between Longview/Kelso and Astoria,”said Washington Interstate Broadcasting owner/president John Paul in a press release. “The addition of KRKZ will allow us to further help local advertisers in both Astoria and Longview/Kelso to spread their message to tens of thousands of local radio listeners. Our commitment to being local and involved in the Longview/Kelso

1425 Maple Street

Longview, WA 98632

360.425.2950

www.cascade-title.com

community is second to none, I promise we’ll have the same commitment in Astoria and all along the coast!”

Astoria native Steph Meadows with Meadows Broadcasting will stay on with KRKZ, hosting the midday show as well as overseeing the office and assisting in promotion/marketing efforts in Astoria. To add more local presence, KRKZ is also hiring John Windus, a Northwest radio veteran who recently moved to Astoria to run an Airbnb.

Aubrea Stamey has been promoted to VP/Business Manager of Washington Interstate Broadcasting and Katie Nelson has been named Production Director and will oversee production for both markets.

Dr. Todd Tookes Podiatrist

Dr. Todd Tookes, a podiatry doctor with Kirkpatrick Family Care for the past four years, was honored by the American Board of Podiatry Medicine and named National Podiatrist of the Month for July 2024. Dr. Tookes is from Miami, where he played football as a quarterback, and Valdosta, Georgia,

where he was a college football wide receiver. After graduating from college and medical school, and completing his residency, he went into the US Navy as a medical officer. Thereafter he enrolled in graduate school at Auburn University, and received a master’s degree in health care administration. He is Board Certified in Foot and Ankle diseases and surgeries, and is now also Board Certified in Wound Care. Todd is married and has a 3-yearold son.

Port of Kalama developing new wayfinding system for waterfront

Custom signs will direct visitors to park amenities, downtown Kalama

The Port of Kalama is planning to install a unique wayfinding signage system throughout the central Port area by next spring. The bold new signs will direct visitors to waterfront attractions and to the many amenities of downtown Kalama. Downtown Kalama will also receive a unique signage system of its own, with instructions on how to access the waterfront.

As information on these and other projects becomes available, follow the Port of Kalama on Facebook, or visit portofkalama.com, which includes the Port’s quarterly newsletter, Tradewinds.

Port of Kalama’s mission: To induce capital investment in an environmentally responsible manner to create jobs and to enhance public recreational opportunities

Diane Kenneway Escrow Closer / Assistant

Celinda Northrup Escrow Officer / LPO

Alison Peters Escrow Officer / LPO

Where do you read THE READER?

By the big egg Marc & Shawna Harris own a small business in Winlock called Rock N’ Roll Holistics, Prospecting & Jewelry, standing at the Largest Egg in the World in Winlock, Wash.””We find this paper to be the most intriguing and entertaining information around,” they wrote.

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!

For these four, travel is a racket! In May, four tennis friends went on a tour to England, Wales and Scotland, including the Orkney Islands, crossing into Scotland from England. Left to right:

On the Love Boat Delores Rodman and husband Dale Suran, of Scottsdale, Arizona (and Seattle in summers), passengers on an American Cruise Lines ship on which they toured the Columbia River, from Clarkston to Astoria, stopping at Kalama for dinner with Longview friends invited aboard as guests. Describing the scenery in the Snake River Gorge, she said, “I have never seen a landscape like that. It’s all volcanic rock...it’s incredible!”

They’re all reading the Reader on stage!

Gavin Mills, of Castle Rock, Wash., and Longview residents Ann Wright, Chris Roalsvig and Michele Waite.

The cast of “Zorro’s Grape Adventure,” set in San Juan Capistrano, California, and recently performed at Longview’s Stageworks Northwest Theatre, left to right: Owen Bradford, Peter Curtis, Evaline Draper, Jeannie Choi, Annelise Hamilton, Emily Sprunger, Jonah Fa’amuli, Cyndi Deaton, Scarlett Clark, Claudio Perissinotto, Michael McElliott, T.J. Wistrick, Mary Lynn Stephenson, Janae Pickett, Kelly Fitch, Vivienne Hamilton, Andrea Fitch. The creator, local playwright Leslie Slape had sprinkled into the script various “shameless plugs” for sponsors and friends of Stageworks Northwest, adding further amusement to the melodrama, which was also embellished with opera music, reminding some playgoers of Gilbert and Sullivan’s work.

MUSEUM MAGIC

By Joseph Govednik, Cowlitz County Historical Museum Director

Joseph’s column returns next month. Meanwhile, visit your favorite local museums and enjoy the exhibits!

IF YOU GO: MUSEUMS AROUND THE RIVER

Cowlitz County Historical Museum

Tues-Sat 10–4. 405 Allen St, Kelso, Wash. co.cowlitz.wa.us/museum. 360-577-3119.

Rainier Oregon Historical Museum

Closed during City Hall renovations.

Children’s Discovery Museum

Temporarily located inside Cowlitz County Historical Museum until re-opening soon at the former Catlin School.

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum

Wed–Sat 10–4. One block off US 101 at 115 SE Lake St, Ilwaco, Wash. 360-642-3446.

Columbia River Maritime Museum 1792 Marine Dr., Astoria, Ore. Daily 9:30–5. Wahkiakum Historical Society Museum Sat-Sun 1pm–4pm. 65 River St., Cathlamet, Wash. 360-849-4353.

River Life Interpretive Center Sat–Sun, 12–4. 1394 W. SR-4, Skamokawa, Wash. 360-795-3007.

Knappton Cove Heritage Center Aug 17, 24, 31, Sat 1–4pm. The “Ellis Island of the West.” 3 miles east of Astoria-Megler Bridge on the Washington side.

Port of Kalama Interpretive Center Mon-Fri 8–5, Sat-Sun 10-3. 110 W. Marine Dr., Kalama, Wash. 360-673-2325.

Appelo Archives Center & Logging Museum Tu, Thurs,Fri 10-4. 1056 SR-4, Naselle, Wash. appeloarchives.org

Lelooska Museum Thurs-Fri 1–5, summers, and by appt. 360-225-9522. 165 Merwin Village Rd, Ariel, Wash. www.lelooska.org.

Ryderwood History Project, Inc. Hours by appt. 201 Morse St., Ryderwood, Wash. 360-295-0980.

Stella Historical Society 8530 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview, Wash. 11am-4pm, Saturdays thru Aug. Closed in Sept. 360-423-3860.

•

Center 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

Gorge Interp.Ctr

To: Walla Walla Kennewick, WA Lewiston, ID

I’m hoping he’ll do a painting of me, to hang over my fireplace. I’m better looking than that cowboy.

Columbia River Reader is printed with environmentally-sensitive soybased inks on paper manufactured in the Pacific Northwest utilizing the highest percentage of “postconsumer waste” recycled content available on the market. Your columbia rivEr rEadEr Read it • Enjoy it Share it • Recycle it

For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact publisher@crreader.com or call 360-749-1021.

DONATE TODAY AND HELP THE GARDENS & THE KIDS KEEP GROWING! Your gift will be matched up to $25,000 by The Health Care Foundation and Wollenberg Foundation. Donate online at lcschoolgardens.org or mail check to PO Box 785, Longview, WA 98632 The Evans Kelly Family One Of LOngview’s piOneer famiLies Proud Sponsor of People+Place

Production notes

Finding Middle Ground on the Water

is a clear footing on the middle ground: a stable center based on consensus, compromise and collegiality.

Today we pit grievance versus apology, and victimhood versus guilt. I suggest there’s plenty of room in the middle, for both a common sense recollection of history anchored in the times themselves, and an optimistic sense of how we might do better.

That’s what visiting Cheri Anderson and the Columbia River Federal Hatcheries did to improve my attitude and sense of possibility.

Few issues have divided us culturally, politically and economically like our wild salmon heritage. Few hatcheries have escaped the accusatory glare: It’s too little too late, it’s wasted public funds, it’s flawed biology, ecology and engineering.

Yet Anderson and the fisheries team hold their heads high and tell their story with both conviction and humility. Turns out there’s actually a lot less blameworthy stuff out there than we might think, and some notably successful efforts to mitigate, propagate, and restore.

Best of all, there’s education and openness. Perhaps the fish ladders and raceways — now more than a hundred years old — hold some valuable clues to finding middle ground.

Cheri Anderson Making the case for fish hatcheries

To our surprise, among the most worthwhile stops in the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Area are four national fish hatcheries run by the U.S. Fish &Wildlife Service. They are also among the gorge’s oldest institutions, steeped in science and history — and also controversial, mis-characterized and misunderstood.

For the casual visitor, of course, the gorge of the Columbia is flat-out gorgeous — a feast for wildlife lovers, wind surfers, fisher-people, amateur geologists, wine and fruit geeks, and day-trip aficionados of all sorts.

On the Washington side, the twolane road, Highway 14, winds precariously between mammoth basalt cliffs and the everrestless river, lulled to an occasional calm or, more usually , whipped up to a windy frenzy. The windsurfers monitor gorge winds like stockholders monitor Dow Jones, and show up in droves when it blows.

Get your salmon science straight. And separate history from hysteria.

“Make Us Some More!”

“The whole reason for hatcheries was to artificially make fish to sustain a fishery,” said Cheri Anderson of the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

So, were hatcheries created, I ask, mainly for commercial reasons not for conservation or habitat replacement?

“One hundred percent,” said Anderson. “This hatchery was built in 1896. When this all started, there was no Army Corps of Engineers here, none of these regulating agencies, no dams. There were just cannery owners and workers at the mouth

I FEEL FANTASTIC TELLING PEOPLE THE STORY

of the river taking tons and tons of fish out of the Columbia and saying, ‘We’re running out of fish. Make us some more!’”

The facility we’re visiting, Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery, is the oldest working hatchery on the Columbia today, pre-dating Bonneville Dam by 42 years.

Most people didn’t know much about the life cycle of salmon in the early years, explained Anderson, who’s trained as a biologist and biology educator. “We didn’t fully understand the complex life cycle of salmon.”

For someone charged with explaining, demonstrating and ultimately justifying federal fish hatcheries on the Columbia River, Cheri Anderson’s conversation is refreshingly free of self-serving rhetoric and the company line.

And nestled strategically near springs and river mouths are the four gorge hatcheries — Spring Creek, Little White Salmon, Carson, and Willard. Whatever your politics , damning the dams or salvaging the salmon, it’s well worth a visit to find out more about just what these places do.

Raceways at Spring Creek NFH, Columbia River beyond. Photo courtesy of usfWs

The mosT dramaTic Thing lacking in our poli T ics T oday

What about logging, and irrigation practices, and those damnable dams? I persist.

“As I’ve said, historically the number one reason for salmon declines was over-fishing. Didn’t have anything to do with dams, or timber, or irrigating, or even politics, said Anderson. “Those things have impacted us, but they didn’t create the hatchery system. They’ve certainly changed it, of course.”

A Changing Challenge

Changes accelerated in the 1930s. A ravaged economy and looming world war thrust the Columbia River system into national consciousness — a source of irrigation to feed the masses and provide employment, and eventually, electricity to feed business and industry.

The solution was dams.

Overlooked, in plans that called for as many as 40 dams on the Columbia and Snake, were the migrating salmon. Or perhaps simply relegated to “nice to do” or “eventually” by legislators and planners who had a Great Depression to overcome and a world war to fight and win.

As Cheri Anderson points out, people knew very little of the complex lives of salmon and steelhead, though they’d been a vital food source and the center of native culture long before white settlement in the Pacific Northwest. The processes of learning, sharing, and explaining the intricacies of this valuable natural resources go on to this day.

HISTORICALLY, THE NUMBER-ONE REASON FOR SALMON DECLINE IS OVER-FISHING

“I feel fantastic telling people the story,”Anderson said, “I love visitors. When fisher people come in I explain we’re really not making these fish for Spring Creek, right here. We’re making them for commercial and tribal fisheries.”

Mitigation Begins

Mitigation efforts in the Columbia River Basin began in the late 1930s with passage of the Mitchell Act, which recognized the negative effects of the new dams on fish. The Army Corps studied the problem and recommended a sophisticated program of protections and enhanced hatcheries which began implementation in the mid-1950s.

Today, fish are marked with a microscopic tag that allows biologists to track their movements and determine where they’re harvested.

Proud Sponsor of People+Place

Photos, above, left: Transferring eggs; right: Fish ladder; below: Fish fry in a holding tank at Little White Salmon National Fish Hatchery. Photos, this PagE: chEri aNdErsoN/usfws

“Forty percent of the fish we raise are caught off the coast of Washington in the commercial fishery,” Anderson said. “Some sport fishermen are disappointed that we aren’t raising fish for them, really, but when I explain the process they’re usually happier when they leave.”

Dramatic change is a constant in the river system, thanks not only to harvests, climate fluctuations, and new technologies. The mitigators also must answer to at least four strong regulatory influences, often in conflict with each other: sound and assertive salmon science, fluctuating federal agency policies, Congressionally-enacted laws, and ratified treaties.

The Opposite of Nature

MITIGATION EFFORTS

Columbia River Basin

Mitchell Act, 1938

Corps Recommendations Report, 1948

Programs Implemented, 1956

Regulatory influences::

•Sound salmon science

•Federal agency policies

•Congressionally-enacted laws

•Ratified treaties sourcE: us fish & wildlifE sErvicE

Today, only one of five salmon in the Columbia River Basin is a “natural” fish. The other 80 percent are produced in hatcheries. Many find this artificiality troubling, heretical, even blasphemous. “There are a lot of critics,” said Anderson.”Habitat on the Columbia River has been significantly decreased due to hydroelectric dams. In a perfect world a hatchery would work itself out of business. We’re not in a perfect world.”

The “spawning process” is a difficult one, too. Already dying, the fish are euthanized, some carcasses destined for food banks, some for fertilizer, and around one in eight used to provide eggs and “milt” — male sperm — to generate new fertilized eggs. After 4–6 months maturing in the hatchery as fry and eventually small smolts, hand fed, they are released back into the river system. They journey to the Pacific Ocean quickly, making the 167-mile trip in 10 to 14 days.

“There is certainly nothing natural in creating 12 million fish in one place,” Anderson conceded.

ABOUT 40 PERCENT OF SPRING CREEK FISH ARE CAUGHT OFF THE COAST OF WASHINGTON

“In fact, much of what we’re doing is the opposite of nature. We average a 97 percent survival rate on the front end of their lives. In nature, they have perhaps a two percent survival rate on the front end of their lives.”

A good communicator with a complicated message, Anderson owns

up that “it’s all done backwards,” but such is replenishing a largely decimated commercial fishery. “We produce fish to support Tribal, sport, and commercial catch.” No apologies.

“We do get many more salmon back to the hatcheries that are above our production goals,” she added, “and

many of those fish are supplied to the Tribes for ceremonial and subsistence purposes, and also the food banks.”

Mitigate and Explain

The ups and downs of fish restoration and propagation — and the chaotic public relations that attend these

complicated processes — put pressure on education and communications specialists like Cheri Anderson.

“I’ve always loved the outdoors,” she told me, “and announced to my family when I was pretty young that I wanted to be a Park Ranger. I wanted to wear the green and grey.” After college and

Aerial view of Little White Salmon National fish Hatchery: chEri aNdErsoN/usfws

Cheri Anderson chats with hatchery visitors John and Chyrl Staehely, from Aurora, Oregon.

from page 21

five summers working part time in Grand Teton National Park, Anderson saw only limited job prospects with the Park Service and eventually took a position with a related division of the Department of Interior, the U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

“I had no idea what I was walking into. But I loved being here on the river and had a lot of freedom to build my own program. And that was in 1998.”

Working closely with colleague Jennifer Rowlen, Anderson has built a comprehensive program of education, outreach, and visitor services. “This place was just cinder block walls when we got here,” she said. Today, the business of informing the public, and educating future generations, is more and more critical for hatchery survival and influencing public perception.

“We’ve built a large education program,” she said. “We have a huge salmonin-the-classroom program where we place tanks out in classrooms. We bring students to the hatchery, teach them all about salmon, and they even end up releasing their fish out into the river.”

As I bid goodbye to Cheri Anderson and Little White Salmon hatchery, I pose one final edgy question: Is she simply an apologist for this imperfect system so constantly in the public eye?

Below, left: Fall

the

ladder; right: adult salmon at Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery. Photos: Jill

SALMON DECLINES WERE HAPPENING BEFORE THE VERY FIRST DAM ON THE COLUMBIA

IF YOU GO

“People are the reason salmon are in the state they are in today,” she replied, “We work within the laws, we respond to regulation. But we’re also committed to transparency and public education. We listen. We care.”

The agency is aware that accommodating tourism and adding quality to the outdoor experience are public services, too. The hatcheries are set in pristine environments adjacent to popular gorge destinations.

“I love talking to visitors. You’d be surprise how often they say, ‘Wow, I learned a lot today, I had no idea.’ That’s a good day for me.”

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.

These hatcheries are located 5 miles apart on Washington SR-14, about 100 miles from Longview, via I-5 S. and, I-205 S. to WA-14 E in Washougal.

Visitors Centers Hours: Mon thru Fri, 8–3, Free. Informational displays, brochures, staff available to answer questions.

Little White Salmon National Fish

56961 SR-14, Cook, Wash.

Watch adult fish spawning naturally and hatchery spawning, early October to first week of Nov.

Also see juvenile fish in ponds.

Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery (River Mile 167)

61552 SR-14, Underwood, Wash.

OPEN HOUSE Sept. 21, 9am–2pm Sept 15–30: Spawning

More info: fws.gov/fish-hatchery/spring-creek fws.gov/fish-hatchery-little-white-salmon

While you’re in the neighborhood - other nearby attractions: Watch wind surfers near Spring Creek Hatchery entrance; Climb Beacon Rock, enjoy a picnic – tables at State park across the road; Grab a bite at Big River Grill, Stevenson; Visit Columbia River Gorge Interpretive Center (near Skamania Lodge) exhibits, short movie on history/formation of the Gorge; Cross Bridge of the Gods ($3 toll) to Cascade Locks, Oregon.

Chinook jumping up

fish

Nord

Hatchery (River Mile 162)

Below-ground level viewing windows

FRAGRANT FLOWERS

Immerse yourself in the natural bouquet of summer’s perfume

Story & photos by Nancy Chennault

Flowers, as well as plants’ foliage, have distinctive and often heady fragrances. When we smell a new scent, our brain creates a link between that smell and the memory of the event where the smell was first experienced. Our response to the aroma is immediate and enduring. Mid-summer is one of the best seasons to experience the bounty of fragrant choices available to us in the Pacific Northwest. Take a stroll through your yard or a friend’s garden. Walk to a local park or shop your favorite garden center and discover scents warmed by the summer sun.

Why fragrance?

A blossom’s sweet smell is not just to give us pleasure, but to attract insects. Busy bugs carry pollen from one flower to another to ensure the continuation of

the species. The extraordinary blossoms of Angel’s Trumpet (above, and above, left) are fragrant in the evening and again just before sunrise. The insects that pollinate these flowers are not flying about during the day. The delightful aroma creates a breathtaking tropical atmosphere. Position an Angel’s Trumpet by an open window or on the patio near outdoor seating. It grows rapidly to 6 feet or more and each cycle of multiple blossoms will last for

weeks. Brugmansia are not winter hardy, but can be overwintered in a garage or greenhouse where it will not freeze.

Fragrant Memory

We all have certain fragrances that trigger a memory. Because we are exposed to the largest percentage of new fragrances as children, we are quickly transported back to childhood when we smell certain flowers. Roses remind us of romance and love. During the 1980s and 90s, development of new roses focused on color and form, not fragrance. Thankfully, traditional scents are making a comeback.

Oriental lilies, gardenias, freesia, narcissus, jasmine and stephanotis are just a few of the flowers available as pot plants and also used extensively in floral arrangements. Lilies, including Easter lilies are hardy in Northwest gardens. Plant lily bulbs upside down

them to rot. Choose a sunny spot with well drained soil. The best selection of bulbs is spring, but look for potted lilies in nurseries now. Transplant or enjoy in a container on deck or porch. After the blooms have faded, cut them off, leaving the foliage to die naturally to recharge the bulbs for next year.

Once available only as tropical house plants, hardy gardenias are now bred

for Pacific Northwest winters. Nursery professionals will be able to direct you to those suitable for your garden. Personally, I am ambivalent about gardenias. Their rich fragrance reminds me instantly of a ride to Homecoming when I was 15. My date, also not yet old enough to drive, picked me up in the family car. With a waxy blossom firmly pinned to my shoulder, thick gardenia scent filled the car. I sat uncomfortably between him and his father on what seemed like a very, very long, silent ride to the high school. Awkward! To this day, just catching a hint of gardenia blossoms will bring that adolescent experience rushing back. As I’ve gotten older, being enamored with all floral fragrances, I have tried reconditioning my automatic response to the scent of gardenia blossoms, without success. Our brains are programmed to connect a new smell with the event when it was first experienced, so my olfactory memory is not to be retrained.

Few summer flowers compare to legendary heliotrope (photo,at left). One of the more popular summer scents, it is a consistent performer as well as having the beloved “vanilla bean” fragrance. Originally named “Fragrant Delight,” it grows well in both sun and part shade. Enjoy your heliotrope near open windows until well after the first frost. Fragrant Foliage: Let your nose be your guide

Without blossoms to attract our attention, plants with fragrant foliage get overlooked. (A “scratch & sniff” sticker would be helpful for this discussion.) One of the main reasons for growing

page 25

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.

(Yes, that’s right… upside down!), so winter rains will not settle into the scales of the bulb and cause

Heliotrope

Angel’s Trumpet

herbs is olfactory rather than taste. Cooking with herbs is satisfying, but getting to “smell” them any time I walk outside is particularly rewarding. Warm temperatures bring out the essence of the oil in lavender, rosemary, basil and thyme. Just watering these plants will envelop you in delicious scents that will surely whet your appetite. Set a pot of Lemon Verbena and/or Pineapple Sage close to walkways or steps where you will regularly brush up against one. Grab and crush a handful as you walk by for instant, refreshing potpourri. It’s MY favorite thing and the ultimate “aromatherapy.”

Your exploration and discovery of fragrance in flowers and foliage will take you down a perfumed path. Warm weather brings out those aromas often overlooked. The surprisingly sweet scent of Laurentia “Starshine Blue” (pictured at left) will have you hunting for the source. Just follow your nose and boldly grasp leaves to release their scent, bend down, reach up … investigate the familiar and the new. Immerse yourself in the natural bouquet of summer’s perfume.

Old Publishers never die...

They just keep living on the margins

Turner, Kung, Lin Provide Comprehensive Orthopedic Care

If you are having problems with a hip, knee, or shoulder, Longview Orthopedic Associates has just the answer. Doctors Bill Turner, Peter Kung, and Tony Lin have years of experience and extensive training in dealing with these issues.

Call today to schedule a consultation.

“Dr. Turner was very patient in responding to my questions. I left the appointment feeling totally satisfied. I would recommend him to anyone who is having hip or knee problems.” - J.S.

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Dr. Peter Kung, MD

Dr. Bill Turner, MD

Dr. Tony Lin, MD

Miss Manners from page 9

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Many times, I have experienced the situation where someone is completely blocking a store aisle with their shopping cart. They see me coming and either move

their basket aside to let me pass or I have to say, “Excuse me,” and then they move it.

Some people say “Sorry” for blocking me, but some mumble a sarcastic “You’re welcome” to me as I go by, apparently because I don’t say “Thank you” for their efforts.

I feel I should not have to say thank you to them for correcting a situation they caused to begin with. Good manners would require not blocking the aisle in the first place. This happens to me often. What do you suggest?

GENTLE READER: Six words: “Excuse me. Thank you. You’re welcome.” And you only have to say four of them. Miss Manners’ point is that to be this angry -- and stingy -- about when to parcel out such kindnesses is beneath you. If someone’s cart is blocking the aisle, let’s assume it was a moment’s

thoughtlessness, not a nefarious plot -- and that saying “Excuse me” costs you nothing.

True, we can do without a sarcastic “You’re welcome” if you forget to say thanks -- but let’s not forget. It will make the world a slightly less abrasive place.

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.

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

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

Little Island Creamery

SKAMOKAWA

Skamokawa General Store

NASELLE

Appelo Archives & Café

Johnson’s One-Stop

ILWACO

Time Enough Books (entry table)

Clatskanie

Mini-Storage

NOTES FROM MY LIVES

This perfect, pleasing,

versatile,

year-round wine checks all boxes

Keep plenty on hand

by Marc Roland

WThat is the most versatile red wine in the world? I’m going to tell you at the end of this column. But maybe you will come to that conclusion before then.

People spend an inordinate amount of time trying to pick wines to pair with food or the season. Like Cabernet Sauvignon in the winter with a hearty meat dish, or a rosé in the summer with cheese and crackers. It can be exhausting at worst, and a crap-shoot at best to get it right. Sometimes you hit a home run and other times the pairing falls flat.

When I think about a wine for all seasons I start to compile a list of criteria that will hit as many checkmarks as possible for every food and occasion.

Lets start with body

It can’t be too strong, heavy or dark to drink in the heat, but also has to offer some complexity for contemplation on a cold winter’s night. It needs to pair nicely with summer salmon here in the Pacific Northwest, but it also needs to stand up to lamb or beef in the winter.

What about flavor?

Versatile wine has to have a good array of fruit flavors that will span the spectrum of food types. It needs some lighter fruit flavors like strawberry, raspberry, and cherry. And it would be great if it had some spicy and earthy undertones to match Indian and Italian cuisine. And, in fact, all popular foods served throughout the year.

The chill factor

I’m sure you have guessed it by now, but we need a wine that tastes great when served slightly chilled (around 55-60 degrees) making it refreshing for summer, but also tastes great a little warmer for a rainy winter night

Ok, the big reveal:

Pinot noir. I can’t believe I’m saying this, because I tend to want to drink syrah all year ‘round, but it just doesn’t check all the boxes. So it’s pinot.

Make your life easier and have plenty of it on hand, all year long.

Longview resident and former Kelso teacher Marc Roland started making wine in 2008 in his garage. He and his wife, Nancy, now operate Roland Wines at 1106 Florida Street in Longview’s new “barrel district.” For wine tasting hours, call 360-846-7304.

by Andre Stepankowsky

The profound and sacred role

of teachers

She was a nun, and I was one of her hundreds of ‘children’

o this day, she’s the only person I’ve ever permitted to call me “Andy.”

I’ve always insisted on “Andre,” the French and Slavic equivalent of “Andrew,” because my given name reflects those ancestries.

But Sister Josephine Coleman just couldn’t avoid pronouncing it with a short “A” sound, making it “ANN-dray.” It grated on my ear and jangled in my brain, because as a teacher and scholar of ancient Greek and Roman literature, Sister Josephine certainly had encountered the correct pronunciation.

So I accepted Andy, willingly, because we spent so much time together, and there was such an endearing way she said it. Sister Josephine clearly adored me.

When I knew her, she was about 60 years old. She was my Latin language teacher for my sophomore year at De Paul Catholic High School in Wayne, New Jersey. In my senior year (1972-73), she tutored me in the Greek and Roman writers — even though I was the only student to take the class.

It was, of course, impossible for me to hide the fact that I sometimes did not complete a reading assignment. But she was understanding, never berated me, and would just walk me through the text. I was a good and engaged student, but Sister Josephine’s affection made this an easy “A.”

We explored the works of Aeschylus, Euripides, Plato, Aristotle and other classical authors. Sister Josephine even steered me to Aristophanes’ famous comedy Lysistrata, in which a woman by that name recruits other women to deny sex to men until they end a war.

Sister Josephine was no stick in the mud. She didn’t even mind when students called her by her nickname, Billy Jo, which in context had a slightly derisive feel to it.

The setting for our classes was a tiny room off the high school library. It was cluttered with auto-visual equipment, which Sister Josephine managed and checked out. It also was a place of solace for me.

As the only student in the class, it was hard to hide my emotions and teenage preoccupations. My parents’ marriage had begun to collapse, and I was a social misfit

in many ways. For some reason, Sister Josephine was the only person with whom I could reveal my feelings.

I even shared my hurt over an unrequited fondness for one of my senior classmates. (The girl later asked me why Sister Josephine gave her a mischievous smile when they met in the hallway. It was Sister Josephine’s lovable way of rooting for me.)

But confidences flowed on a two-way street. Sister Josephine, who joined the order of the Sisters of Charity in 1929, told me her mother opposed her vocation to become a nun because she would not have children. She relented, though, when reminded that as a nun and teacher, her daughter would be a spiritual and academic mother to hundreds of children.

No wonder that Sister Josephine was so indulgent and dedicated a teacher.

I bring her up now because I recently watched CBS correspondent David Begnaud’s story about a high school English teacher who was pivotal in his life and who was retiring after 50 years.

Sister Josephine died in 1988 at age 79. I visited her once or twice after I graduated from De Paul in 1973, but I lost touch after moving out here 45 years ago.

Still, I remember her often — not so much for the lessons about Plato and Homer, but for her warmth and passion as a teacher and human being. Her influence is one reason that, as city editor at The Daily News for 21 years, I considered nurturing our young reporters among my most important responsibilities.

We often take for granted the profound and sacred role teachers play in molding our lives. Paying homage to them reminds us of their influence and forces us to take stock of our lives. Do we measure up to the standards and values they set? Would we make them proud?

Sister Josephine, “Andy” is grateful to you.

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

Few people know how to take a walk. The qualifications are endurance, plain clothes, old shoes, an eye for nature, good humor, vast curiosity, good speech, good silence, and nothing too much. --Ralph Waldo Emerson, American writer, lecturer and philosopher, 1803-1882

Every generation imagines itself to be more intelligent than the one that went before it, and wiser than the one that comes after it. --George Orwell, English novelist, writer and critic, 1903-1950

I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist. If art is to nourish the roots of our culture, society must set the artist free to follow his vision wherever it takes him. --John F. Kennedy, 35th President, 1917-1963

If we want to solve a problem that we have never solved before, we must leave the door to the unknown ajar. --Richard Feynman, American theoretical physicist, 1918-1988

Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace. --Milan Kundera, Czech-French novelist, 1929-2023

If you want to tell people the truth, make them laugh; otherwise they’ll kill you. --Oscar Wilde, Irish poet and playwright, 1854-1900

You possess all the attributes of a demagogue; a screeching, horrible voice, a perverse, crossgrained nature and the language of the market-place. In you all is united which is needful for governing. --Aristophanes, Ancient Greek comic playwright, 446-386 BC

OWhat are you reading?

Barkskins: From Woodcutters to Tree-huggers by Annie Proulx

by Dennis Weber

ne of the best things about vacationing in VRBOs is the book exchanges found in most rentals. That was where I found Annie Proulx’s Barkskins, a spectacular 2016 novel based on the lives of the Sels and the Duquets, families of two French indentured servants intimately connected to forestry for over 300 years. Proulx, a native of Maine with French-Canadian roots now living in Port Townsend, is a historian by education and a storyteller since childhood. She has won numerous awards including the 1994 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction. Among her most famous works is Brokeback Mountain.

Through two intertwined storylines, she provides a delightful series of vignettes of these families’ descendants. The title stems from a French-Canadian term referring to anyone whose lifestyle oozes with any type of devotion to trees, whether through indigenous medicine, housing, and canoes; the entrepreneurial lust for rapacious clear-cutting; or conservationists steeped in guilt at the loss of primordial arboreal nirvanas.

Her character sketches are evocative. You feel the pain of the Mi’kmac people forced from ancestral homes; young couples struggling with the loss of cultural identity through intermarriage; as well as murders, shipwrecks, deaths of soulmates, and living life on the edge of bankruptcy.

What also struck me was that although the setting was almost entirely back east in Quebec, Maine, and Michigan, the historical pattern also rings true for the Pacific Northwest: the belief in a never-ending supply of trees, huge profits to be made through harvest and manufacturing, and tardy limited efforts to repair environmental damage. I kept being reminded of the saga of Long-Bell Lumber Company’s boom and bust.

Be prepared for a realistic and enjoyable read.

Dennis Weber is a retired high school history teacher and currently serving as a Cowlitz County Commissioner. He plays violin in the Southwest Washington Symphony. He and his wife, Kris McElroy-Weber, live in Longview.

Drink Good Coffee, Read Good Books

Located in the

Castle Rock Bank Building 20 Cowlitz Street West Mon-Sat 8:30–5 • Sun 10–4 360-916-1377

Longview native Debra Tweedy has lived on four continents. She and her husband decided to return to her hometown and bought a house facing Lake Sacajawea.“We came back because of the Lake and the Longview Public Library,” she says.

Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose

PAPERBACK FICTION

1. A Court of Thorns and Roses

Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19

2. Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow

Gabrielle Zevin, Vintage, $19

3. A Court of Mist and Fury

Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19

4. Happy Place

Emily Henry, Berkley, $19

5. It Ends with Us

Colleen Hoover, Atria, $16.99

6. Never Whistle at Night

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

7. Lady Tan’s Circle of Women

Lisa See, Scribner, $18.99

8. The Midnight Library

Matt Haig, Penguin, $18

9. Throne of Glass

Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19

10. Can’t Spell Treason Without Tea

Rebecca Thorne, Bramble, $19.99

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending Aug. 4, 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. The Backyard Bird Chronicles

Amy Tan, Knopf, $35

2. Braiding Sweetgrass

Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $20

3. A Fever in the Heartland

Timothy Egan, Penguin, $18

4. The Body Keeps the Score

Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Penguin, $19

5. Hillbilly Elegy

J. D. Vance, Harper, $18.99

6. The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine

Rashid Khalidi, Metropolitan Books, $19.99

7. Killers of the Flower Moon

David Grann, Vintage, $18

8. What an Owl Knows

Jennifer Ackerman, Penguin, $19

9. On Island Time

Chandler O’Leary, Sasquatch Books, $24.95

10. The Art Thief

Michael Finkel, Vintage, $18

1. The Women

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

2. James Percival Everett, Doubleday, $28

3. All Fours

Miranda July, Riverhead Books, $29

4. The Ministry of Time

Kaliane Bradley, Avid Reader Press/Simon & Schuster, $28.99

5. Slow Dance

Rainbow Rowell, William Morrow, $28

6. The God of the Woods Liz Moore, Riverhead Books, $30

7. The Book of Elsewhere Keanu Reeves, China Miéville, Del Rey, $30

8. The Spellshop

Sarah Beth Durst, Bramble, $29.99

9. Demon Copperhead

Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.50

10. The Bright Sword Lev Grossman, Viking, $35

Top 10 Bestsellers

1. The Demon of Unrest

Erik Larson, Crown, $35

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

3. Autocracy, Inc. Anne Applebaum, Doubleday, $27

4. The Anxious Generation

Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Press, $30

5. A Walk in the Park Kevin Fedarko, Scribner, $32.50

6. Atomic Habits

James Clear, Avery, $27

7. The Wager

David Grann, Doubleday, $30

8. On Call Anthony Fauci, M.D., Viking, $36

9. Somehow Anne Lamott, Riverhead Books, $22

10. The Comfort of Crows Margaret Renkl, Spiegel & Grau, $32

1. The Yellow Bus

Loren Long, Roaring Brook Press, $19.99

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

3. Jamberry Bruce Degen, HarperFestival, $9.99

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

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

6. Baby Animals

Stephan Lomp, Workman, $5.99

7. Hey! Look at You! Sandra Boynton, Boynton Bookworks, $9.99

8. Where the Wild Things Are Maurice Sendak, Harper, $21.99

9. Taylor Swift Wendy Loggia, Elisa Chavarri (Illus.), Golden Books, $5.99

10. Grumpy Monkey

Suzanne Lang, Max Lang (Illus.), Random House Studio, $8.99

BOOK REVIEW A binge-worthy summer read

By Alan Rose

IThe God of the Woods

Liz Moore Riverhead Books

$30

n Greek mythology, the “god of the woods” is Pan, as in panic —what the young campers at an exclusive summer camp are advised not to do if they become lost in the wilderness. But it is the adults who are soon panicking when one of the children, 13-year-old Barbara Van Laar, turns up missing. Is she lost in the forest? Or did she run away? Or was she the victim of a sexual predator on the loose?

The Van Laar family owns the camp, as well as much of the small town next to it, employing many of the blue-collar townspeople. As the search parties begin to spread out over Pan’s territory, the mystery of the missing girl grows deeper and becomes more complex, uncovering layers of simmering mistrust, resentment, and fears that have been curdling beneath the surface of the town’s life for decades.

The investigation into Barbara’s disappearance also recalls the earlier, still unsolved disappearance of her brother, Bear, in 1961, when he was eight years old. (Does Greek mythology have a god of coincidences?)

The story is told through different viewpoints — not all of them reliable, we discover — that of another young camper, the unhappy mother of both missing children, one of the camp counselors, a detective investigating the case, the sexual predator on the run after escaping from prison, and Barbara herself.

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.

“Do you ever worry that being born into money has stunted us?”

Alice blanched.

“I don’t mean anything by it,” said Delphine. “It’s just — lately I’ve been wondering whether having all of our material needs met from birth has been a positive aspect of our lives. It seems to me it may have resulted in some absence of yearning or striving in us. The quest, I like to call it. When one’s parents or grandparents have already quested and conquered, what is there for subsequent generations to do?”

From God of the Woods

1. The New Girl

Cassandra Calin, Graphix, $12.99

2. Plain Jane and the Mermaid

Vera Brosgol, First Second, $14.99

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

4. Working Boats Tom Crestodina, Little Bigfoot, $19.99

5. Mini Bluey

Penguin Young Readers, $5.99

6. The Moth Keeper

K. O’Neill, Random House Graphic, $13.99

7. A Horse Named Sky Rosanne Parry, Kirbi Fagan (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $18.99

8. A Wolf Called Wander

Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $9.99

9. Marshmallow & Jordan Alina Chau, First Second, $17.99

10. Twins Varian Johnson, Shannon Wright (Illus.), Graphix, $12.99

As we become immersed in the various characters’ lives, this latest disappearance becomes almost secondary to the unhappy marriages, the brittle class animosities, and the hidden personal frustrations that are brought to the surface. The Van Laars and their wealthy guests are such unpleasant and miserable people, one questions why so many bother accruing wealth in the first place. It doesn’t seem to be in their best self-interest. The rich are as trapped in their wealth as the townsfolk in their more straitened conditions, all prisoners of their circumstances.

This is a page-turner, a binge-worthy summer read for the beach, or lying next to the pool, or over a lazy weekend at home. Moore writes in a propulsive style: short, tight chapters at a breathless pace, switching back and forth between the present moment (1975) and the earlier disappearance (1961), weaving the two story threads together for a disturbing climax.

Sure, you may not remember the story a week after finishing it, but while reading, it’s a fun ride.

Clatskanie, Ore.

Fultano’s Pizza

770 E. Columbia River Hwy

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

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

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant

640 E. Columbia River Hwy

Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. Dine-in, curbside pickup. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–10:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344

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. 8-11pm. Patio seating. 503-556-8323.

Longview, Wash.

1335 14th Avenue

18 rotating craft brews, pub fare. M-Th 11am–9pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm; . Local music coming soon. 360-232-8283. Wine Wednesdays: $5 pours.

Bruno’s Pizza 1108 Washington Way. Pizza, breadsticks, wings, salads, fish & chips. WE DELIVER. Four beers on tap. 360-636-4970 or 360-425-5220.

formerly The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge located on 14th Ave.

3353 Washington Way. Chinese & American cuisine. Full bar, banquet room stage room with balcony; available for groups, special events. Restaurant: 11am–9pm, Lounge 11am–1:00am. 360-425-8680.

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

Carbon Steak House

936 Ocean Beach Hwy. Lunch & Dinner. Great steaks, pot roast, burgers, Friday night smoke BBQ, banquet room. Open Mon-Thurs 11am–9pm, 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, award-winning clam chowder. Burgers, steaks, pasta. Beer and wine. M-Wed 10am–8pm, Th-Sat 10am–9pm, Sunday 11am–8pm. Inside dining, Drive-thru, outdoor seating. 360-414-3288. See ad, page 10.

Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview Tues–Thurs 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am–9pm. BBQ meat slow-cooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. Worldfamous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541.

Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse 760 Ocean Beach Hwy, Suite J 360-425-9696. Japanese food, i.e. hibachi, Bento boxes, Teppanyaki; Sushi (half-price Wednesdays); Kids Meal 50% Off Sundays. Mon-Th 11-2:30, 4:30-9:30. Fri-Sat 11am10pm. Sun 11am-9pm. 360-425-9696.

Lynn’s Deli & Catering

1133 14th Ave.

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

Castle Rock, Wash

Luckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche. See ad, pg 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 30

Kalama, Wash.

LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Market Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 8am–7pm. See ad, pg 30. 360-673-4586.

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.. Summer concerts, pg. 35

Antique Deli 413N. First. M-F, 10–3. Call for daily sandwich special. 360-6733310.

Sat 8-11, Sun 8am-3pm.Scappoose, Ore.

Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” Sun–Th 11:30am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am–10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100. Inside Dining.

Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 33452 Havlik Rd. Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-543-3017

Warren, Ore.

Toutle, Wash.

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

Scythe Brewing Company 1217 3rd Avenue #150 360-353-3851

Mon-Thurs 11:30am -8pm; FriSat 11:30am -10pm. Sun 12-8pm. Family-friendly brewery/restaurant with upscale, casual dining, lunch and dinner.

Stuffy’s

804 Ocean Beach Hwy 360-423-6356 8am–8pm. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. American style food. Free giant cinnamon roll with meal purchase on your birthday with proof of ID. Facebook: Stuffy’s II Restaurant, or Instagram @stuffys2.

Teri’s Café on

Broadway

1133 Broadway. Lunch and Dinner, full bar. Mon12–8pm. Tues-Thurs 11am–8pm, Fri 11am–9pm; Sat 12–9pm. 360-577-0717

FIRESIDE CAFE

5055 Meeker Dr., Kalama. Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. 360-673-3473.

St. Helens, Ore.

Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. Limited inside seating, curbside pickup and delivery.

503-397-3211 See ad, page 28.

Big River Tap Room 313 Strand Street on the Riverfront.

Lunch/Dinner Tue-Thurs 12–8pm; Fri-Sat 12–9pm. Chicago-style hot dogs, Italian beef, pastrami. Weekend Burrito Breakfast,

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

HISTORIC FOG

The recent history of the Lower Columbia is particularly scant and mutable. The two states bordering the river are half the age of their eastern peers. The rugged topography has impacted navigation, settlement, and precise historiography. Even the particulars of the Lewis and Clark Expedition, the legendary Voyage of Discovery, grew hazy as the Corps approached the mouth of the Columbia, and have been subject to debate and revision.

I Cross the Columbia

How many times have I crossed this river?

Five hundred? A thousand? First time, 1964, with my mother, bringing me by rail from Colorado to see her beloved Northwest. It took. So there were many crossings to come on the Portland Rose, the City of Portland, and eventually Amtrak, or sometimes Greyhound, Seattle to Denver and back again. Later, in a dynasty of Volkswagens, it was I-5 and 205, the Bridge of the Gods, Hood River, The Dalles, Biggs, Umatilla, Vernita, and Vantage: for jobs, field trips, family, all the reasons one has for changing states of being. When I moved downstream to a lower trib, crossings shifted to the Lewis & Clark in Longview, the ferry at Westport, in Honda, Toyota, Subaru. Now I cross the river more than ever before — at Megler, the last bridge before the bar, And gladly so! For when I cross the Columbia now, I am crossing it to you.

EMPIRE OF TREES

AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER

by Hal Calbom

Longview famously built a sewer and drainage system suitable for a population of 200,000

Movers and Shapers

It didn’t present a very promising prospect. Its 14,000 acres awash with marshes, swamps and sloughs, at the intersection of two fast-flowing and fickle rivers, LongBell’s Planned City had a whole lot of planning to do, indeed.

At the junction of the Columbia and the Cowlitz, I found a whole army of men clearing land and burning brush, building dikes and bridges, laying tracks for the new Longview, Portland & Northern; putting up a city hall, schools, churches, a library and a hotel; digging a lake and a scenic waterway that would remind me of the Fens around Boston — all to the end that Longview, Washington, should be the biggest and finest lumber city on earth. It is, too Stewart Holbrook. The Far Corner

WORDS AND WOOD

by Debby Neely

PACIFIC NORTHWEST WOODCUTS AND HAIKU

Fearless fisherman

His hunger a rage to quell

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

The scraps feed the gulls Bear Fishing

CRRPRESS was founded in 2020, with the first printing of Tidewater Reach, followed by Dispatches from the Discovery Trail (see current episode, page 6), Empire of Trees, and Words and Wood. For purchase info, see page 2.

Photo courtEsy of loNgviEw Public library

Outings & Events

Submission Guidelines

Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) relevant to the publication’s purpose — helping readers discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road — are welcome. Longer pieces, or excerpts thereof, in response to previously-published articles, may be printed at the discretion of the publisher and subject to editing and space limitations.

Items sent to CRR will be considered for publication unless the writer specifies otherwise. Writer’s name and phone number must be included; anonymous submissions will not be considered.

Political Endorsements CRR is a monthly publication serving readers in several towns, three counties, two states and beyond, and does not publish Letters to the Editor that are endorsements or criticisms of political candidates or controversial issues. (Paid ad space is available.)

Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose. Advance contact with the editor is recommended. Information of general interest submitted by readers may be used as background or incorporated in future articles.

Outings & Events calendar (free listing): Events must be open to the public. Non-profit organizations and the arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events will receive listing priority. Fundraisers must be sanctioned/sponsored by the benefiting non-profit organization. Commercial projects, businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising.

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR

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

Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333-14th, Longview, WA 98632

Submission Deadlines

Events occurring: Sept 15–Oct 20 by Aug 25 for Sept 15 issue. Oct 15–Nov 25 by Sept 25 for Oct 15 issue. Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines above.

Cascadia Chamber Opera Festival 2024 Weekends, Aug 9–25. Fully-staged productions in English. Charlene Larsen Center for the Performing Arts, Astoria, Ore. More info: www.cascadiachamberopera.org

THE MINTHORN COLLECTION OF CHINESE ART

A gift from Dr. and Mrs. H. Minthorn to the community via Lower Columbia College Foundation, The Minthorn Collection of Chinese Art encompasses a wide range of styles and is displayed in the upper level of the art gallery in LCC’s Rose Center, open M-Th 10–3 during current Forsberg Exhibition only. Free.

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 15.

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. See ad, pg. 35; Blues Bros. story, pg. 10.

Longview Blues Festival Roland Winery. Aug 17, Sonny Hess; Aug 24, Lisa Mann; laRhonda Steele, Aug 31. Tickets at rolandwines.com

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.

Back to the 60s CAP fundraiser. Sept. 6. Dinner, silent auction. Detail in, ad, pg. 6

BROADWAY GALLERY

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

FEATURED ARTISTS

AUGUST: “FLOW” community art show.

SEPTEMBER: Guest artists: Dina Warring, photography; Jules Koch, multi media.

Music Healing Many Sept. 7, 10am–dark. Community Mental Wellness Festival. Kalama Amphitheatre. Live music, games, activities, food, speakers. Event benefits MadHatter Music, Inc., a 5-non-profit dedicated to building community, sharing great music and resources for suicide prevention. Vendors, crafters, artists, sponsors, contact Madhattermusicinc.com

58th Annual Rock & Gem Show Sept 7-8, 10am–5pm. Cowlitz County Event Center, 1900 7th Ave., Longview, Wash. Prizes, displays, vendors, demonstrations. Show Chm: Crystal Teel, swmineralogicalsocity@gmail. com. Sponsored by Southern Washington Mineralogical Society (meets 3rd Sat. monthly, 7pm, Catlin Grange, Kelso, Wash. Info: Vicki, 360-751-8031.)

FIRST THURSDAY •Sept 5 • 5:30–7pm

Join us for New Art, Nibbles & Music by Freelance Mix Band

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.

Voted one of top 3 Galleries in SW Washington.

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.

Mennonite Roots Pat Hershchberger, genealogist/lecturer. Sept. 12. Virtual meeting doors open 6:30pm, speakers program 7pm. Public invited. For link to join meeting: lcgsgen@uyahoo.com. Lower Columbia Genealogy Society. Lower Columbia College 90th Anniversary Oct. 4, 11am–2pm, Rose Center for the Arts. Longview. Details, ad, page 39.

Bipartisan Debates: Cowlitz County, U.S. Dist. 3 Candidates Weekly series hosted by the Civil Dialogue Project, in partnership with Lower Columbia College and Cowlitz Economic Development council. See story and schedule, page 6.

Martin Dock, Lake Sacajawea, Longview, Wash. City of Longview Parks & Rec Dept + local sponsors. Aug 15

Roll On (Alabama tribute) Aug 22 Cedar Teeth Band (Americana)

DETAILS, NEXT PAGE

Outings & Events

ME AND MY PIANO*

*or other instrument

Musician’s journey leads to album release after 25 years

By Malcom Hunter, composer, arranger, saxophonist

Iwish I could travel back to Union, South Carolina, and talk with myself as a 5-year-old in 1961, before my first piano lesson. And as a 9-year-old in 1965 after I switched to the saxophone. I would love to see their (my?) faces after they see how they would look at age 68!

I would tell them that they are about to embark on an unusual journey that will lead to the completion of my (our?) first globally-released, solo album called “Alpha & Omega,” on Nov. 20, 2023. It includes 14 of my jazz and orchestral, biblically-themed compositions that are directly or indirectly related to Jesus Christ (hence, its title).

I’m still amazed how this all came to pass. I played the saxophone from grades 4–7 in South Carolina, grades 8—12 in Richmond, Indiana, through college at Northwestern University on a football scholarship, through business school

at New York University, including a semester in France. Finally, I played hymns at my home church and the Malcom Hunter

mainly jazz standards at hospitality venues in the East San Francisco Bay Area.

Ironically, after changing majors from music to French at NU, the piano became my tool for composing and arranging songs. I also learned jazz improvisation on the saxophone by listening to Jazz greats and constantly performing in coffeehouses, both on and off campus.

But the first turning point towards realizing my first solo album occurred in 1991. My forward-thinking parents gave me a monetary gift expressly for acquiring my own family’s first home computer. It certainly was a force multiplier that, to paraphrase Bill Gates, improved my family members’ lives in general and my music career in particular.

SONAR’s upgraded live recording capability (for my sax) and orchestrations via MIDI (Music Instrument Digital Interface) took my arrangements to the next level.

By 1998, I had finished recording the entire album. But can you believe that it would take me another 25 years before I would finally release it?

First, my wife and I got our two sons through college and out the door (our eldest got married and gave us a granddaughter). Then, in June 2022, we moved to Kelso, Washington, where I worked remotely for Wells Fargo Bank’s online banking until retiring in February 2023. And, fittingly, CD Baby released my first solo album… nine months later!

Another turning point was the $150 cash prize — won in a KKSF-FM radio contest — I used to buy the Edirol (Roland) SC-88 Sound Canvas generator. After connecting it to my MIDI keyboard for inputs, then, to my PC’s MIDI interface for outputs, the SC-88’s enormous palette of realistic-sounding instruments sent my imagination soaring! Finally, Cakewalk

Looking back, I can see more clearly now how God used my family, and my educational, commercial, and musical experiences to equip me to produce “Alpha & Omega.”

To hear the album on your favorite digital streaming platform, search for “Malcolm Hunter, Alpha & Omega.” To buy a CD, please go to my website at www. specialmusicforyourspecialevents.com

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.

Wthe spectator by ned piper

Carrying the torch ... for sports

atching the Paris Olympics, my mind was transported back to my three years at Monticello Junior High in Longview. Two things you need to know: 1) I was an avid sports fan, having grown up in a sports-minded family; 2) I was a short, skinny kid throughout junior high.

In the 8th grade, Coach Whitted dropped me from the football team because he couldn’t find a uniform small enough to fit me. Coach Walker removed me from the basketball team to make room for a taller player who transferred in from Woodland.

I found my sports home on the Monticello track team. The state’s junior high schools divided track teams into three categories, A, B and C, based on height, weight and age. Because I was such a little squirt, I qualified for group C, ALL THREE YEARS at Monticello. I excelled in the high jump. All of my competitors used the scissors style of jumping, approaching the bar from the right side of the pit, then kicking up with his right leg, followed by his left leg, like scissor blades. My dad was R.A. Long High’s track coach, and he introduced me to what was then a relatively new style, the “Western Roll.”

I’d approach the bar from the left side of the pit in five steps, kick up with my right leg and follow the leg over the

bar with my stomach and right leg. I was the only competitor in our district that jumped this way. By the 9th grade, I won the district tourney with a jump two inches over my height. I’m sure part of my success was due to the fact that Dad built a high jump pit for me in our backyard.

But the event in which I really wanted to compete was the hurdles, where three feet -high hurdles are placed on the track 10 or 12 feet apart. Week after week I worked like mad on my form in clearing the hurdles. To me, it felt like a thing of beauty. I told Coach Noteboom that I wanted to try out for the hurdles. Unfortunately I was not a fast runner, so by the time I came to the fourth or fifth hurdle, I would hit the obstacle and tumble to the track. After a few unsuccessful tries, Noteboom told me no more. He needed me in the high jump and didn’t want me to break a leg trying to qualify for the hurdles.

My sports “career” tapered off abruptly in high school, and I certainly never made it to the Olympics, but I remain an enthusiastic fan of all sorts of sports. I’m definitely following in my family’s footsteps, and carrying the torch for sports.

Ned Piper coordinates CRR’s advertising and distribution, and enjoys meeting and greeting old friends and new. In his spare time, hs enjoys watching TV sport, and political news.

PLUGGED IN TO

COWLITZ PUD

By Alice Dietz, Cowlitz PUD Communications/ Public Relations Manager

Eat for Heat Back for its 7th year!

Warm Neighbor’s Eat for Heat Meal Kits for Two is back for year number SEVEN! Looking for an easy meal to grill up before your weekend? Stop by one of our pick-up locations in Longview, Woodland, or Castle Rock on September 12th and receive a locally-curated box that includes your choice of a bottle of wine or beer and a full meal for two. We are ramping up our menu this year and partnering with many local vendors to bring you a 100-percent local meal. Stay tuned as we announce our menu items and partners leading up to the event.

Recognized nationally, this fundraiser cannot get more local than Warm Neighbor’s Eat for Heat. Eat for Heat began in 2017, has served over 1,800 meals, raised $60,000 for the Warm Neighbor Program, paid $60,000 to local restaurants, breweries, wineries, and farms, and created a partnership with Cowlitz County’s United Way’s Day of Caring to assist in organizing the event.

For more than 23 years, Cowlitz PUD’s Warm Neighbor Fund has provided thousands of dollars to Cowlitz County families needing help to pay their electric bills. These recipients can barely make ends meet but don’t qualify for other government programs. The Warm Neighbor program is funded entirely by community donations, events, and Cowlitz PUD employees.

For “Eat for Heat” tickets visit: cowlitzpud.org

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

She expects me to fit into the tightest spots! Good thing I’m so flexible. I think I’ll go look at the books...

Elizabeth Marrs Branch Manager

Sandy Fromm Escrow Officer-LPO

A Different Way of Seeing...

THE TIDEWATER REACH Field Guide to the Lower Columbia in Poems and Pictures THREE EDITIONS • $25, $35, $50

By Robert Michael Pyle and Judy VanderMaten

“Tidewater Reach is a pleasure to hold; it provokes delights, both intellectual and emotional. I commend all who were involved in bringing us this treasure. It deserves a place on your bookshelf and in your heart.”

-- Cate Gable, “Coast Chronicles,” Chinook Observer, Long Beach, Wash.

DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL

Michael O. Perry

by Debby Neely

Books also available at:

• Columbia Gorge Interpretive Museum Stevenson

• Broadway Gallery Longview

• Cowlitz County Historical Museum Shop Kelso

• Kelso-Longview Visitor Center

• Vault Books & Brew Castle Rock

• Morgan Arts Center Toledo

• Tsuga Gallery Cathlamet

• Redmen Hall Skamokawa

• Skamokawa Store Skamokawa

• Appelo Archives Naselle

• Time Enough Books Ilwaco

• Godfathers Books Astoria, Ore.

• RiverSea Gallery Astoria,Ore.

• Columbia Gorge Discovery Center & Museum The Dalles, Ore.

Please support our local booksellers & galleries