CRR October 2019

CRREADER.COM • Vol. XVI, No. 172 • October 15 — November 25, 2019 • COMPLIMENTARY Helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road

FLASHY FUN-RAISER MARKS 70 YEARS page 15

DEER! What to Do about Univited Backyard Buffet Guests page 9

OUT•AND•ABOUT GNAT CREEK HIKE & BRADLEY STATE PARK PICNIC page 10

People+Place

JourneyMan Lewis & Clark In Full View

page 34

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

CRR COLLECTORS CLUB

yo ur Mark dar! calen

IAK REX Z ture ec

EVENTS • BOOKS • SUBSCRIPTIONS

L Free pm , 2:30 3 . v o N so, WA l e K in

We’ve recently added two wonderful new CRR series and reprised our popular historical chronicle, Michael Perry’s “Dispatch from the Discovery Trail.” Adding writer and filmmaker Hal Calbom, creator of “People+Place,” and renowned naturalist Robert Michael Pyle to our stable of monthly contributors prompted many of you to ask:

“Can we subscribe to the Reader and not miss a single issue?”

We’re listening! We’ve responded to your suggestions and are introducing a bonus: a line of CRR-published and distributed books. Welcome to our latest innovation: the CRR Collectors Club.

We’re not just celebrating the Columbia River lifestyle and good reads — we’re collectible!

LEWIS AND CLARK REVOLUTIONIZED

What really — truly — happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week. We’re delighted to offer In Full View, and Rex’s other two books, one with an extraordinary fold-out map, as our inaugural offerings from CRR Collectors Club.

IN FULL VIEW Rex Ziak

CELEBRATE!

$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

Annual subscription: 11 issues $55.

Order by mail using the form below or via credit card or PayPal on our website www.crreader.com. Questions? Call 360-636-3097.

$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.

• History comes to life!

• Gift Books! • Author autographs!

• CRR Press: More to come!

Sponsored by Cowlitz County Historical Society and Columbia River Reader

PRESENTATION

by REX ZIAK

SUNDAY, NOV. 3, 2:30PM COWLITZ COUNTY HISTORICAL MUSEUM, 405 ALLEN ST., KELSO, WA

CRR Press 1333 14th Ave. Longview, WA 98632

CRR COLLECTORS CLUB

Name______________________________________

DOWN AND UP Rex Ziak

$18.95

A unique fold-out guide mapping day-by-day Lewis and Clark’s journey from the Rockies to the Pacific Ocean and back.

All book orders to include shipping and handling charge.

All book and subscription orders to include, if applicable, Washington State sales tax.

2 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

___@ $29.95 = _______

In Full View

Eyewitness to Astoria ___@ $21.95 = _______ Down and Up

___ @ $18.95 = _______

Street______________________________________

Add Book Shipping & Handling

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email_______________________________________

11-issue Subscription ___@ $55 = __________ Start with next issue

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TOTAL _________________

(Check payable to CRR Press enclosed)

T

he timing seems fated — like our cover subject, Rex Ziak, feeling destined to fill in the crucial missing links in the history of Lewis and Clark — that publishing my first issue of the Reader coincided with the launching of the Lewis and Clark Bicentennial back in April 2004.

Sue’s Views

And it’s probably grandiose that I could liken the development of my own little paper to that historic trip across the continent, down the Columbia, battling the rough weather at Dismal Nitch, and opening the way west. But we journalists and publishers are facing obstacles and challenges, too.

We emphasize quality of life And that includes learning, exploring, and discovery. We’re still relentlessly curious, with so many stories still to tell, outings and opportunities to share, and good works to highlight.

You can’t help but notice the slimming down, or outright disappearance, of many traditional newspapers. Even the “shoppers” and “lifestyle” publications are succumbing to electronic media and the purported demise of print.

The printed word is dead? Long live the printed word!

The voyage continues: new endeavors and exclamation points!

Thankfully, and in large part due to responses and reactions from our readers, sponsors, and advertisers, CRR has headed the opposite direction.

The Reader is not only alive and well, thank you very much, but it’s also flourishing and expanding.

These are exciting times for CRR’s own journalistic Corps of Discovery, if you will. Since our “river trip” began more than 15 years ago, here’s what we’ve learned and, more importantly, what we intend to do with it:

Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper Columnists and contributors: Tracy Beard Dr. Bob Blackwood Hal Calbom Tiffany Dickinson Alice Dietz Joseph Govednik Rena Langille Jim LeMonds Michael Perry Dr. P.J. Peterson Ned Piper Perry Piper Robert Michael Pyle Alan Rose Greg Smith Alice Slusher Rena Langille Debra Tweedy Production/Graphics Manager: Perry E. Piper Editorial/Proofreading Assistants: Merrilee Bauman Tiffany Dickinson Michael & Marilyn Perry Debra Tweedy

Cabaret committee members Jackie Evans, Ramona Leber and PJ Peterson. Story, page 15.

Cover Design by

Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 15,000 copies distributed free in the Lower Columbia region.

Entire contents copyrighted

by Columbia River Reader. No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of the publisher. Opinions expressed herein belong to the writers, not necessarily to the Reader.

Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave Longview, WA 98632 P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048

Ned Piper 360-749-2632.

General Ad info: page 17

CRREADER.COM Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.

Subscriptions $55 per year inside U.S. (plus $4.40 sales tax for subscriptions mailed to Washington addresses).

See form, page 2.

We listen and learn The Reader invites and enjoys an ongoing conversation among its readership, contributors and advertiser partners. Combining advertising and community advocacy, as we do with our People+Place sponsorships, is one example of finding new, synergistic relationships between the paper and the community it serves.

We’re adventurous We’re now launching a new endeavor, Columbia River Reader Press, to put some of the CRR magic between covers, and plan to publish three titles from our own contributors over the next year or so.

And, finally, I’ve overcome my lifelong editor’s aversion to excessive exclamation points, as you can see in the ad on the facing page: “Celebrate!”

Please join us on Nov. 3 as we continue our own Journey of Discovery, greet our friends and allies, and thank you, our readers, for our own good health.....!

Sue Piper

Columbia River Reader . . . helping you discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region at home and on the road.

In this Issue

Author Rex Ziak. Story, page 19.

Photo by Hal Calbom

Submission guidelines: page 30.

Website: www.CRReader.com E-mail: publisher@crreader.com Phone: 360-749-1021

We promote high-value content A pat phrase in journalism is “content is king” (I prefer “content is queen,” of course). Besides our stable of talented, informative columnists and contributors, we’ve “doubled down” with monthly features by the likes of Michael Perry (“Dispatch from the Discovery Trail”), Hal Calbom (“People + Place”) and Robert Michael Pyle (“The Natural World”). These are distinguished writers with a regional, if not national audience.

ON THE COVER

Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632

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

We have the right business model We are supported by advertisers, not subscriptions (although we’ve begun to offer Collectors Club subscriptions with special benefits). Our advertisers pay us to put their messages in front of you, our readers, some 15,000 thousand of you.

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9 10 11 13 15 16 17 18 19-22 23 23 24 25 26 27 28 30-31 32 33 34 35 38 38

CRR Collectors Club Letter to the Editor Miss Manners Dispatch from the Discovery Trail ~ The Worst is Yet to Come Northwest Gardening: Oh, Deer! Uninvited Dinner Guests Out & About: Gnat Creek Hike & Bradley State Park Picnic Provisions along the Trail ~ Fall Turkey Sandwich Mt. St. Helens Club Hike Schedule Take It to the Limit: 2019 Cabaret Barrels of Fun at Porky’s Museum Magic: Columbia Pacific Museum, Ilwaco Quips & Quotes People + Place ~ Voyage to Discovery: Rex Ziak People+Place Recommended Books Essay by Robert Michael Pyle: The Chemistry Between Us Besides CRR, What Are You Reading?

Cover to Cover ~ Bestsellers List / Book Review Where Do You Read the Reader?

My Slant: Fall Refreshment Me and My Piano Outings & Events Calendar Lower Columbia Informer: Greetings from South America #3 Movies by Dr. Bob Blackwood Lower Columbia Dining Guide Astronomy ~ The Sky Report The Spectator: Friends along the Road of Life Plugged In to Cowlitz PUD: The Outage App Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 3

Letters to the Editor

Civilized Living

Thank you for publicity We were so grateful for the colorful announcement of the Seed to Supper classes Paul Thompson sponsored in the Reader...We had a student sign up the day CRR hit the stands and the best attendance for the course since we started four years ago. Thank you for your support of this course and its mission towards healthy eating and food security. The publicity was so appreciated.

Brandy McGladrey and Lynn Green Clatskanie, Ore. Editor’s note: Mr. Thompson, one of CRR’s P+P sponsors, used his space in the May issue to help publicize a course offered in Rainier by the Oregon Food Bank and OSU Extension service. Brandy and Lynn are volunteers at the HOPE Garden which supplies the HOPE Pantry with fresh vegetables.

Likes Lewis & Clark, Robert Pyle’s essays We enjoy the Reader so much and have found it to be so informative on activities that we may have missed since we just moved to this area about four years ago.

By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin

DEAR MISS MANNERS: Is there a polite way to respond to people who want to know the RSVP deadline after receiving an invitation that does not name one?

I tried saying that I would start calling in a couple of weeks if I did not hear back, and then, when pressed again, I asked if the inquirer needed more time to decide.

Now I’m getting accused of being rude for not giving a deadline. Please give me an alternative; I’m tempted to send them one of your columns, which I know Miss Manners would not permit me to do.

GENTLE READER: Why? Do you think that Miss Manners writes this column in order to practice her typing?

You are indeed correct that giving a deadline to respond to an invitation should not be necessary.

For that matter, neither should any specific request for a reply, such as “RSVP.” What else should one do with an invitation if not respond to it? Frame it?

Miss Manners has long lost that battle, however, and therefore allows requests for reply. But it is not rude to omit a deadline. On the contrary, including one treats adults like high-school students — almost daring them to wait until the last minute.

It would all but tempt Miss Manners to exclude anyone who does not reply, if she had not witnessed the chaos that brings. Still, if you are prepared for a few extra people to show up, it might be a way of making your point. She would rather take that chance, than give up on civilized life. cont page 5

So glad the articles on Lewis and Clark are reprinted for those of us who missed it earlier and also look forward to Robert Pyle’s articles, he is so articulate and a fountain of interesting information.

Sandi Ziegelmeyer Kelso, Wash.

Editor’s note: The current series began in the April 2018 issue and may be found online. Visit CRREADER.COM and click on “Past Issues Archives,” and select the year and issue. A “replica” of each issue will appear; you may read page by page, download, print or share pages of interest.

Appreciative dog Thank you for running my picture and thanks also for sending a photographer all the way down here just to take a snapshot of me and my mom and dad for your paper.

Rose de la Rumba, the Corgi La Habra, Calif.

Editor’s note: Rose de la Rumba and owners Lee and Chris Quarnstrom were featured in September’s “Where Do You Read the Reader?” Ned Piper traveled to their home specifically to take the photo, and to visit.

Mistake in the Views I noticed in Sue’s Views, you called Longview Memorial Stadium “R.A. Long Stadium.” Years back the people at Mark Morris High School took exception to that, so they went with Longview Memorial. There was some talk of naming the stadium after Buck Hammer, or Tiz Miller. They decided to honor all fallen Lumberjacks and Monarchs. Just don’t want you to take a beating from your Monarch friends.

Tom Gilles Longview, Wash.

Check Out

Our Facebook Page

How long until we reach 1,000 Likes?

Please Like the “Longview Recycles” FB page and share with your friends to help locals understand the recycling procedures

Feel free to ask questions with the message button

Reminder

Glass only Accepted at Facility - Since Jan 1, 2019 Please bring your glass bottles and jars directly to Waste Control for recycling

Please do not place your recyclables in plastic bags Place directly into your BROWN recycling container

Mostplasticbagsareasolidcolor,preventingsortersfromseeingthe contents.Usedneedlesorotherhazardousmaterialsaresometimes found; for safety reasons, such bags are not opened up.

In an effort to serve you better, the City has compiled common information that residents often request, plus created an easy way for you to communicate with us.

Recycling Rule of Thumb:

Editor’s note: I regret the error and apologize profusely to anyone who felt I was showing undue favortism to my (and Mr. Gilles’s) alma mater, R.A. Long High School (Go,Jacks!)

4 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

Got a question? Just Ask Longview!

Reuse or donate if possible, but...

When in doubt — throw it out!

- Check out the new and improved -

www.longviewrecycles.com

cont from page 4

DEAR MISS MANNERS: I understand that “We’ll have to get together sometime” is a conventional phrase not to be taken literally. But at what point does a “Let’s make plans” comment become a binding promise?

I say that mentioning a specific activity and date (“I’d like to show you my favorite picnic spot while you’re in town — maybe next Tuesday?”) obligates one to follow through as spoken, and that the other party has a right to initiate further inquiry if more specific details are not confirmed on “schedule.”

DEAR MISS MANNERS: What do you think of the so-called Billy Graham rule, practiced by the vice president and some other politicians, where a man refuses ever to be alone with a woman who is not his wife?

Isn’t that exactly what etiquette has always preached, in its rules about the necessity of chaperones and its shaming of women who were told that they deserve what they get if they go to a man’s apartment? cont page 36

Carrie Lynn Medack

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GENTLE READER: We are at a sad moment in society when enthusiasm is mistaken for rudeness.

If someone does not make an authoritative move, the game of making plans will otherwise go on forever -- and that is before all of the inevitable canceling and rescheduling begins. Miss Manners applauds — and certainly does not wish to scare away — any party who is willing to put down stakes.

She invites the others in your family to do the same.

Committed to helping you find

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Others in my family say that everything is to be taken as a “maybe” until the original party volunteers a specific hour and address, and that if they don’t, it’s rude to ask — that politeness requires letting the whole idea evaporate without comment.

Miss Manners assures you that either party has the option of making vague plans more firm — or suggesting options — without it being deemed pushy. “Let’s get together” can be politely followed by, “Yes, let’s. My schedule is open next week. Which date works for you?”

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Kellie also loves to cook, especially for her friends and family.

Living in the heart of Longview, Kellie has a close bond with her community. She serves on the United Way board, volunteers at Community House on Broadway and the Moose organization.

She would like to thank all her past, present and future clients, and is looking forward to what the year 2020 will bring. Call Kellie McIvor for all of your real estate needs in the beautiful Cowlitz County community.

Kellie loves the outdoors.

One of her favorite things to do is hike with her girlfriends and fur babies.

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Your Columbia River Reader

Read it. Enjoy it.

Share it.

Recycle it.

Columbia River Reader is printed with environmentally-sensitive soybased inks on paper manufactured in the Pacific Northwest utilizing the highest percentage of “post-consumer waste” recycled content available on the market.

Mon- Fri: 8:30–5:30

GEORGE HAS THE EXPERIENCE TO CREATE JOBS!

George has worked and volunteered in our community for years. He has served at the City, County and the State level. He will collaborate with governments to optimize our Port’s future. George’s leadership and experience will give us the clout we want to get strong support for the Port!

LEADERSHIP we want! EXPERIENCE we need!

• Plant manager Reynolds Metals • Weyerhaeuser Environmental Manager • State Legislature – House of Representatives • Mayor of Longview • County Commissioner • Owner of small industrial business • Economic Development Council • Cowlitz Planning Commission • Served on numerous boards

GEORGE IS YOUR MAN WITH THE EXPERIENCE TO CREATE JOBS

George and his wife Judi Bartholomew have two grown sons and four wonderful grandchildren (and Annie).

Like us on Facebook @George Raiter Paid for by Raiter for Commissioner 360-431-9331 PO Box G, Longview WA 98632 • Phyllis Sayles, Treasurer

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 5

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Experience Matters When It Comes to the Future of Longview

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Lewis & Clark

Shooting the rapids!

I

n October, 1805, after fighting their way up the Missouri River and across the Rocky Mountains, the Corps of Discovery must have been happy to float down the Snake River to present-day Pasco, WA. Clark wrote the Columbia “river is remarkably clear and crouded with salmon in many places… Salmon may be seen at the depth of 15 or 20 feet.”

portage the cargo around the falls while the men rode their five dugout canoes down all but one of the drops. Shooting the rapids was a foolish thing to do, but Lewis and Clark were in a hurry to reach their goal and were reluctant to spend the time to portage around every rapid.

There would be several more dangerous sections on the Columbia in the next 55 miles.

Hot Dog! Thinking they were diseased, the men were afraid to eat dead, spawned-out salmon lying along the shore, so they purchased 40 dogs as they began their journey down the Columbia. More than 250 dogs would be eaten during the journey. Lewis wrote that he preferred dog meat to lean venison or elk, but Clark wrote, “I have not become reconciled to the taste of this animal.”

On October 24th they found nine miles of narrow channels with fast currents and eddies at The Dalles. Clark wrote, “at this place the water of this great river is compressed into a Chanel between two rocks not exceeding forty five yards wide and continues for a ¼ of a mile when it again widens… The whole of the Current of this great river must at all Stages pass thro’ this narrow chanel.” Clark was dismayed by “the horrid appearance of this agitated gut Swelling, boiling & whorling in every direction.”

The abundant fish allowed for a dense population of Indians in permanent villages. It was a rare day that the Corps didn’t see settlements while floating down the Columbia. There were no trees as far as the eye could see, so they had to purchase firewood from the Indians.

On October 22nd, they reached Celilo Falls, where the river was funneled through a series of drops totaling 38 feet. Indians were hired to help

Lewis & Clark Encore We are pleased to present

Installment #18 of Michael Perry’s popular 33-month series which began with CRR’s April 15, 2004 inaugural issue.

“Dispatch from the Discovery Trail” helped define and shape Columbia River Reader in its early years during the Bicentennial Commemoration of the Lewis and Clark Expedition. Each installment covered their travels during the corresponding month 200 years prior. We are repeating the series for the enjoyment of both longtime and more recent readers.

There was no easy portage, so the nonswimmers walked along the shore while the rest of the men shot the rapids. The Indians were astonished and lined up to watch the crazy white men drown themselves, undoubtedly waiting for the chance to help themselves to their equipment after the canoes capsized.

Amazingly, all five canoes made it through without serious incident.

While visiting the many Indian villages, the men were exposed to a new problem.

Clark wrote, “The Flees which the party got on them at the upper & great falls, are very troublesom and dificuelt to get rid of, particularly as the me[n] have not a Change of Clothes to put on, they Strip off their Clothes and kill the flees, dureing which time they remain neckid.”

Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in CRR’s early years and began its second “encore” appearance in April 2018.

Native Americans fishing from platforms at Celilo Falls prior to being flooded in 1956 after construction of The Dalles Dam. Photo courtesy of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.

The end is near After passing Celilo Falls, Clark observed what he described as sea otters and seals. Since sea otters never enter fresh water, they were undoubtedly seals and sea lions. As the scorched, barren hills transitioned into moist, green treecovered mountains, it began raining.

Forty five miles below The Dalles, they reached “The Great Shute,” now called Cascade Locks. After portaging around the cascades on November 2nd, they passed “Beaten Rock” (today’s Beacon Rock) and camped at Rooster Rock.

Clark noticed 9-inch tidal effects on the river at Rooster Rock, and 18 inches the next day.

On November 3rd, they passed the “Quick Sand River” (today’s Sandy River) and camped on Government Island where I-205 now crosses the Columbia. Joseph Whitehouse wrote, “we met Several Indians in a canoe who were going up the River. They Signed to us that in two Sleeps we Should See the Ocean vessels and white people.”

On November 4th, they saw an Indian village on Sauvie Island, near St. Helens, with 25 houses built of straw and covered with bark. Clark noted he saw increasing amounts of “uriopian” goods: guns, powder flasks, copper and brass trinkets, and tailored clothes. John Ordway wrote, “one of the Indians could talk & Speak Some words English such as curseing” picked up from encounters with sailors. They camped near today’s Ridgefield Wildlife Refuge where Clark wrote, “I could not sleep for the noise kept by the Swans, geese… ducks.” He added, “they were emensely numerous and their noise horrid.”

Urban sprawl – and an urban legend On November 5th, they passed 14 wooden plank houses at the Cathlapotle

village near Ridgefield, and another Cathlapotle village at the mouth of the Lewis River. Clark wrote the Lower Columbia region was “certainly a fertill and handsom valley, at this time crowded with Indians.”

At the mouth of the Kalama River was an abandoned village. Capt.

Clark called it “Cath-la-haws Creek” while Joseph Whitehouse wrote, “we continued on & passed the Mouth of a River called by the Natives Calamus.”

In 1811, Gabriel Franchere wrote in his journal that the river and village was called “Thlakalamah.” In the Cathlamet dialect of the Chinook language ,“Kalama” was the Indian word meaning “beautiful.” Today, many people mistakenly believe the Kalama River was named after John Kalama , a full-blooded Hawaiian who lived near the mouth of the river and worked for the Hudson Bay Company.

However, since John didn’t arrive until 1837, there is no connection.

The Corps camped between Prescott and Rainier on November 5th, near where the Trojan Nuclear Power Plant was located.

On November 6th, the men saw abandoned villages on both sides of the Columbia near the mouth of the Cowlitz River. Clark wrote, “The Coweliskee river is 150 yards wide, is deep, from Indian information navigable a very considerable distance for canoes.”

Lewis later said the principal village of the Skillutes was on the lower side of the Cowlitz a few miles from its entrance into the Columbia. They passed two lodges on the Oregon side across from Mt. Coffin, downstream from the present-day Lewis and Clark Bridge at Longview-Rainier. Clark described Mt. Coffin (named by cont page 12

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 7

Many shops and galleries in Downtown Longview stay open late every FIRST THURSDAY Refreshments • Surprises • Tastings Join the fun on Nov. 7

e l y t s e m Ho Cooking of the s 0 7 & s 0 6

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Northwest Gardening

Oh, deer! What to do about

uninvited dinner guests in your yard!

By Alice Slusher

W

hen we first moved to our rural home in the Pacific Northwest, we were thrilled to watch the deer amble along their footpaths across our property. However, my love affair with deer ended when we returned home from an extended vacation and discovered that every one of the arborvitae in the hedge my husband planted was severely “sculpted” by my former friends. It’s still a love-hate relationship with them — we share the land with them, but really wish they’d eat something other than what we plant! Here are some tips from experts.

What doesn’t work?

Old wives tales persist about coyote (or human) urine, sulfur, human hair, animal pooh, and my favorite, Irish Spring soap. “Ultrasonic” devices are a complete waste of money. Even dangling pie pans or other moving noisemakers may work for a while, but become ineffective when deer get used to them. Mothballs may work briefly, but are extremely toxic to humans and wildlife, as well as being illegal to use.

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360-751-0120 or 360-430-8510

LAWN MAINTENANCE

So what works?

Exclusion! The only deer-proof plant is behind a sturdy 7-8 foot fence.

Remember: Deer would rather climb under a fence than jump over it, so make sure the bottom of the fence is secure. Electric fences work well, but again, not always practical. Here’s an interesting fact: Deer don’t like crowded spaces where a safe landing isn’t a sure thing. You may be able to economize with a shorter fence around a densely planted raised bed garden area because of the visual-crowding effect.

But let’s look at other options.

Something to keep in mind, however: if there are enough deer and they are hungry enough, all bets are off.

Plant deer-resistant plants. Check plant tags before you buy. Ones with thorns or spines or are bitter tasting work well. Try planting pungentsmelling plants like garlic, sage, mint or catnip around the plants you’re trying to protect. There are repellent products with a bitter taste that may be useful.

Motion-sensor water sprays, lights, rotating owl figures, or noisemakers may discourage deer, but to remain effective, they should be moved around frequently so the deer don’t become accustomed to them.

Repellents can be sprayed on. Foul smells are usually more effective than those that taste bitter. There are many products that use garlic, egg, and blood products to create a repellent. Most of these are expensive and need to be reapplied frequently, especially in our rainy winters, the hungriest time of year for deer. Follow the instructions on the label for best results.

WSU/OSU Extension Events Cowlitz County: 360-577-3014, Ext. 0 Oct 21, 26, 6pm Bee Keepers Workshops Oct 23, 6pm, Soil Conditioner/Fertilizers: Using Class A Biosolids in Home Gardens and Landscapes. Cowlitz Co. Training Center.

Sat, Oct 26, 11am Kids’ Fall Discovery Workshop Tue, Oct 29, 6:00pm Hydroponic gardening Sat, Nov. 2, 11 am Using Class A Biosolids in Home Gardens at TRRWA, 467 Fibre Way, Longview Nov 15, 26, Dec. 2, 10am Master Gardener 2020 Training Orientation

Columbia County: 503-397-3462 Oct 24, 6:30pm. Master Gardener™ Chapter Meeting Extension Service, Presentation by Chris Hedstrom, ODA, “Stink Bugs, Box Elder Bugs, Japanese Beetles & more!”

Free, open to all.

Oct 29, 6pm. Tech Talk with John Krause, Stewardship Forester, ODF, OSU Extension Service. Demonstration of mapping app “Avenza.” Free.

Nov 2, Creating a Pollinator Hedgerow Matteson Demo Forest. Free. RSVP: https://beav.es/Ze2.

Nov 2, 1–4pm, Nob Hill Nature Park Work Party SemiAnnual Volunteer Day

Researchers at the University of Florida have recently conducted some studies and recommend PlotSaver as one of the longer lasting repellents. Another surprising result from the same studies: They recommend spreading pelleted Class A biosolids as a repellent. Using biosolids reduced foraging for more

than a month before reapplication was needed. This is a very safe and effective soil conditioner/slow release fertilizer that is great for your plants (most farmers use this on their fields), easy to apply, and the deer seem to hate it.

UF recommends using 125-250 pounds per acre or 1–2 pounds per 20 square foot. We are very fortunate to have this resource available for FREE in our area. If you’d like to know more about it, contact Three Rivers Regional Wastewater Authority, 360-577-2040.

To learn more about Class A biosolids, Google, “WSU Using Biosolids in Gardens and Landscapes.”

I’m reminded of a lovely visit early last spring. A mama deer brought two tiny spotted fawns into our front yard early one morning. I was absolutely entranced when I saw them, until they lifted their heads in unison to gaze at me from my planting bed, their mouths full of my deer-resistant sedum! Sigh… you can’t win ‘em all!

Would you like to become a WSU Extension Master Gardener? The 2020 training class starts in January.

For more information, please call Gary Fredricks, 360-577-3014, Ext.3.

•••

FREE ESTIMATES / REFERENCES

Landscaping Tree planting, Cutting & Disposal Blackberry Removal & Spraying Cleaning & Pressure Washing Fence Repairs Painting • Moving & MORE!

Kalama resident Alice Slusher volunteers with WSU Extension Service Plant & Insect Clinic. Drop by 9–12 Mon-WedFri. at 1946 3rd Ave., Longview, with your specimen, call 360-577-3014, ext. 8, or send question via cowlitzmastergardener@gmail.com.

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 9

AUTUMN HIKE/PICNIC OUTING

OUT • AND • ABOUT

A Day at Bradley State Park Story and photos by Tracy Beard and Gnat Creek

F

or magnificent views, lush forests and peaceful hiking trails, take a day and drive along US-30 heading west from Rainier, Oregon.

Pack a snack and a picnic lunch and stop along the way to explore the hidden gems located in and between the little towns bordering the Columbia River.

The fish cycle is impressive. In September, adult fish in the area return to the Willamette Fish Hatchery in Oakridge, Oregon, to spawn. The eggs are placed in incubators until they reach the “eyed” egg stage, which according to the dictionary, is when the egg hatches into what is called a yolk sac fry — a larval stage where the fish has an attached yolk, providing it with nourishment for its first week or two. At this point the frys are transferred to Gnat Creek. Later, when they are large enough to feed themselves, they are moved to troughs in the incubator room where they feed on small particles of food.

Approximately 27 miles west of your starting point in Rainier, just past Clatskanie, stop at Bradley State Park, perched on the north side of the highway. Visitors will discover a splendid grove of Douglas fir trees and stunning views of the Columbia River, along with a monument, picnic tables and a restroom. This park is a perfect place to stop for a rest, enjoy a snack and watch the ships travel up and down the river.

In February the fish are moved to outside ponds to continue growing.

Workers separate the fish into different sections to prevent overcrowding as they grow. In June an allotment of fish receives coded tags with pertinent information for tracking. When the fish reach a substantial size, they are released into the wild to repeat the cycle. Gnat Creek Hatchery produces approximately 900,000 Willamette stock spring Chinook salmon and 40,000 Big Creek stock winter steelhead.

The designated parkland was one of the first donated to the Oregon Highway Commission in 1922. The cement bench monument reads: “This park donated to Clatsop County by Fred W. Bradley and the heirs of Elemar E. Bradley of Bay City, Michigan, July MCMXXI” (1921).

Continue 2.5 miles west on US-30 and make a right turn into the Gnat Creek Hatchery. The area offers yearround easy-to-moderate hiking trails.

Maps are available at the hatchery and adventurers can opt to walk all, or portions of, the trails. Camping is not allowed, and the total elevation gain is 710 feet.

Vancouver, Wash. resident Tracy Beard writes about luxury and adventure travel, traditional and trendy fine dining and libations for regional, national and international magazines and is a regular “Out & About” contributor to Columbia River Reader.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife manages more than 30 hatcheries and numerous rearing ponds. These facilities produce approximately 75 million fish each year.

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10 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

Chinook salmon are raised at Gnat Creek to enhance the population for sport and commercial fishing. Spring Chinook are said to be one of the best red meat fish in the world, due to their high oil content.

According to Gnat Creek documentation, “Hatchery fish are used most commonly for creating or maintaining fisheries and are not normally used to create or enhance naturally spawning populations. The eggs from the hatchery fish are used only to continue hatchery production. Hatchery fish are carefully planted in systems compatible with the species and strain and areas that minimally impact wild stocks.”

Before you leave the hatchery, be sure to pick up a map of the trails. You can learn about the several types of salmon and fish

cont page 11

from page 10

raised at Gnat Creek and create your plan of action for tackling the nearby trails. If you packed lunch or a snack, enjoy dining at one of the picnic tables in the covered shelter near Visitor Parking.

The trails of Gnat Creek are divided into three sections: Gnat Creek Campground, from the campground to the hatchery (2.5 miles long); The Nature Trail Loops, at Barrier Falls and in the forest west of the hatchery

(1.5 miles long); and the Upper Gnat Creek Trail, out and back (4 miles long).

My cousin, Goni, accompanied me on this journey. After a thorough tour of the Gnat Creek Hatchery, we donned our boots and made our way to the south side of the parking lot where we started on the Nature Trail. We followed the trail along Gnat Creek and found ourselves enveloped by a 100-year-old forest with western hemlocks and Sitka spruce trees. About a quarter mile up

the trail is Barrier Falls Viewpoint.

The five-foot waterfall drops over a basalt shelf and into Gnat Creek. We continued onward to discover several interpretive signs and botanical labels designed by a local Boy Scout troop.

The trails are well marked, so feel free to wander. Along the way you will find a railed footbridge, an old fish ladder/counting station, a mossy vine maple arbor, a tide gate and a bench overlooking Gnat Creek.

Upstream from the end of the trail is Gnat Creek Falls. This 100-foot

waterfall is on private property accessible by the local forest roads but you must secure permission from the property owners to visit the falls.

As you head back toward Rainier, stop in Clatskanie at Flowers and Fluff.

This adorable shop sells flowers, gifts, garden decorations, and tasty treats and coffee. If you have a gardener in the family, this is the perfect place to pick up a holiday gift or take a load off your feet and enjoy a pastry or warm cup of brew.

•••

By Tracy Beard

PROVISIONS ALONG THE TRAIL Fall Turkey Sandwich 2 or 4 pieces of your favorite bread (I like Italian, or use a baguette and make canapes) ¼ pound thinly sliced smoked turkey breast 4 Tbl Cambozola cheese 2 Tbl toasted walnuts, chopped 1 Tbl mayonnaise Pear/Apple/Cranberry Compote enough for 2

REAL ESTATE TIPS s a homebuyer, unless you are HOMEBUYER TIP: A buying direct from the owner, you’ll not negotiate with the seller Don’t commit these

by Mike Wallin

of the home you have your eye on.

That’s your real estate agent’s job. But he or she negotiates on your behalf. So, when we talk about buyer negotiations with sellers, we’re referring to indirect negotiations through your agent, as middle-person.

Unless you’re an attorney, a salesperson or in another occupation that requires negotiating skills, we think it’s safe to say that it’s not something you do on a regular basis.

If done correctly, negotiation requires subtlety and the ability and willingness to find a win-win for all parties.

“Negotiation Blunders”

Certain negotiating tactics can railroad a real estate deal, instantly, for example: Using the home inspection as a negotiation excuse; Insisting on making a lowball offer; Assuming the seller wants to part with personal belongings to get the home sold.

Take a look at some of the other possible negotiation blunders and let us help you avoid losing out on that home you want...

To read the full article visit

www.mikewallin.com

https://mikewallin.com/real-estate-blog/homebuyer-tip-dont-commit-these-negotiation-blunders/

Mike Wallin

sandwiches

½ Tbl butter 1 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored and cut into small dice 1 Bartlett pear, peeled, cored and cut into small dice 1 Tbl dried cranberries, chopped 1 Tbl light brown sugar ½ tsp fresh lemon juice Generous pinch of ground cinnamon Pinch of nutmeg Pinch of salt 2 tablespoons water Melt the butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add all other ingredients and stir until apples and pears are soft and juices have evaporated 25 to 30 minutes. Let cool. The compote keeps in the refrigerator for two days.

Slice bread. Place compote on the bread, add sliced turkey. Top with Cambozola cheese and toasted walnuts.

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Call 360-425-3331

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 11

Lewis & Clark Capt. George Vancouver’s 1 7 9 2 expedition) as “a verry remarkable knob riseing from the edge of the water about 80 feet high” (it was actually 240 feet tall).

They camped that night near Cape Horn, east of Cathlamet.

MEDICAL MATTERS

from page7

Ashley Hawkes joins staff at

By Jim LeMonds Longview Ortho Longview Orthopedic Associates continues to respond to increasing patient demand with the hiring of nurse practitioner Ashley Hawkes.

This postcard, printed over 100-years ago, looks upstream towards Pillar Rock, a basaltic column that extends from 50-foot deep water. Clark first saw the ocean from here, and wrote, ”a remarkable rock about 50 feet high and about 20 feet Diameter is situated opposite our Camp about ½ a mile from Shore.” In the late 19th century, the Army Corps of Engineers blasted the top off the rock in order to install a navigation beacon. Pillar Rock is visible from the end of the Altoona-Pillar Rock Road (turn left at the Rosburg Store, just west of Grays River on Washington State Route 4).

The next morning the fog was so t h i c k t h e y Postcard from the collection of Michael Perry could not see across the river, but they set out with great hopes of soon arriving at the ocean. They passed four large houses near Cathlamet. The houses were raised off the ground, with beds four feet above the floor. They saw another seven houses at a village near Skamokawa, and when the fog lifted, they could hear the roar of the ocean.

Ocian in view! O! the joy At last, on Nov. 7, 1805, near Pillar Rock (12 miles downriver from Skamokawa), Clark wrote, “we are in view of the opening of the ocian, which Creates great joy.” The men saw a magnificent vista – the river had widened to about five miles and they could see that the sky met the water at the horizon where the Columbia flowed into the Pacific Ocean between Point Adams and Cape Disappointment. But they were still more than 20 miles from the actual coastline, and getting there was going to be a most miserable journey.­

Pillar Rock as it exists now, of the truncated navigation beacon. Photo by Michael Perry, 2017.

NOTE: Journal entries shown in italics are from the The Journals of the Lewis & Clark Expedition, 13 volumes, Gary Moulton, University of Nebraska Press (September 1, 2002).

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12 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

Hawkes served as the Joint Replacement Coordinator/Geriatric Fracture Program Coordinator at PeaceHealth-St. John Medical Center from 2013 until the present. She supervised the efforts between physicians, hospital administration, staff, volunteers and patients, while also tracking the progress of the program and identifying areas for improvement. She worked closely with LOA surgeons during this time, so her transition to LOA was a smooth one.

“It’s great to have Ashley on staff,” said LOA Clinic Manager Kathleen Lappe.

“We expect her to be a great addition.”

As a nurse practitioner, she will provide mid-level care to patients and will also assist with the outpatient total joint program at Pacific Surgical Center, which — along with Longview Orthopedic Associate — is located at Pacific Surgical Institute at 625 9th Avenue, Longview. Hawkes is the fourth mid-level provider to be added to the LOA staff.

“The primary reason I was attracted to LOA is because I wanted to continue caring for our orthopedic patient population and continue collaborating with the same amazing group of surgeons I worked with at the hospital,” Hawkes said. “I also enjoy working with the entire team at LOA.”

Hawkes completed an Associate of Science in Nursing degree at Lower Columbia College and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree at Grand Canyon UniverAshley Hawkes sity in Phoenix, Arizona, before earning a Master of Science in Nursing degree from Duke University.

She is a member of the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners, the National Association of Orthopedic Nurses, and the Washington State Nurses Association.

Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, traveling, Crossfit, and soccer.

For additional information about Longview Orthopedic Associates, call 360.501.3400.

••• Former R.A. Long High School English teacher Jim LeMonds is a writer, editor, and marketer who rides his mountain bike whenever he gets the chance.

He lives in Castle Rock, Wash.

His published books are South of Seattle and Deadfall.

Mt. St. Helens Gifts

TAKE A

This friendly club welcomes newcomers.

For more info please call the hike leader or visit mtsthelensclub.org.

RT(round trip) distances are from Longview.E=easy, M=moderate, S=strenuous, e.g.=elevation gain.

HIKE

Jewelry • Souvenirs • T-Shirts Ash Glass & Pottery

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Drink Good Coffee, Read Good Books

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CATERING Be a guest at your next event!

11 Beers on Tap • Cocktails & Wine OREGON LOTTERY • Shuffleboard • Pool

Alston pub grub

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Sat, Oct 19 Castle Rock Dike (E) Drive 20 miles RT. Hike 3 miles RT on paved trail.

Optional hike to top of “The Rock.” Leader: John R 360-431-1122.

Wed, Nov 13 Spirit Trails (E) Drive 50 miles RT to Spirit Trails at Scappoose.

Hike 3 miles thru forest and see the many shrines built to honor a variety of religions.

The hike is at the Hindu Retreat Center.

Leaders: Chere 702-467-0752, Art 360-270-9991 Sat, Nov 16 Cape Falcon (E/M) Drive 150 miles R. Hike 5 to 8 miles RT with 250 to 900 ft. e.g. Dark and deep woods to stunning ocean headlands on the Oregon Coast. Leader: Susan M 360-751-1255 Wed, Nov 20 Lake Sacajawea (E) Walk around the whole lake (3+ mi) or walk half the lake (1+ mi). Leaders: Trudy & Ed (360) 414-1160

PET DEPARTMENT Serving the Columbia River region, including Longview-Kelso.

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Meet your friends and relax at this classic neighborhood watering hole!

Sat, Nov 9 Boundary Trail Full Moon Stroll (E/M) Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 6 miles RT with 800 ft. e.g. A different perspective on the Hummocks/Boundary Trail. Bring a flashlight or headlamp.

Leader: David 360-703-8738

Sat, Nov 2 Bells Mountain Trail (M) Drive 60 miles RT. Hike 9 miles RT with 1,500 ft. e.g. Well-built trail through forests and clearSat, Nov 23, Powell Butte (E) cuts of Clark County. A few viewpoints. This is really about fresh air and exercise. Leader: George Drive 110 miles RT. Hike 3.5-mile loop with 300 ft. e.g. in SE Portland through W 360-562-0001 large meadow on top of volcanic cone.

Wed, Nov 6 Kelley Point & Rivergate Trail (E) Excellent view of surrounding mountains.

Drive 94 miles RT Hike 4 miles on flat, mostly Leader: Bruce 360-425-0256 paved trails through cottonwood forest at this park where the Columbia and Willamette Rivers meet, and along the Columbia Slough. Leaders: Jenny 586-872-8126, Linda J 360-431-3321

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Wed, Oct 16 Lake Sacajawea (E) Walk around the whole lake (3+ mi) or walk half the lake (1+ mi). Leaders: Trudy & Ed 360-414-1160

Wed, Oct 23 Willapa Hills Trail (E) Drive 93 miles RT Hike 4.5 miles up and back .

Possible shuttle. Hike along the Chehalis River on mostly flat paved hiking trail with views of farm pastures, forest and fall leaves. Bruce and Josie will lead a bike ride, weather permitting.

Leaders: Art 360-270-9991 – Hike; Bruce 360425-0256 – Bike Wed, Oct 30 St. Helens Urban Walk (E) Drive 40 miles RT Walk 3 miles and experience Halloween at its finest in this annual celebration.

It’s fun. Mostly paved with minimum e.g. Leader: Bonny 503- 556-2332

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And must I always be seen as a bad luck symbol, causing superstitious, silly humans to run the other direction?! ~Smokey Man in the Kitchen’s cat

~Ginger

Victoria Findlay’s dog

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Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 13

Join Us and Vote for Leadership You Can Trust John

Melink

Longview City Council – Position 1

Brad Link Muirah Inhoff John Roche Marsha Roche Barbara Dunlap JoAnne Baker Ireda Grohs Jim Cadd Tim Baker Pat Baker Ken Botero Marne Berry Joe Green Marquita Green Kay Green Mark Purcell Rose Purcell Anne Bennett Dave Swanson Preston Worth Diana Gragg Steve Gragg Ann Mottet Rick Morgan Devanie Morgan Karen Bergquist Trina Workman Bob Menzia Claudia Menzia Ann Long

Teri Nickerson Trudy Woods Mike Woods John Gotshall Joanne Gotshall Michelle Wilson Mary Wheeler Donna McLain Paul McLain Betty Held Leslie Dahl Barry Dahl Sandy Sims Hans Schaufus Lisa Gaynor Dan Frei Katie Frei Randy McEwen Gayle Frelinger Sue Lawton Bruce Holway Pat Richards Faye Olason Thomas Olason Ruth Kendall Ken Kendall Mike Kardas Janet Johnson Gary Lindstrom Dan Nickerson

Claire Pang Forrest Rupley Mary Birkmeyer Lisa Waldvogel Carolyn Phillips Dean Takko Joe Quirk Rachel Purcell Keith Larson Pat Larson Steve Ditewig Jane Ditewig Larry Davis Sherry Davis Joe Hobson Kris Campbell Doug Campbell Skip Urling Loretta Urling Sharon West Linda King Ray Betts Julie Kendall Sandy Haas Mike Haas Nancy Everly Barb LaChine Margaret Lapic Greg Lapic Bryce Divine

Mike Polis Heidi Polis Teresa Purcell Anil Puri Kenneth Lutz Steve Jones Lori Jones Elaine Cockrell Bill Kasch Donna Kasch Steve Watters Jocelyn Watters Mary Wheeler Ian Thompson John Steppert Sherry Steppert Yvette Raynham Kay Purcell Bill Hundley Patty Karboski Emily Gates Dr. Vernon Pickett Karen Pickett Megan Pelton Ken O’Hollaran Denise O’Hollaran Jill Johanson Art Birkmeyer Lesley Bombardier Nancy Karnofski

Paid for by John Melink for Council 360-508-0878

Allison Hutchinson Dr. Blaine Tolby John McClelland Kathy Thompson Steve Pulliam Dr. Phyllis Cavens Dr. Travis Cavens Jennifer Langley Dr. William Turner Barbara Vining Dr. Mario Forte Kris Keough Cathy Zimmerman Jerry Zimmerman Dr. Tom Hickey Margaret Hickey Donna MacKenzie Christina Gee Dr. Glenn Gee Jerome Makinster Maria Magnunson Laurel Murphy Carolyn Bennett Raymond Bennett Helen Leith Margaret Engstrom Rosemary Powelson Twylla Corrie

,

14 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

Flashy fundraiser celebrates 70 years

Charitable Fun

CABARET

2019: “Take It to the Limit”

By Dr. PJ Peterson, Event Chairman

C

abaret Follies of Lower Columbia evolved from the Cabaret productions of Longview’s Junior Service League. The League was formed in 1947 and very soon thereafter began a long-running series of Cabarets which were produced every two or three years. This tradition will continue November 15 and 16 when our beloved, long-standing producer, Jaime Donegan (Jaime Donegan Productions) announces the start of this year’s production, “Take It to the Limit.”

p e

Since the beginning, members of the local community have stepped on stage and performed before an appreciative audience. There are songs, such as cowboys singing around a “campfire,” dance productions that might include kick-lines ala the Rockettes, or sizzling salsas. There’s always at least one snazzy tap number choreographed by Jaime, and in the past dozen years or so, an additional dance performed by TAPestry NW, led by Cindy Van Hoosen.

There is no real talent required, as Jaime finds ways to bring out the best of every cast member. In previous years, members of the Sandbaggers have done a Mexican Hat Dance and local leaders such as Dennis We b e r a n d To m Hutchinson have had their moments on stage in skits and dances.

Behind the scenes

T

hree energetic Longview women have been particularly busy lately, helping organize the 2019 Cabaret Follies, with two performances set for Nov. 15-16 at Longview’s Columbia Theatre.

“Meet the Director” night is Monday, October 21 at 6 pm at the Monticello Hotel Ballroom. We will have entertainment and the opportunity to learn more about being in the show.

cont page 16

Top photo: A scene from a prior-year Cabaret production. The printed program covers from 1949 and 2000. Committee members Jackie Evans, Ramona Leber and P.J. Peterson. Cabaret members rehearse for the kick-line in an early show (circa 1950s). Courtesy images

The effort escalates in earnest on Oct. 21 at “Meet the Director Night,” at the Monticello Hotel Ballroom. Talented and interested singers, dancers, comedians, stagehands, helpers — individuals and groups— are encouraged to attend, meet Jaime Donegan and share in the excitement of “show biz.”

Donegan, a nationally-known, independent choreographer, producer and costumer, has directed Cabaret shows here since 1995. Besides

Columbia River Reader

enthusiasm, experience and charisma, he brings trunks of costumes obtained from Broadway shows when the productions “retire” costumes which still have useful life.

“Jaime builds camaraderie among the group,” said Jackie Evans, Cabaret Follies’ president. “Where else can you sing and dance for charity and feel great?”

Anyone 18 or older is invited to participate in the show and the many necessary activities over the course of about three weeks to help put this popular community show together, explained event chairman P.J. Peterson, a retired Longview physician and this cont page 37

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 15

Cabaret from page 15 And, of course, everyone gets to meet Jaime, a dynamic producer and fun to work with.

Public House orky’s Public House & Eatery is simply one of a kind. Created and curated by owners Doug and Lisa Jessen, at Porky’s you encounter a re-incarnated English tradition — ye olde public house — updated 21st century-style.

In addition to being on stage, there are many opportunities for others: helping backstage, building props, helping with costumes, and keeping things running smoothly, from the dressing room to the moment someone needs to be in the wings, ready to go on stage.

Not a tavern, saloon, watering hole, bistro, or lounge, — though it features elements of each. Certainly not a dive bar, a joint, a grog shop or a honky tonk, either — though the music booms and the food and drink flow. It’s a pub.

An important part of each year’s show is the raising of money. We secure ads and sponsorships to defray costs, with net proceeds going to a local organization. This year’s beneficiary is Community Home Health and Hospice. Their specific need is support for non-reimbursed care (they don’t turn anyone away) beyond those funds available from insurance (if any).

Porky’s is a longtime fixture on Longview’s Industrial Way, yet with little that’s industrial about it. Regulars include families eating gourmet burgers, sandwiches, and halibut fish and chips. Kids are welcome. There’s a full bar offering exotic concoctions. There are Martini Mondays, live music Wednesdays, Big Can Thursdays.

Flat screens, pull tabs, congenial atmosphere.

P

Staff and regulars greet each other heartily. In a notoriously transient business, Doug Jessen can point to many of his 22 employees who’ve been with him 5, 10, 15 years. “I try

Let the show begin!

••• Tickets may be obtained online at columbiatheatre.com or at the Box Office next to the theater, 1231 Vandercook Way, Longview, Wash. Hours: Mon-Fri, 11:30am– 5:30pm. Phone: 360-575-8499.

Story and photo by

Barrels of brew at Hal Calbom

the incomparable Porky’s

Imagine being one of about 120 cast members in the opening number when the curtain goes up, the lights are on, and the music begins! It’s an exhilarating experience. For the first time this year, we will be asking performers who want to be on stage but don’t want to help in other ways to pay a small “Follies Fee.” This goes to help cover expenses of this wonderful show.

With that in mind, every ticket purchased goes to help support that cause. We will also have beautiful diamond pendant necklaces to be raffled, courtesy of Gallery of Diamonds. We have one for each performance plus an additional piece to be raffled at the final show on Saturday. All the tickets from the three performances will be combined with one more lucky winner, four in all.

Local Culture

6–9pm $25

to be a leader by example. Show people that I’m willing to scrub the floor or heft a keg. I started in this business as a dishwasher.”

Today the former dishwasher, whose first beer was a Lucky Lager, presides over a formidable empire of craft beers: 38 taps, 30 custom cans, and counting.

“We get something in new every three to four days, and are constantly evaluating new beers,” Jessen said. “I have up to 90 kegs in the cooler.”

This isn’t frat-boy beer, either.

At Porky’s, the only concessions to American mainstream suds are two modest taps — Coors Lite and Bud Lite — cowering at the end of the tap-line beside heavyweight stouts, porters, doppelbocks, and ales.

Despite a lifetime of personal research, two things I didn’t know about beer: it can be aged, for months and years, taking time to reach full flavor; and, like the wine business, there are connoisseur customers who sample, savor, and discriminate.

“Beer geeks know, “ said Jessen. “They can tell when something hasn’t been aged enough. They’ll tell me, ‘Better age this one out,’” he added, with pride.

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16 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

What the geeks also know is a bewildering set of metrics that influence their evaluations, above and beyond their taste buds. The first is ABV – Alcohol

By Volume. The higher the alcohol content, the more “ageable” the beer becomes, thanks to its preservative properties. Those who like their beer “hoppy,” such as an India Pale Ale, will look for the IBU — the International Bitterness Unit – as a measurement of hop content.

Each beer on the menu comes with its own birth certificate: “Black Raven. Coco Jones.

Porter. Woodinville, WA. 5.6% ABV. 32 IBU. 168 calories.”

Regular tasting events, such as next month’s “Dark Night of the Abyss” vertical tasting, encourage both the devoted hopheads and those new to craft beers to keep sniffing and sipping. “My only limitations are refrigeration and space,” said Jessen, “I like to buy and sit on stuff because it ages so nicely. I’m pretty sure we have the most eclectic tap collection in this part of the state. I hand pick all of those, from my own taste but also what I think our guests might like.”

If any of this sounds potentially pretentious, Doug’s flip-flops and relentless high spirits belie any sense of snobbery. After all, it is a public house — all welcome, all accommodated, all entertained.

Beyond the focus on the finer points of beer, Porky’s stock in trade — witness their 70 / 30 food-todrink ratio — is satisfied customers and a welcoming environment. Or, the English say, “Cheers!”

•••

Hal Calbom, who began his lifetime of beer research in his hometown of Longview, writes CRR’s monthly People+Place feature series. He lives in Seattle.

Local Culture

MUSEUM MAGIC

By Joseph Govednik Cowlitz County Historical Museum Director

Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum: Your Fall Weekend Getaway!

L

ooking for a fun fall weekend getaway? The Southwest Washington coast is a great option for those seeking adventure, either stormwatching from Long Beach, strolling through Cape Disappointment State Park, or staying dry at the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum (CPHM) in nearby Ilwaco. The CPHM is a great starting point in orienting visitors to the rich history and lifeways of the Columbia Pacific Region. The 1889 Pullman-built railcar NAHCOTTA is a special gem for rail history enthusiasts.

Exciting events are coming to the CPHM this fall The Annual 6x6 Art Show opens on October 18th with a reception for the artists whom donated their work. After two weeks on display at the museum, individuals may bid on any pieces they would like to buy at an auction held November 2.

celebrating 100 years of sports photography on the Long Beach Peninsula (on view through March 14, 2020).

“It is always a treat to have a Smithsonian exhibition in town,” said Museum Director Betsy Millard.

“Their insightful subject matter give us a wonderful opportunity to focus on how our local history fits within a larger, national context.”

A new visiting exhibit, “Hometown Teams: How Sports Shape America,” on loan from the Smithsonian Institution, will be on view November 22, 2019 through January 4, 2020. It will be accompanied by an exhibition

For more information visit https:// columbiapacificheritagemuseum.org/ or call them at 360-642-3446. Adding a visit to this remarkable museum is a “must” for any coastal trip!

•••

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Map suggests only approximate positions and relative distances. Consult a real map for more precise details. We are not cartographers.

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 17

Today’s students are tomorrow’s leaders.

Thank You

Please join me in voting YES for the Longview School Levy on November 5th.

P+P Partner Circle members for supporting excellent journalism and spotlighting worthy community organizations and programs.

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UIPS & QUOTES

Selected by Debra Tweedy

No good ever comes from putting up walls. What people mistake for safety is in fact captivity. And few things thrive in captivity. ~Louise Penny, Canadian writer, 1958People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed and redeemed; never throw out anyone. ~Audrey Hepburn, Belgian-born British actress and humanitarian, 1929-1993 When I’m really into a novel, I’m seeing the world differently during that time—not for just the hour or so in the day when I get to read. I’m actually walking around in a bit of a haze, spellbound by the book and looking at everything through a different prism. ~ Colin Firth, English actor, 1960The person, be it gentleman or lady, who has not pleasure in a good novel, must be intolerably stupid. ~Jane Austen, English novelist, 17751817

Special thanks for my R.A. Long High School teachers and Greetings to members of the Class of 1958. See you at our next monthly lunch!

Those who are governed by reason— that is, who seek what is useful to themselves in accordance with reason—desire for themselves nothing which they do not also desire for the rest of mankind, and, consequently, are just, faithful, and honorable in their conduct. ~Baruch Spinoza, Dutch-PortugueseJewish philosopher, 1632-1677 If you could only sense how important you are to the lives of those you meet; how important you can be to the people you may never even dream of.

There is something of yourself that you leave at every meeting with another person. ~Fred Rogers (Mister Rogers), American children’s television personality, 19282003 Only love can safely handle power. ~Richard Rohr, American writer and Franciscan friar, 1943 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.

18 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

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Production Notes

people+ place

Voyage to Discovery: Rex Ziak Making History

At night Rex Ziak slept in a shack near the old house he was fixing up during the day. In the long evenings he put himself to sleep reading from the family’s old encyclopedias, his companions in the tiny room. It was there one night he happened across a richly detailed account of the ancient Romans, Julius Caesar, and their Gallic Wars.

Hal Calbom

“I felt I was destined by the spirits of Lewis and Clark to uncover this lost history.”

~ Rex Ziak

Rex Ziak is a delightful study in contradictions: He is both gracious in his welcome and slightly wary of our motives and method. At our first meeting a couple of years ago, after I’d bought a copy of his extraordinary book and approached him for an interview, he made it clear.

“I called Bob Pyle and checked you out,” he declared, eyes twinkling, before he granted me an audience.

In Naselle, the environs of the 100year-old house Rex (his last name is pronounced “Zeek”) shares with his wife Keiko reflect his methods: rows of perfectly-stacked firewood to feed the cookstove; scraps of metal awaiting the welder’s torch; and the man himself hunched over a soldering iron. “I found this old metal safe door a few years ago — now I’m making Keiko a pizza oven.”

Publisher Sue Piper and I doff our shoes and climb the stairs of the ancient Victorian, its hardwood beautifully preserved and buffed to a sheen. Keiko prepares soup and ushers us into the library, where an imposing bust of one of the Caesars lords over Ziak’s books and our conversation.

He loved the level of detail — the topography and troop movements and weather and life in camp — all meticulously set forth and preserved for over two thousand years. He loved the interpretations of tactics and logistics and strategy. He loved history made real and tangible.

When the bookmobile serving the tiny Southwest Washington town of Naselle showed up some weeks later Rex requested a book — any book — on Caesar and his Gallic Wars. He would pursue this history, read its footprints, follow its legions into battle, cover that ground step by step.

PART ONE: THE TRUTH RZ: A couple of months later the bookmobile brought a thick, red book, pulled from the dusty stacks of some other library. I opened up this book and it was the most perfect, beautiful book I had ever seen. I sat on the steps of the bookmobile for hours looking at it. I couldn’t believe the detail. There’s this little teeny map,

with little triangles and circles. And it says Caesar was short on cavalry so he lined up his cavalry end-to-end so Pompey couldn’t count his horses and then he sent more cavalry up a nearby hill and marched them around in circles to confuse him even more. And I’m reading this, it’s like 50 B.C. they’re talking about, and I go, ‘What the hell?’

HC: You couldn’t believe people remembered this stuff, recorded it?

RZ: All the detail.

The on-the-ground stuff. So I called up a professor friend of mine at one point and said, ‘Fred, do we really know what Julius Caesar did, where he lined up his horses in 49 B.C. or whenever?’

NICE TO MEET YOU Rex Ziak resides

Pacific County occupation

President, OBON SOCIETY from

Astoria, Oregon known for

Discovering and interpreting missing chapter of Lewis & Clark history; saving ancient forests in Pacific County. reading

Reads for information and enlightenment, never for pleasure. Not one novel among his vast collection of books for fun

Gardening, woodworking, metalworking and watching movies with my wife recommends

Visit Istanbul, drink a `986 Vouvray (chenin blanc) and witness a transit of Venus

cont page 20

We will talk for three hours with this marvelous raconteur and self-made man. Raised to “Do It Yourself,” he has applied that ethic not just to hearth and home, but to our Pacific Northwest experience itself.

He has, quite literally, made history.

•••

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 19

People

from page 19

And he said, ‘We know more about what Julius Caesar did on a day-to-day basis than any other man in history up until the advent of newspapers.’

“ It was my personal puzzle. Every word Clark writes in his journ it was my own secret little project and discoveries.” ~ Rex

HC: What gave you your first clue that this wasn’t business as usual?

HC: So you were hooked?

RZ:Well, they’d been through the Vancouver area — but on November 4th! Five weeks before they got to Clatsop. And yet Clark utters his famous pronouncement, “Ocian in view!” on November 7th, only three days later. Okay, so they see the ocean on November 7th but they don’t get to Ft. Clatsop until December 7th? An entire month to travel 15 miles? After they’d already done some thousands of miles under the worst conditions?

What happened?

RZ: Was I ever. I started combing bookstores. I eventually found a copy of the same book, T. Rice Holmes’ “The Gallic Wars,” some six years later, this amazing, amazing book.

And it’s here with me in my library right now.

HC: And this helped you in your own research, later?

RZ: I didn’t know it at the time.

This book had copious notes, in five languages, all the minutiae of studying events up close. ‘Could Caesar have camped here and made it to that distance in three days?’ And ‘Where was the campsite? Where did the battle occur? What were the conditions?’

And all this is when Gaul, at that time, was like the Western United States at the time of Lewis and Clark. Just tribes, native Germanic people.

HC: So you started to formulate your Big Question?

HC: You dedicated your own book, In Full View, to Holmes?

RZ: And Thomas Jefferson. Yes. Holmes could explain how Caesar could make 200 miles in three days, because he — Holmes — calculated the phases of the moon. That troops could march past their normal stopping time and still set up their pickets by moonlight. It’s the analytical process, how he calculated this, how he analyzed where Caesar crossed the river, where he did this and this and this. He takes into consideration every detail. This man taught me how to see and hear the footsteps and the language. The fine print.

After graduating from Naselle High School in 1972, Rex worked in the woods logging and taught himself photography. He eventually spent six years traveling in Mexico, Central and South America, including 26 months alone working with indigenous peoples in a remote mountain village as a freelance anthropologist. Back in the States in the 80’s he worked as a commercial photographer and cinematographer, winning an Emmy Award. On a sailing ship in the middle of the Atlantic, in the midst of an assignment from ABC Television, he was asked a pointed question in a casual conversation.

RZ: We were talking about Thomas Jefferson, this producer and I, and he knew I was from Southwest Washington, and he was a big history buff. He asked me all about the expedition, specifically how long, how long exactly, it took for the Corps of Discovery to get from Portland to Fort Clatsop.

HC: Did you have any idea?

RZ: Not a clue. And this was my own stomping grounds.

I didn’t even know the year they got to the west coast.

But I promised myself that if I lived to get home from this treacherous journey — we’d had a kind of Perfect Storm on this square-rigged sailing ship I was documenting — I’d look it up.

HC: In the usual sources?

RZ: Yes, the DeVoto Journals, which was the standard edition at that time. I mean, I knew the river, so I figured they’d taken a week or so paddling down past the Vancouver area, and ended up at Fort Clatsop on December 7th, 1805, which everybody agreed was their arrival date.

Hear Rex Ziak LIVE! Sunday, Nov. 3 Cowlitz County Historical Museum 405 Allen St., Kelso, Wash.

2pm Cowlitz County Historical Society Annual Meeting (open to public) 2:30pm Rex Ziak Lecture Reception and Book Signing following

People + Place visits iconoclast Rex Ziak.

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Proud Sponsor of People+Place 20 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

RZ: You bet I did. Where were they and what were they doing? I dug deeper. I called the Fort Clatsop Memorial, and they replied they only did the history of the Corps at the Fort and the Salt Works at Seaside, on the Oregon side. I looked at the maps in the 1990s and it’s just a straight line drawn down the river to the Fort.

Proud sponsor of People+Place

+ Place

nal was scrutinized...

Ziak There’s hardly a mention of any of the time spent getting downriver, especially time on the Washington side. Yet by reading the journals more closely I realized they’d actually spent 18 days on the Washington side before crossing over to Oregon. 18 days!

HC: And some of their toughest times?

RZ: Yes, we know that now. But conventional histories gave it short shrift. Or no shrift. They’re misleading

at best and dead wrong at worst. Sure, there’s talk in the journals about severe storms and rainy weather, but Stephen Ambrose simply dismisses most of it, just says Meriwether Lewis was “depressed” so he didn’t write in his journal much during that period.

And next thing you know they’re in Fort Clatsop.

HC: Well, our weather will do that to you. The depression…

RZ: Of course, but this is the historical record, this is history! And it’s wrong.

Or at least mis-directed. So I set out to find where they were during these 18 days and why they didn’t cross over directly to Fort Clatsop like all the maps suggested. I got the journals and began to piece together their story,

day by day, hour by hour. It was my personal puzzle. Every word Clark writes in his journal was scrutinized. I asked, ‘Where was he standing when he said this? What was he looking at?” Which direction was he facing? Where did they camp that night?’ Then I walked it, measured it, and photographed it.

HC:How could a distinguished, and I assume wellintentioned, group of scholars and experts and interpreters get it so wrong? Or just miss it, basically? I mean it was in the journals, especially Clark’s journals?

HC: Sounds like Holmes and Julius Caesar?

RZ: Yes it was, the attention to detail, the minutiae. I pursued this month after month, year after year. I studied the maps, the journals, and related logs and journals of maritime fur traders and the Canadian voyageurs. And by 1996 I could pretty much explain where and why Lewis and Clark were there between November 7th and December 7th. It was my own secret little project and discoveries.

Then Stephen Ambrose published his book Undaunted Courage, and it was filled with such nonsense that I could not remain silent. I began to tell everyone I knew what really happened regarding Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean.

RZ: That’s the question I’ve looked at for more than 20 years. There are, I think, three reasons. First, our early Columbia River history is very Oregoncentric. Portland was the king of the Northwest until gold was discovered in Alaska, which shifted the focus to Seattle. In 1903, the Portland folks thought they could regain some national attention by hosting a Lewis and Clark Centennial.

HC: Ah. That was in our Fort Clatsop story a few months ago.

Word of Rex Ziak’s discoveries began to leak out. Local newspapers published his essays and commentary. He was invited to discuss his work by scholars and officials, who were already considering a re-telling of the Lewis and Clark story in celebration of the expedition bicentennial in 2004. He also met skepticism and even scorn among entrenched academics, and Chamber of Commerce types certain they owned the Corps of Discovery story told “their” way.

RZ: I was a high school graduate, not a college professor. I’d tramped around the trails for five years with a compass and a sextant and a copy of the Journals. I’d grown up just over the hills from the place and cut firewood on the beaches. I didn’t have any degrees or letters after my name. I just curled up with my maps and books

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I once counted up my discoveries, new stuff, and I lost count after I reached 26.

and then got up and checked it all out.

That put the conventional historians in a tight spot.

HC: How so?

RZ: This local kid, me, basically discovered and redefined an entire month of Lewis and Clark history that had been overlooked, misinterpreted and misunderstood for 200 years.

RZ: Right. Oregon re-built the Fort and pinpointed the Salt Works and essentially “owned” the Lewis and Clark narrative from the early 1900s on. There was tourism and business investment at stake, keeping the wealth and new arrivals south of the Columbia. Pride of place.

HC: So the narrative got shortened?

RZ: Streamlined. Just Portland to Clatsop, a nice straight shot, all on the Oregon side. The second big reason historians got this wrong is topography.

The same ruggedness and isolation that caused the expedition so much trouble has kept the lower Columbia shore isolated and hard to reach. Still, today, there’s very little coastal access from Skamokawa to Ilwaco. The road connecting the ferry at Megler — Clark’s original “Dismal Nitch”— to Naselle was not built until the 1950s. cont. page 22

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Meet the Director Night Jaime Donegan 6pm, Mon, Oct 21, Monticello Hotel Ballroom For information about Sponsorships or to help on a committee, contact: PJ Peterson, 360-430-1003 or mixdrpj@aol.com Cabaret Follies of Lower Columbia is a 501c3 group producing Cabaret, with proceeds going to Community Home Health & Hospice.

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See story, page 15

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 21

People + Place HC: Not exactly a day trip for a professor and his or her class?

RZ: No, and especially not during the winter when they’re all teaching and hunkered down themselves. Half the story at Dismal Nitch and Station Camp was the winter weather, tides, and cold. It’s not a picnic spot. And, finally, the third reason is just plain inertia. The 1905 history template created such a powerful impression, along with Seaside’s loud claim to be ‘The End of the Trail” that people, historians, just didn’t look or think much further.

The remarkable 30 days — the missing 30 days — Rex chronicles eventually in his book, In Full View, is rendered in breathtaking detail: catastrophic tidal shifts, 11 days of relentless storms, wet deerskins rotting off the backs of the explorers, advance and retreat, advance and retreat. And only the second time Clark ever used the word “dangerous” in his stoic / heroic descriptions of the 4,000-mile trip. All to round a single headland on the north side of the Columbia River estuary.

RZ: They invest more time on an acre-per-acre basis getting around that point than any other part of the whole journey. They’re right up to their destination and they can’t get there. The forest is impenetrable to walk through.

Their supplies keep getting drowned by 10- foot tidal shifts.

The logs — 200 feet long and eight foot thick — are kicking around them like matchsticks.

from page 21

and then you tie it onto the guard rail, and then you wait. You wait for the tide to come up, and you keep shortening the rope. And once you snug it up at high tide, you wait about four hours more, sit on the rocks, eat lunch, and watch the tide go out. Then you get down there and cut it up. So, yeah, I knew those river tides.

HC: Were you fated to tell this story, perhaps?

RZ: In a way, yes. I mean Oregon set the template that made Oregon the centerpiece of Lewis and Clark history, and that powerful notion combined with inaccessibility, winter weather, no nearby schools of higher learning, and a lack of curiosity all caused this history to fall into the shadows.

HC: And you grew up in those shadows?

RZ: I did. When I look back I feel like I was destined by Lewis and Clark’s spirits to uncover this lost history. I really do. The fact that I lived six miles away from where they slept and struggled. The fact I had a talent for freelance photography which gave me control over my schedule with many, many months of time at home. And the fact that I spent years studying how the European historians followed the routes, camps and battles that raged across Europe 2,000 years ago gave me the creative, intellectual tools necessary for looking deeply into this obscure history. I was in the right place at the right time.

HC: And you knew these tides and logs and forests?

RZ: My dad and I used to go down to that beach to make firewood. We heated our house with wood. There were so many drift logs coming up and down.

You go down there and find your log and you get a rope, and you tie your rope onto the log

To be continued...

In Part Two: Consequences, Rex publishes his book, visits Jefferson’s Monticello as a guest historian, and helps re-draw the boundaries of the eventual Lewis and Clark National Historical Park...

Hal Calbom is an independent film producer, educator, and writer. His new book, Resourceful: Leadership and Communications in a Relationship Age, will be published in December. A third-generation Longview native, he attended RA Long High School and Harvard College and lives in Seattle.

Coming in the next Columbia River Reader (Nov. 25 Holiday issue).

••• Editor’s Note: Rex Ziak will give a free lecture at 2:30pm, Sunday, November 3rd, at the Cowlitz County Historical Museum, then greet visitors and autograph books at a reception following.

SEE YOU AT THE

R oyal

Thank You

Enchanted

P+P Partner Circle members for supporting excellent journalism and spotlighting worthy community organizations and programs.

GALA

SATURDAY • NOV. 23

American Legion Hall • Clatskanie, Oregon 5pm SILENT AUCTION 6pm DINNER • 7pm AUCTION $30 per person.

Tickets at Umpqua Bank or from a Kiwanis member

people+ place Proud sponsor of People+Place

22 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

For information about joining the Circle, call Ned or Sue Piper

The Natural World

people + place REX ZIAK’S Top 5 Books

Turbulent Era, by Joseph C. Grew. The diplomatic record, telegrams and letters between the American Embassy in Toyko and Washington DC, 1933–1941. Eye-opening, jaw-dropping, first-hand eyewitness account of America’s and Japan’s head-on collision.

Seven Pillars of Wisdom, by T.E. Lawrence.

A single sentence from this book can leave an indelible mark on one’s brain for many, many years.

The Voyage of the Beagle,

by Charles Darwin.

A sailing voyage of four years, nine months that turned upside down everything we thought we knew about the earth, animals, time, humans and God. Jefferson Abroad, by Thomas Jefferson.

His diary and letters while Minister to France reveal the meticulous mind and precise observation by the architect of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

Caesar’s Conquest of Gaul, by T. Rice Holmes.

This is the most perfect book of history I have ever read. It is an inspiration and a template for analytical thought. Sitting in the same room with this book — even unopened, tucked away on the shelf — fills me with calm reassurance of mankind’s future.

The Chemistry Between Us

By Dr. Robert Michael Pyle

A

s a boy, I subscribed to a monthly mailing called “THINGS of Science.” Each time the blue cardboard box landed in our mailbox, I’d eagerly turn back the copper clips and lift the top to see what was inside. I hoped it would contain something to do with plants, bugs, or shells, rather than some boring experiment in chemistry or physics. Likewise, I neglected our home chemistry set in favor of chasing butterflies. Inanimate stuff just didn’t ring my bells with the same sweet timbre as the living. So even though my high school biology class with the football coach, Mr. Buchkowski, was no great shakes, chemistry came as a definite step down. Take the didactic drone of Mr. Blubaugh, he of the obvious nickname; add my narcoleptic afternoons amid the acrid smells from something nasty on the Bunsen burner; and you had a red-faced chemistry teacher in full roar. “Wake up, Pyle!”

A couple of years later, as a would-be zoology major at the University of Washington, I was again imprisoned in chemistry class when I could have been out birdwatching on the campus marsh. I often forsook the sour reek of Bagley Hall for the arboretum, and the result almost scotched my college career. I consoled myself for the rotten grades by concluding that chemistry is balderdash. At least I’d learned my birds.

In the soundtrack of my childhood, “Better Living Through Chemistry” was a frequent mantra. After all, we were the leisured and lucky recipients of countless postwar chemical boons: nylon, Scotch tape, and Melmac, to name just a few. No one, it seemed, doubted the rosy future both promised by and chock full of lots of lovely chemicals. Until Rachel Carson. When I read Silent Spring, I learned for the first time how very ironic the slogan “Better Living Through Chemistry” really was.

The lawn where I’d passed countless childhood hours was free of weedkillers, except for my brother and me, digging dandelions for a nickel a peach-canfull. No insect spray either; the grass hopped with tawny-edged skipper butterflies as well as kids. But Rachel told another story, one I would come to learn firsthand, as Denver lawns became skipper-free biocide sponges under the influence of ChemLawn, Monsanto, Scotts, and Ortho: places where turning kids out to play should be considered a form of child abuse.

Robert Michael Pyle is a naturalist and writer residing along Gray’s River in Wahkiakum County for many years. His twenty-two books include the Northwest classics Wintergreen, Sky Time in Gray’s River, and Where Bigfoot Walks, as well as The Thunder Tree, Chasing Monarchs, and Mariposa Road, a flight of butterfly books, and two collections of poems. His newest titles are Butterflies of the Pacific Northwest and Magdalena Mountain: a novel, released in August 2018 by Counterpoint Press.

Photo by David Lee Myers But chemicals themselves aren’t responsible for what we do with them. They are, in fact, the basis of all life, and everything else as well. By dodging my chemistry classes, I’d undercut my education. A little late, I realized that natural history is much more fascinating when one knows something of the underlying chemical processes.

Learning how insects take in plant compounds to render themselves distasteful to birds helped me to see this.

Plants and insects coevolving to the advantage of each include the age-old dance of white butterflies and mustard glucosinolates; the partnership between cinnabar moths and the pyrrolizadine alkaloids borne by their tansy ragwort hosts; and the well-known relationship between monarch butterflies and milkweeds with their cardiac glycocides.

Experiments proving that birds learn to avoid unpalatable monarchs gave rise to the whole field of chemical ecology, eternally and unforgettably symbolized

by Lincoln Brower’s iconic photograph of the barfing bluejay in the May 1969 Scientific American. Chemistry, I realized at last, could be fun.

This is the 17th in a series of selected essays to appear in Columbia River Reader.

These were originally published in Orion Afield or Orion Magazine in the author’s column, “The Tangled Bank” and, subsequently, in the book of the same name published by Oregon State University Press in 2012.

Then I discovered that the substance of the land itself provides another natural link—chemistry made manifest in plants and butterflies that occur only on certain substrates. Rare orchids and blues that may be found only on chalk grasslands in England, for example, or cobra lilies and skippers restricted to serpentine outcrops in northern California, and others that have learned to thrive on toxic nickel deposits in Washington’s Wenatchee Mountains. This is indeed a world made equally of chemo and bios. The fact is, as the Greek philosophers well knew, mineral and organism are merely ends of a common chemical continuum.

A more recent chemistry lesson struck closer to home. In August, my wife, Thea*, abruptly learned that she had ovarian cancer. Since then, she’s been receiving a compound of platinum cont page 24

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technique • theory • performance Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 23

Chemistry

from page 23

in a vein near her heart every three weeks, because platinum was once accidentally observed to prevent the growth of cancer cells. Coincidentally, the day before her first infusion, I too received the same element: two crowns and an intervening bridge, contrived of porcelain, platinum, and gold. The platinum, it turns out, has thermal qualities that allow the porcelain to adhere to the gold without cracking.

In a strange way, this all hearkens back to Mr. Blubaugh. I recall the big periodic table of the elements that filled much of the front wall above the blackboard, and how I’d try to stay awake by conjuring on the properties of the various elements, which we had to memorize. I remember being surprised to learn that there was a metal more precious than gold. Elvis’s records all went gold; but by the time the Beatles swept the charts, the very best-selling singles were going platinum. Still later, platinum credit cards superceded gold cards as the most prestigious plastic.

I was nicely disabused of any notion that this actually meant anything substantial when my own Visa card perfunctorily mutated from ordinary to platinum without passing gold. But now, platinum has taken on a whole new meaning for me—coming into our lives (and beings) in much more direct and visceral ways.

Soon after our dual lessons in the properties of platinum, I heard on the radio that it is now twice as valuable as gold, nearing $800 per ounce. Platinum is mined chiefly in South Africa and Russia, and used mostly for jewelry and in catalytic converters for cars.

The story didn’t mention oncological uses, but thousands of women owe their lengthened lives at least in part to Carboplatin. Thea also receives taxol, another potent anticancer drug, discovered in yew trees. Many wild yews were cut for their bark before chemists learned to synthesize taxol from yew needles; and the winning and refining of platinum is not much gentler on the land than the notoriously toxic methods of mining for gold. We know that Thea’s salvation exacts costs beyond our medical bills. So it is when we dabble in the great chemistry set of life.

I recall that Rachel Carson died of cancer, even as she fought to alert us to the fatal dangers of chemical pollution.

Now she looks over our shoulders and rolls in her grave as we go on living in a world so thoroughly invaded by synthetic chemical compounds that the toxic burden in our bodies is enormous and the physiological effects profound.

Almost everyone has detectable Teflon in their tissues. Breast milk commonly contains DDT, PCBs, and mercury.

Organophosphates from insecticides lurk in our livers and infiltrate our fat. Dioxins, the villains in Agent Orange, lace our bodies and waterways.

Glyphosate, the active ingredient in the most common weedkillers, has been implicated in lymphomas and various reproductive ills. Cancer swarms flare in agricultural areas, industrial zones, and in the shadows of nuclear test and waste-disposal sites. Remember how rare and unspoken cancer used to be?

Now, every family seems to be affected by one cancer or another, and words like “biopsy,” “chemo,” and “radiation” are as common as aspirin. Breast cancer alone can be called nothing less than a plague.

Conscionable chemists predicted long ago that the baby boomers would be the generation to reap the carcinogenic legacy of the Century of Progress. And so it is.

So is chemistry balderdash, or the source of better living? Now, with my love’s life in the balance, I know it is both. Just as monarch butterflies have evolved the ability to sequester cardenolides and turn them to their own advantage, we internalize expensive potions like platinum—in our blood, in our mouths, in our cars—and adapt their qualities to our own ends; those of us, that is, with the platinum in our wallets to pay for it. Our Faustian tradeoff seems to be to live in a world rendered so hostile by our chemical excesses that we can continue to live only by extracting, refining, testing, and ingesting still more chemicals.

Mr. Blubaugh, wherever you are, you can relax now. I’m finally paying attention.

••• This column was written in 2004. *Thea Linnaea Pyle, 1947-2013.

BESIDES COLUMBIA RIVER READER...

What are you reading?

Monthly feature coordinated by Alan Rose

These Truths: A History of the United States

by Jill Lepore

By Ed Phillips Europe will never be like America. Europe is a product of history. America is a product of philosophy. ~Margaret Thatcher

S

ome see history as “just one damn thing after another;” others see it “as an experiment run once.” Harvard professor of history and frequent contributor to the New Yorker Jill Lepore is of the latter school. She has written a profound tome (790 pages) exploring the political evolution of the American experiment (1492 to 2016).

The template for this experiment was laid out in 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, the resulting Constitution a conflation of 295 years of experience and Enlightenment political philosophy. My wife, Laurel Murphy, and I are products of Washington State’s education system, both hold advanced degrees, and we thought we had a good knowledge of our nation’s history. These Truths taught us otherwise. Ms. Lepore’s book was revelatory. In a brilliant one volume political history, she has exposed the interstitial tissue of our nation.

The work is broken up into four distinct sections: The Idea (1492-1799), The People (1800-1865), The State (1866-1945) and The Machine (19462016). This chronology corresponds to dominant political forces shaped by colonization, immigration (both voluntary and involuntary), the evolution of the role of the central government, and where we are today.

This book demands to be read, lending perspective to today’s social and political roiling. Our history has never been without roiling. The geographical extent of our country and the competing interests of ethnicities, incomes and wealth guaranteed conflict. However, our written constitution provides a process to govern and a template for the peaceful resolution of conflicts.

Nonetheless, the result is a history that is often messy and contradictory, and we still strive to achieve the ideals expressed in the Constitution and Bill of Rights. Our struggles remain the product of philosophy and our social petri dish remains active, very active.

•••

ATTENTION, READERS

Read a good book lately? To be miniinterviewed by CRR Book Reviewer Alan Rose for a future “What Are You Reading?” spotlight, please contact him at alan@alanrose.com or the publisher/editor at publisher@crreader. com.

Ed Phillips has lived the past 26 years in the rural splendor of the upper Kalama River where, with his wife Laurel Murphy, he lives an active life of traveling, gardening, reading, ruminating and community activities, believing that living is a full-time job.

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24 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

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CRR will salute local authors on a special page in the Holiday issue, publicizing “Book Pitch Night” and public book sale to be held at WordFest’s Dec. 3 gathering.

If you’ve published a book and are interested in participating, contact Alan Rose before Nov. 1 at alan@ alan-rose.com.

Cover to Cover

Top 10 Bestsellers PAPERBACK FICTION 1. The Overstory Richard Powers, Norton, $18.95 2. The Handmaid’s Tale Margaret Atwood, Anchor, $15.95 3. There There Tommy Orange, Vintage, $16 4. A Gentleman in Moscow Amor Towles, Penguin, $17 5. The Witch Elm Tana French, Penguin, $17 6. The Tattooist of Auschwitz Heather Morris, Harper, $16.99 7. Little Fires Everywhere Celeste Ng, Penguin, $17 8. The Great Alone: A Novel Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Griffin, $17.99 9. All the Light We Cannot See Anthony Doerr, Scribner, $17 10. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman, Penguin, $16

PAPERBACK NON-FICTION 1. Born a Crime Trevor Noah, Spiegel & Grau, $18 2. All That the Rain Promises and More David Arora, Ten Speed Press, $17.99 3. White Fragility Robin DiAngelo, Beacon Press, $16 4. Braiding Sweetgrass Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $18 5. Sapiens Yuval Noah Harari, Harper Perennial, $22.99 6. Calypso David Sedaris, Back Bay, $17.99 7. The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers Maxwell King, Abrams Press, $18 8. The Field Guide to Dumb Birds of North America Matt Kracht, Chronicle, $15.95 9. 21 Lessons for the 21st Century Yuval Noah Harari, Spiegel & Grau, $18 10. How to Change Your Mind Michael Pollan, Penguin, $18

BOOK REVIEW

By Alan Rose These Truths: A History of the United States Jill Lepore W.W. Norton and Company $39.95

F

rom its beginnings, the United States of America has been an ongoing dialogue “in order to form a more perfect union,” often trying to find a compromise between its promise and principles and its practices. During its first one hundred years, America was the land of liberty…and slavery. You see the problem.

Alan Rose organizes the monthly WordFest gatherings. His next novel, about the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, will be published in 2020 by Amble Press/ Bywater Books. More book reviews, author interviews, and news updates can be found at www.alan-rose.com.

HARDCOVER FICTION 1. The Testaments Margaret Atwood, Nan A. Talese, $28.95 2. The Water Dancer Ta-Nehisi Coates, One World, $28 3. Where the Crawdads Sing Delia Owens, Putnam, $26 4. The Dutch House Ann Patchett, Harper, $27.99 5. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous Ocean Vuong, Penguin Press, $26 6. The Institute Stephen King, Scribner, $30 7. The Nickel Boys Colson Whitehead, Doubleday, $24.95 8. A Better Man Louise Penny, Minotaur, $28.99 9. Land of Wolves Craig Johnson, Viking, $28 10. Red at the Bone Jacqueline Woodson, Riverhead Books, $26

HARDCOVER NON-FICTION 1. Talking to Strangers Malcolm Gladwell, Little Brown, $30 2. Year of the Monkey Patti Smith, Knopf, $24.95 3. Educated Tara Westover, Random House, $28 4. How to Be an Antiracist Ibram X. Kendi, One World, $27 5. On Fire Naomi Klein, S&S, $27 6. Permanent Record Edward Snowden, Metropolitan Books, $30 7. Know My Name: A Memoir Chanel Miller, Viking, $28 8. Trick Mirror Jia Tolentino, Random House, $27 9. Three Women Lisa Taddeo, Avid Reader Press/S&S, $27 10. How To Randall Munroe, Riverhead Books, $28

Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Assn, for week ending Sept. 29, 2019, 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 MASS MARKET 1. The Name of the Wind Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99 2. Good Omens Neil Gaiman, Terry Pratchett, Morrow, $9.99 3. The Goldfinch Donna Tartt, Little Brown, $10.99 4. Dune Frank Herbert, Ace, $10.99 5. The Left Hand of Darkness Ursula K. Le Guin, Ace, $9.99 6. American Gods Neil Gaiman, Morrow, $9.99 7. 1984 George Orwell, Signet, $9.99 8. Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Gail Honeyman, Penguin, $9.99 9. Oathbringer Brandon Sanderson, Tor, $10.99 10. The Wise Man’s Fear Patrick Rothfuss, DAW, $9.99

EARLY & MIDDLE GRADE READERS 1. Guts Raina Telgemeier, Graphix, $12.99 2. Best Friends Shannon Hale, LeUyen Pham (Illus.), First Second, $12.99 3. Beverly, Right Here Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick, $16.99 4. The Wonders of Nature Ben Hoare, DK Children, $19.99 5. A Wolf Called Wander Rosanne Parry, Monica Armino (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $16.99 6. Fish in a Tree Lynda Mullaly Hunt, Puffin, $8.99 7. Stargazing Jen Wang, First Second, $12.99 8. The Girl Who Drank the Moon Kelly Barnhill, Algonquin Young Readers, $9.95 9. Charlie and the Chocolate Factory Roald Dahl, Puffin, $7.99 10. Hatchet Gary Paulsen, Drew Willis (Illus.), Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, $9.99

A history for our time

By 1915, (a Congressional)

committee had drafted a bill providing for universal medical coverage. “No other social movement in modern economic development is so pregnant with benefit to the public,” wrote the editor of the Journal of the American Medical Association.

“At present the United States has the unenviable distinction of being the only great industrial nation without compulsory health insurance,” the Yale economist Irving Fisher pointed out in 1916. It would maintain that unenviable distinction for a century.

~ from These Truths

Our history is a record of working through our contradictions. At any one moment in time, this dialogue is who we are as a people.

For readers who love history, Jill Lepore’s These Truths: A History of the United States is a must-read. A Harvard history professor, she focuses on what “people constituted as a nation in the early twenty-first century need to know about their own past.”

She begins by looking at the principles upon which our nation was intentionally founded—“These truths” Jefferson called them: political equality, natural rights, and the

sovereignty of the people. Lepore traces the evolution of these ideas, starting with England’s Magna Carta of 1215 through the eighteenthcentury Enlightenment philosophers.

They become a yardstick by which each era must measure itself: Are we living up to our founding principles?

She then presents a fascinating trip through American history, examining questions that continue to test and challenge those principles, questions of who is equal? Whether some people are more equal than others. Which rights are “natural” and which, um, un-natural? (gun rights? abortion rights? right to health care?) Is the government here to serve the people, or the people meant to serve the government?

so than on the eve of civil war. In his first inaugural address, Lincoln sought to find unity by recalling the nation’s common roots—“We are not enemies, but friends,” he said. “We must not be enemies”—and by appealing to “the better angels of our nature.”

Lepore reminds us, “The better angels did not prevail.” The question is: Might they now?

••• Note: Also read Ed Phillips’ thoughts on These Truths in “What Are You Reading?” page 24, written, he said, with “much blood, sweat, tears and wine.”

Through the lens of “these truths,” she revisits recurring issues that have divided us and threatened that dream of a more perfect union: nativism and immigration, populism and the protection of the minority from the prejudices and power of the majority, race—from slavery to segregation to the uneasy present—as well as women’s long fight for equality against the glass ceiling of history.

We are presently in another period when the dialogue threatens to tear us apart. But ours has always been a history of ideas in conflict, no more

Nov. 12 • Cassava 1333 Broadway Longview

SECOND TUESDAY

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Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 25

Where do you read

THE READER? Riding high

Joseph Koolle o f L o n g v i e w, Wa s h . , r e a d s the Reader at the Sandia Peak Tram Station, Albuquerque, New Mexico in the background.

Gone to Greenland Longview resident Ann Wright (left), with Richard and Bonnie Kyro

on a National Geographic Expedition in the Arctic, pictured here off the Greenland coast with a glacier in the background.

WHERE DO YOU READ THE READER?

Send your photo reading the Reader (high-resolution JPEG) to Publisher@CRReader.com. Include names and cities of residence. We make it a practice to acknowledge photos received; if you don’t receive an acknowledgment within 5 days, please re-send. If sending a cell phone photo, choose the largest file size up to 2 MB. For best results and facial recognition, position human subjects 5–8 feet from the camera, with the “landmark” object filling the background of the frame. Thank you for your participation and patience; we usually have a small backlog.

Keep those photos coming!

Heading for Lake Sacajawea A group of Mt. St. Helens Club members and friends on a Squirrel Bridge walking tour, near Bridge #4 near Louisiana Street and 22nd Avenue, Longview. From left: Wes Hompe, Joyce Peterson, Becky Hompe, Nancy West, Leslie Pogue, Bonnie Loop, Bob Boardman, Chere Jackson, Trudy Varna, Jenny Powell-Grosvenor, Susan Spain, Agnes Wood, Krista Mead, Wu Zhen Ling. Also in the vicinity but not paying attention to the call to line up: John Reynolds, Bill Dewsnap, Bruce McCredie, Ed Varna, George Smith, Joan Cosgrove, Bob Cosgrove, Fern Kelly.

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26 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

PREMIE

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Drop in for a tour any time!

Faith ~ Family ~ Freedom Values Matter.

We do NOT accept the failed policies of Seattle for OUR community.

We believe in Fiscal Responsibility, 2nd Amendment Rights, the Right to Life, Economic Growth, and a Government that works for YOU!

Our values-centered Central Committee has endorsed the following:

MIKE WALLIN SCOTT VYDRA SPENCER BOUDREAU DON JENSEN KELBURN KOONTZ KEENAN HARVEY LISA KNIGHT ALEXANDER DON SHARER RON HUNTINGTON

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Please Stand with Us Please Vote Responsibly Get Out to Vote November 5th Paid for by the Cowlitz County Republican Party • Website: cowlitzcountyrepublicanparty.com •

MY SLANT

Autumn: A Time of Refreshing “Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” ~ F. Scott Fitzgerald, The Great Gatsby

R

esolutions, new growth, baby chick — these bring to our minds the new year or spring. But for many, fall is also a time of regrouping and refreshing. Watching cool rains wash away the summer smog and laze. Shaking off brisk, crunchy mornings with hot coffee and a maple donut — isn’t maple so much better than pumpkin spice? Sitting on the front porch as trick-or-treaters tromp by.

Autumn is a time of laying in, preparing, and gathering together.

Collecting hopes and dreams for fresh beginnings. Just like the squirrels that are so abundant and quintessentially Longview, we search, garner, and store.

We stock up on wood or pellets or Tiffany Dickinson contributes regularly to CRR. She lives in Longview on the historic Old West Side.

By Tiffany Dickinson

marshmallows. Weaving family ties over holidays, soothing failures and disappointments of the previous year.

Nothing reminds me more of fall than finding horse chestnuts strewn on the sidewalk as I stroll in Longview’s Old West Side. You’ll find me gathering them like some sort of overgrown squirrel as I scheme to bring nature and a bit of my childhood into my home for a season. I fill clear vases and pile them in bowls. I delight in the natural bounty that literally falls to my feet. We only need to step outside our doors and look.

In addition to horse chestnuts and cones of evergreens, some years I bring inside a variety of sticks I’ve collected on walks and bundle them into a “thankfulness tree.” When the kids were younger, we’d cut leaves from colored paper, write our blessings on the leaves, and glue them to the sticks. It was a natural visual reminder of the goodness of the year. It lasted all season and was totally recyclable.

Cowlitz County Republican Party

Another Old West Side resident told me, “I like walking our neighborhood at night. You can see inside people’s houses.” I knew exactly what she meant : the lights, glimpses of warmth.

I marvel at how many homes don’t have drapes, or they’re left open. But I don’t mind. It allows for a beautiful night stroll. Better to let life move in and out of your home through its eyes (for windows are a home’s eyes, you know), then to shut oneself in and the world out.

Consider the relationship a house has with its neighborhood. What does your front porch say about you? Is it welcoming, attractive? Is it cold, utilitarian? Each makes a statement, even if it’s just a whisper. Does it say “We are too busy to care” or “Welcome! We’ve been waiting for you,” or “Keep away.”?

Funny thing about this house: For the longest time it had an inflatable red heart on the porch. At first, I thought, “Well, they just haven’t gotten around to taking down their Valentine’s decorations.” But it became a symbol every time I walked by. Just showing a little love. Right out there for everyone to see. That porch, whether the homeowners intended it or not, said, “We love here.” And I can’t think of a nicer thing for a porch to say – at any time of year.

•••

I love porches with chairs on them (especially with pillows!). Their message is, “Come, sit awhile. Let’s talk. I want to hear about you. I like my neighborhood and my neighbors.”

One house I pass often has friendly cats lounging about outside. It’s always a good sign when people nourish those that may or may not belong to them.

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 27

ME AND MY

PIANO* *or other instrument

By Rena Langille

O

ur 1905 George Bent piano came west from New Hampshire with my great-grandparents, who settled in South Seattle. The case is mahogany and stands 58 inches high. It still has its original strings.

called Mr. Thorsend, our piano tuner, who agreed to dry it out and repair it.

I rented a truck and, with help loading it, drove it to his shop. I didn’t know how I would pay for the repairs.

When my great-grandmother died, the piano went to my mother. I had a few lessons, but the family couldn’t afford to continue them. I kept playing out of some books of classical music and some sheet music. My mother didn’t play much, but when I hit the keyboard she liked listening to me.

When I married and moved away, my mother bought a spinet and gave me the old upright. It was a big surprise and when it arrived at my house, I sat and played for three hours. My three children were now growing up with the piano, like I had. We moved twice more and it followed us each time.

My marriage didn’t work out, so I divorced, rented a house, and found a job. There would be no child support payments. The piano came along. I was used to playing for an hour or so after the kids were in bed, a nice way to end the day. It helped me relax and express my feelings. Over the years my skills increased. I took it for granted that the piano would always be part of our lives, but one day tragedy struck.

It was a struggle to support my family, but when summer came the kids went to Alaska to spend it with their father.

This gave me a chance to save a little money to buy us a small house. My mother found another George Bent for a very low price and we had a piano again. When it came, I sat down and played for three hours. The next spring, I called Mr. Thorsend who agreed to take my current piano in trade for repairing the old one, and at last the family heirloom, along with us, had a permanent address.

I had grown up with the piano and playing became a nightly thing to do, but I never realized how important it was to my family until one day when my older son told me that when he and his brother and sister were in Alaska, one of the things they missed was hearing me play that old George Bent after they had gone to bed.

“Me & My Piano” Reader Submissions Invited Describe your funny, sentimental or otherwise unique story about you and your relationship with a musical instrument in 500 words or less and mail to CRR, 1333 14th Ave., Longview, WA 98632, or email to publisher@ crreader.com. Note “Me and My Piano” in the subject line and if possible attach/include a current mugshot and/ or a photo of you with your instrument.

Don’t worry about perfect spelling or syntax. If your story is chosen, we will provide editing services and will contact you for additional details or embellishments as needed.

November Feature Artist

Jean Watson Quilts & Knit Sweaters

•••

Rena Langille’s piano as it is today. The book came with the piano and explains how its four pedals work, and contains some classical music pieces. The chair is as old as the piano.

Rena Langille is an occasional CRR contributor. She lives in Seattle.

Meet the Artist

Reception Thurs, Nov. 7 • 5 – 7 pm Refreshments Served 1233 Commerce Downtown Longview

360- 261-2373 or 360-560-9016 mcthreadsartworks.com mcthreads@gmail.com

During a winter storm, a pipe upstairs broke; water came through the ceiling directly onto the piano. I had renter’s insurance that paid for moving, and a temporary place to live. We were okay, but the poor old piano wasn’t. I

McThread’s

Private tasting parties by appointment. Use website form or call 503-201-4545

28 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

LOA Specializes in Sports Medicine Care Longview Orthopedic Associates has been providing sports medicine care to local prep, club, college athletes, and recreational athletes since 1983.

If you suffer a sports-related injury, you can count on Bill Turner, Jon Kretzler, Peter Kung, A.J. Lauder, Jake McLeod, and Tony Lin to get you back in the action as quickly as possible.

Several LOA physicians have sub-specialty training and certification in sports medicine and have provided services to college and professional sports teams in the Seattle and Los Angeles areas.

LOA features MRI and physical therapy services on site for you convenience.

We welcome Kaiser patients with a referral! www.longvieworthopedics.com

360.501.3444

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 29

Outings & Events

Performing & Fine Arts, Music, Art, Theatre, Literary 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.

Broadway Gallery Artists co-op. Classes for all ages, workshops, paint parties.

Featured artists, Oct: Guest artist Sandy Cox (monoprints, watercolor & ink); Diane Springer (gourds & more); Nov: Scott McRae (paintings) and Trudy Woods (carved and horsehair pottery).

Gallery hours: M-F 10-5:30, Sat 10–4.

1418 Commerce, Longview, Wash. 360577-0544. www.the-broadway-gallery.com.

Holiday Opening Sat., Nov. 16. BWG artisans make new & unique ornaments each year! Gallery member David Myers will sign his new book, Wings In the Light, Butterflies of North America. Join us for goodies, refreshments, art & music!

FIRST THURSDAY November 7

McThread’s Art Works Nov. featured artist Jean Watson (quilts, exhibited Nov. 1–29). Opening Reception Nov. 7, 5–7pm.

Refreshments served. 1233 Commerce Avenue, Longview. Hours: Wed–Sat, 11–4. mcthreadsartworks.com

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. Businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising (contact info, page 37).

HOW TO PUBLICIZE YOUR NON-PROFIT EVENT IN CRR Send your noncommercial community event basic info (name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333-14th Ave Longview, WA 98632

Submission Deadlines Events occurring: Nov 25 – Jan 15:

by Nov. 5 for Nov 25 Holiday issue.

Jan 15– Feb 20:

by Dec 26 for Jan 10 issue.

Tsuga Gallery Fine arts and crafts by area artists. Thurs-Sat 11–5. 70 Main Street, Cathlamet, Wash. 360-795-0725.

Broadway Gallery Featured gallery members Scott McRae (paintings) and Trudy Wood (pottery) and 35 local artists’ works in various media.

Reception with acoustic & vocals

by Curtis Johnson; refreshments.

5:30-7:30pm. 1418 Commerce Ave., Longview, Wash.

McThread’s Art Works Featured artist Jean Watson (quilts) 5–7pm. Refreshments served.

1233 Commerce Avenue, Longview.

LCC Forsberg Art Gallery Opening Reception for “Perspectives,” exhibit by LCC faculty. 5–7pm.

Cowlitz County Museum Images

by Jan Fardell on his 100th Birthday.

Tony and Kim Fardell will curate their favorites from the thousands of photos made by their dad, who worked for the Longview Daily News and as a commercial photographer for several decades, photographing news, human interest, Tollecraft yachts, beautiful local landscapes, and pre- and posteruption Mt. St. Helens. Jan had the eye of an artist and exceptional technical skill.

7pm. 404 Allen St., Kelso, Wash.

Koth Gallery, Longview Public Library October: Linda McCord (painting, mixed media); Reception, Oct. 8, 6–8pm.

1600 Louisiana Street, Longview, Wash.

Mon-Wed 10am-8pm, Thurs-Sat 10am5pm. Info: Daniel, 360-442-5307.

Forsberg Art Gallery, Lower Columbia College Rose Center for the Arts.

“Vanishing Point: Farewell to the Boardman Tree Farm,” by Kate Ampersand thru Oct. 17. LCC Faculty Art Show Nov 12– Dec 5. Gallery open Mon/Wed 12–6, Tues/Wed 10–4. Free. 1600 Maple St., Longview, Wash.lowercolumbia.edu/ gallery Clatskanie Bloom Galler y Artwork from the lower Columbia River region.

Wed-Sat, 11-4. 289 N. Nehalem St. Clatskanie, Oregon. Info: 503-3089143. Clatskaniebloom@gmail.com. clatskaniebloom.com Cow litz Valley Old Time Music Association Music jam night with open mic, 7–9pm, 1st, 3rd and 5th Fridays, Catlin Grange, 205 Shawnee, Kelso, Wash. Guitar, mandolin, banjo, fiddle, piano, accordion. Traditional country and/or bluegrass. Dance floor open. Info: Archie Beyl, 360-636-3835.

Mixers • Lottery & Cigarettes • Drive a little...Save a lot!

Community Arts Workshop/Alcove Gallery Free instruction and materials.

1–3pm. Mon: water color; Tues: paper crafts, paper quilling, drawing, intro. to music; first Wed. of month: Native American arts, 2nd Wed: collage, 3rd & 4th Wed: random acts of creativity; Thurs: fiber arts, step-by-step painting. Located in the CAP building,1526 Commerce, Longview, Wash. Open Mon–Thurs 12– 3:30pm. Info: 360-425-3430 x 306, or email capartsworkshop@gmail.com.

28th Annual Pacific Northwest Sacred Harp Singing Convention Sat-Sun, Oct 19-20, 9am–3pm, come and go as you please. Potluck lunch at noon. The Laurelhurst Club, 3721 SE Ankeny St, Portland, Ore. Portland Sacred Harp is a fully inclusive, community-run group not affiliated with any religious or political organization, denomination or creed. Shapenote singing, or Sacred Harp singing, is a 200-year-old American folk tradition of a capella, fourpart harmony community singing. The Sacred Harp is the name of the tunebook which singers use. “Sacred Harp” refers to the human voice (there are no harps or other instruments involved in this music.)

Take it to the Limit Nov. 15-16, Columbia Theatre for the Performing Arts. Meet the Director Night, Oct. 21. Cabaret show to benefit Community Home Health & Hospice. See story, page 15.

Friends of the Library Flash Book Sale Nov 20, one day only, 10am–7pm, Longview Public Library. 1600 Louisiana St., Longview, Wash. Give books for Christmas! Info: 360-442-5300.

Lower Columbia College Music/Theatre Wollenberg Auditorium, Rose Center for the Arts, 1600 Maple, Longview, Wash.

Center Stage Theatre: Sense and Sensibility, Nov 15,16,21,22,23, 7:30pm; Nov 17, 2pm; Nov 22, 11am.

Symphonic Band Reprise of favorites over 40 years. Nov 22, 7:30pm.

Jazz Ensemble Concert, Dec 3, 7:30pm.

Choir A Dickens Carol, Dec. 6, 7:30pm.

Quarterly Student Recital, Dec. 10, Instrumental 5:30/Choir 7pm.

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30 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

503-556-6321

75928 Rockcrest

M-Th: 10 - 7 Located on the Oregon side of Lewis & Clark F - Sat: 10 - 7:30 Bridge. Head toward Rainier, turn left at 1st light.

Sun: 11 - 4 We are on the “right” side of Rockcrest.

Outings & Events

Recreation, Outdoors Gardening, History, Pets, Self-Help Cowlitz County Museum Open Tues-Sat 10am–4pm. 405 Allen St, Kelso, Wash. www.co.cowlitz.wa.us/museum. Info: 360-577-3119.

Cowlitz County Historical Society Annual Meeting, Sun., Nov. 3, 2pm.

Public welcome. Guest speaker Rex Ziak, Lewis & Clark historian. Cowlitz County Historical Museum, 405 Allen St., Kelso, Wash.

Lewis and Clark Lecture by Rex Ziak.

Sunday, Nov. 3, 2:30pm. Free. Reception and book signing to follow, presented by Columbia River Reader Press. Cowlitz County Historical Museum, 405 Allen St., Kelso, Wash. Info: 360-749-1021.

Redmen Hall History and art. 1394 SR-4, Skamokawa, Wash. Thurs-Sun, 12-4pm.

Info: 360-795-3007 or email fos1894@ gmail.com.

In Their Footsteps Lecture series. Oct 20: “The UNEXPECTED on the Oregon Coast,” by Judy Fleagle., 1pm, Netul Room, Lewis and Clark Nat’l Historical Park, 92343 Fort Clatsop Road, Astoria, Ore. Free. Info: 503-861-2471.

Holiday Bazaar Sat. Nov. 2, 9–2pm.

Rainier Senior Center, 48 W. 7th & “A” Sts. Rainier, Ore.503-556-3889.

Stew lunch: Stew-Roll-Drink-Dessert $5.

Pop,Coffee Water, Popcorn $1. Pastries 50¢. Stop in and support Home Delivered Meals Program!

“Make the Holiday Magical” 47th Annual Arts & Crafts Faire Nov 8 & 9, 9am–4 pm.

Featuring beautifully hand-crafted items, a free children’s activity,and yummy baked goods. Enjoy chili, soup and pie while you shop. Christ Episcopal Church, 35350 E Division Road, Off Hwy 30 in St Helens, Ore. Stella Lutheran Chapel Harvest Fest Nov. 2, 4–6 pm. Dinner of bratwurst and sauerkraut. potatoes au gratin, etc. Silent Auction, Raffles. Suggested donation $12. To buy advance tickets or for more info, call Jo Martin, 360-425-0534. Ticket available or at the door. More info also on facebook@stellachapelwa. Stella Lutheran Chapel, a charming country church nestled among the tall trees, is located 10 miles west of Longview at 124 Sherman Rd.

224 Catlin St., Kelso, Wash.

Monthly Breakfasts 1st Saturday of the month 8:30–10:30am Lefse sales Mondays, 9am–2pm (or call the Lodge, 360-425-7013) $7 per package Annual Split Pea Soup Luncheon/Boutique Friday-Sat, Nov. 8-9, 10am–4pm.

Annual Meatball and Lutefisk Dinner, Sunday Jan. 12, five seatings, $23 per person.

Explore the night sky without a telescope Greg Babcock, author of the book (now 2nd edition) Stargazing for Everyone with Binoculars will present a program on the subject at the October 16th Friends of Galileo club meeting.

Babcock is a member of Rose City Astronomers and Friends of Galileo. He is a solar eclipse chaser, astrophotographer, amateur telescope designer/maker, and software engineer with a creative astronomy website, stargazingnow.com.

The club meets in Longview at Mark Morris High School, in (LGIC or D-8), 7pm Wednesday, Oct. 16th. Check out friendsofgalileo.com for details.

See “Sky Report,” page 35.

A Country Christmas Sat. Nov. 23, 10am– 4pm. 1134 Columbia St., Cathlamet, Wash.

Great gift ideas, something for everyone!

Children’s Christmas Store (open to children 12 years and under), all items $1.

Gift Basket raffles. Lunch available and Bake Sale table with Scandinavian and Christmas baked goods. Benefiting St. James Family Center programs for children and families See’s Christmas Candy Sale Fundraiser for Friends of St. John’s Scholarships. Cash (or payroll deduction) only. Dec. 2–6, 8am–4pm in the PeaceHealth Cafe. Info: Kathy Davis, 360-751-1048.

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 31

the Lower Columbia

Informer

by Perry Piper

GREETINGS FROM SOUTH AMERICA PART 3:

Salt flats and high-altitude hiking

F

or some reason, Peru and Machu Picchu get most of the spotlight among travelers seeking a South American adventure, but they’ve got it all wrong! I cannot recommend highly enough the three-day Bolivian Uyuni Salt Flats tour!

Despite making me a bit nervous to deviate from my normal way of planning things, I accepted fellow traveler advice to just show up to Uyuni Bolivia, a remote and tiny town, with no lodging or tour bookings. That bus ride from Sucre to Uyuni was the coldest of my life and seemed to get worse by the hour! That was despite wearing all my clothing, beanie and hood, minus my thermals, aka silk long underwear. I even held my luggage on my lap as a blanket.

so it was a fantastic deal. My group included some French newlyweds and three Australian friends. Our guide spoke little English, but was a fantastic driver and a very upbeat and comedic guy.

On the first day of the tour, we saw a 360-degree view of endless white salt and got to take some goofy iconic photos where perspective trickery is the main focus. This body of salt is the

Always room for one more Upon arrival, the traveler advice turned out to be first class, as a tour agent approached me immediately, offering the three-day Uyuni Salt Flat tour. I did a quick search for reviews, having Internet service despite being told I wouldn’t, and saw that the price was below what others had paid, combined with an almost perfect score, so I signed up. These things are usually quite easy as a single seat tourist.

There’s almost always at least one seat left for restaurants, tours and hotels.

I almost took the same tour from the Atacama desert in Chile, my trip origin point across the border, but the price then was about $450! And it was a good thing I waited, because this identical tour was under $100! The tour even included lodging and meals,

32 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

largest in the world and can be seen from space. Watching the sunset was also pleasant. While we were at very high elevations, at around 18,000-ft at the high points, we weren’t hiking and none of us felt tired or sick. Around 40 percent of the people can get headaches, feel dizzy or have serious medical episodes at these heights, but despite getting some pills just in case, I never felt any symptoms. I will say, though, that just walking a short way to the bathroom did have me feeling out of breath, as if I was back in high school running a cross country race around Lake Sacajawea!

My favorite part of the tour was a less talked about area right on the Bolivian-Chilean border in the southwest part of the country, called Laguna Verde, or “green lake.” The most famous attraction, one that even has passport control checkpoints, is Laguna Colorado, or “red lake,” but I had already seen many a red lake in my time, and even with the flamingos that turned red drinking the water, it was not a highlight for me.

Off road adventure One of my trip’s biggest adventure highlights so far happened as our tour group arrived back to Uyuni on the third day’s afternoon. I was warned earlier that the roads would be closed for a protest, but the same thing happened in other cities with no effect to the bus routes. Here though, the protestors meant business and our tour convoy of about eight cars had to drive way, way off road for about an hour south of Uyuni — even going through some small streams, causing some cars needing to be pulled out of the mud — before we got back.

While my bus was cancelled, I and about seven Europeans bought plane tickets out to the major northern city, La Paz, the next morning. I found out I was actually quite lucky, as the Switzerland tour group was stopped about six miles outside of town by the protesters and forced to walk back with all their luggage! And even the next morning, while the plane ticket was quite affordable compared to the rumored high-priced buses, the taxis were prevented from operating, so we had to walk about a mile and a half to the airport.

The atmosphere was straight out of a disaster movie. People were spreading cont page 33

Blackwood on Movies The public transit system in La Paz, Bolivia, consists of connected gondola lines with impressive views.

Below: Kunturiri’s 18,000-ft. elevation makes for challenging hiking. from page 32

rumors of the protestors’ motives and what they each had to go through to get back. As we walked, the already small town was even more like a ghost town, with everyone walking around aimlessly and many cars parked perpendicularly in the streets as a blockade to stop any remaining traffic. Word on the street was that the protestors were very angry with the town’s leadership and wanted the police officers and mayor to step down. Thankfully, our plane was almost right on time and we got out of there together.

town and even a capsule hotel like in Japan! I even saw “It 2,” the new movie based on a Stephen King book, on my street in an underground theater, in Spanish. It was a swell old time in La Paz.

I was very impressed by La Paz. Their public transit system is a bunch of connected gondola lines, so the view on your way anywhere is amazing!

The town has very unusual rocks and parks around the edges, $1 round trip mini buses 30 minutes out of

Sky high hiking The final day trip in Bolivia was hiking up to the summit of Kunturiri, the most difficult hike of my life.

Again, I faced an 18,000-ft elevation, but this time I was hiking all day.

Walking became like running once

Brad Pitt spends most of his time in an outer space costume in “Ad Astra.””

J

ames Gray directed Brad Pitt, Liv Tyler, Tommy Lee Jones and Donald Sutherland in “Ad Astra,” an attempt at showing the dangers of working and striving in outer space. Pitt played a competent space explorer, Major Roy McBride, who was trying to save his hard working father, played by Tommy Lee Jones.

The film has a certain amount of outer space grandeur, traveling from the moon to Mars, but most of the film seems to have people stuck in their space suits, unable to affect anything. They certainly had their problems trying to rescue the father (Jones) of Pitt and unable to prevent pirates from running around on the moon (I kept wondering which country the pirates were from, but I suppose that would be telling). I really felt sorry for Liv Tyler, as she seemed to be just miserable throughout the entire film.

I do sincerely support the outer space adventures of our scientists, and I hope they will continue to do the fine job they have been doing. Please don’t take this film as in any way a reflection of the folks who make our world just a little bit better among the other worlds of this universe.

I

cont page 38

Experience. Leadership. Dedication.

I’ve worked for more than two decades on developing policy, solving hard problems, effectively working with stakeholders, and designing good outcomes for cities, academic institutions, businesses, and nonprofits. My passions and expertise are community service and economic development.

I love Longview and I’m thrilled to contribute to our collective future!

elect

Longview City Council Position #2 Non-Partisan

Ad Astra, Downton Abbey:

By Dr. Bob Blackwood Two Surprising Films

Strobel hillary

Contact: hillary4longview@gmail.com Paid for by Hillary For Longview • PO Box 701, Longview 98632

remember sometime back when I first heard about “Downton Abbey,” a British TV show about a wealthy family in the 1920’s who were an interesting group of folks who had a large family and a large number of employees to keep everyone happy in Merry Old England. I saw a few episodes and decided that this show was strictly for the Brits, Jim Carter, Raquel Cassidy, Brendan Coyle, Kevin Doyle and though I noted over the years Phyllis Logan in “Downton Abbey.” that it was acquiring a good number of American viewers. There was more family members, more staff, more no surprise that some of the American visitors (including members of the Royal viewers had stayed loyal, and I was House for a brief over-nighter). Well, willing to give it a go round when that is certainly something special for the film from the TV show opened the middle class folks, but the Public in the USA. Broadcasting System did its best to make the show a hit in the USA. Let me be clear. This is still a British item. The people vary from We find all sorts of folks in this large those farming some areas, those home, even Irish socialist folks— working as members of the house shocking, eh? But, for the most part, it is proper and the Crawley family itself showing how the wealthy upper middle with Hugh Bonneville as Robert class do their best to interact with the Crawley (the biggie), Maggie Smith royal family’s very brief visit. After all, as Violet Crawley (always a scene how many people without a noble drop stealer), and Michelle Dockery as of blood will receive the honor of a royal Mary Crawley. There are many visit?

Dr. Bob Blackwood, professor emeritus of the City Colleges of Chicago, lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

I thought it was fun, seeing how the upper middle class relates to the nobility, though the emphasis is always on the just plain folks who work in the household and the changing times. You may enjoy it too. If not, there are always gangster films (I like ‘em), cowboy films (yup), and lots of romantic films out there.

•••

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 33

Clatskanie Fultano’s Pizza 770 E. Columbia River Hwy Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more!

Sun-Thurs 11am–9pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm. 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. Sports bar.

M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344

Rainier

COLUMBIA RIVER

dining guide

Longview

Homestyle cooking from the 1960s-1970. All natural ingredients. Beer and wine available.

Open Wed. thru Sun, 7am–8pm. 1140 15th Ave., Longview. See ad, page 8.

The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge

Full breakfast, lunch and dinner 6am– 9pm. Full bar in lounge, open 6am.

Three happy hours daily (8–10am, 12– 2pm, 5–7pm). Group meeting room, free use with $150 food/drink purchases.

1334 12th Ave. 360-425-8545.

Alston Pub & Grub 25196 Alston Rd., Rainier 503-556-4213 11 beers on tap, cocktails.

Open daily 11am.

503-556-9753 See ad, page 13.

Country Folks Deli 1329 Commerce Ave., Longview. Serving lunch and dinner. Sandwiches, soups, salads. Open M-Sat 11am. 360-425-2837.

1260 Commerce Ave. Serving lunch & dinner Mon–Sat 11am–10pm. Full bar, banquet space, American comfort food. 360-703-3904. www.millcitygrill.com. See ad, page 8.

Evergreen Pub & Café 115-117 East 1st Street Burgers, halibut, prime rib, full bar.

503-556-9935. See ad, page 13.

Goble Tavern 70255 Columbia River Hwy. (Milepost 31, Hwy. 30) Food, beer & wine + full bar, Live entertainment. 503-556-4090.

See ad page 13.

Freddy’s Just for the Halibut. Cod, halibut & tuna fish and chips, oysters & clams., award-winning clam chowder. Prime rib every Thurs. Beer and wine. M-W 10–8, Th-Sat 10–9, Sun 11–8.

1110 Commerce 360-414-3288.

See ad, page 10.

Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview M–Th 11am–8pm; Fri & Sat 11am– 9pm; Sun 11am–7pm. BBQ meat slowcooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. Worldfamous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541 See ad page 28.

Masthead Castaways 1124 Washington Way, Longview.

Famous fish & chips, gourmet burgers, Chowders. 13 beers on tap. Extra parking in back.

360-232-8500.

Luigi’s Pizza 117 East 1st Street, Rainier 503-556-4213 Pizza, spaghetti, burgers, beer & wine.

See ad, page 13.

614 Commerce Ave., Longview. 18 varieties of pizza. Salad bar, Lunch buffet all-you-can-eat. Beer & wine.

Mon-Fri open 11am, Sat-Sun 12 Noon.

360-353-3512.

34 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

St. Helens, Oregon

Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd.

Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine.

503-397-3211 See ad, page 37.

Scappoose Porky’s Public House 561 Industrial Way, Longview Slow-roasted prime rib Fri & Sat, flat iron steaks, 1/3-lb burgers, fish & chips.

33 draft beers. Full bar. Family-friendly, weekly jazz and acoustic dinner hour sets on Weds. 360-636-1616. See ad, page 9.

Red Kitchen 848 15th Ave., Longview. Cocktails, taps, vino. Traditional diner fare, breakfast, lunch, dinner. Sandwiches, burgers, funky comfort food, incl. Bacon Gouda Mac n Cheese, shepherd’s pie, healthy options. Full service bar, incl 12 taps. 7am–10pm, M-F, 8am–10pm Sat-Sun.

Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd.

Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!”

Sun–Th 11am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11am– 10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-5435100.

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 Roland Wines 1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, and beer.

Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Sat.

Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Fri Prime Rib special, Taco Tuesday. Full bar. M-Th 8am–9:30pm, Fri-Sat 8am–10:30pm, Sun 9am–9pm.

Karaoke Fri & Sat.503-410-5479.

Teri’s 3225 Ocean Beach Hwy, Longview.

Lunch and dinner. Burgers, steak, seafood, pasta, specials, fresh NW cuisine. Happy Hour. Full bar. Sun-Mon 3–8pm. Tues–Sat 11:30am–9pm.. 360577-0717.

Castle Rock Grant’s in the Monticello Hotel on Longview’s historic Civic Circle. Casual upscale dining. Seafood, steaks, pasta, burgers. M-Th 11-9, FriSat 11-10. 360-442-8234. See ad, page 8.

Fire Mountain Grill 9440 Spirit Lake Hwy, Milepost 19. Lunch & Dinner: Burgers, sandwiches, salads, steaks seafood, chicken & dumplings, housemade cobblers and infamous Bigfoot Burger. Riverside dining. Open 10am–7pm daily. 360-274-5217.

The Original Pietrio’s Pizzeria

Conestoga Pub Cornerstone Café 102 East “A” Street Microbrews, wines & spirits Prime rib Friday & Sat. Open M-F 6am–8pm; Sat-Sun 7am–8pm.

503-556-8772.

Toutle/Mt St Helens

Parker’s Restaurant & Brewery 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way. I-5 Exit 49.

Lunch, Dinner. Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta. Restaurant opens 11am, Lounge 12 Noon. Closed Monday.

360-967-2333

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

Astronomy

SKY REPORT Oct. 15 – Nov. 25

By Greg Smith

T

his is deep autumn and the major planets are plunging into the western horizon. By the 23rd of October around 9pm, even Saturn, the last of the summer’s major planets, has slipped into the western horizon. There will be no more bright planets until spring. This is the season of constellations. There are no planets to view that will distract us from the beauty of the deep sky.

Next FOG

The major autumn program: c o n s t e l l a t i o n s a r e “Explore the coming, taking their Night Sky with dominant positions, like Binoculars” Pegasus and Andromeda See page 31 commanding the high overhead sky. This is the best time to view the galaxy that rides on the outstretched hand of Princess Andromeda, also known as M31.

Unfortunately the autumn zodiac constellations are faint and not easily defined. These include Capricorn, Aquarius and Cetus the Whale. There are no bright stars marking these constellations, and they reside low on the southern horizon. There is one exception, the constellation of Taurus the Bull. It will be rising about 9pm.

When you see the very small dipperlooking group of stars known as the Pleiades, which rides on the shoulder of the Bull like a bird, Taurus is not far behind. This asterism (a group of stars that make a shape) is the prettiest group of stars visible with a pair of binoculars. Give it a try and you will not be disappointed. The Big Dipper is also an asterism, as it is a familiar shape within the larger Great Bear (Ursa Majo, a constellation).

The mighty Orion rises around midnight in the east in mid-October and around

9:45pm by Thanksgiving. Do not be dismayed, there is something big happening in the morning of November 11th. So you early readers of the Columbia River Reader, be forewarned. There will the passing of Mercury in front of the Sun. This is called a transit. Like back in 2012 when Venus passed in front of the sun. This year Mercury’s transit will be almost half over by the time the sun rises here in Washington.

Mercury will be a very tiny, perfectly round dot passing near the middle of the sun. With this years solar minimum in progress it may be the only dark spot on the sun. So if you still have your solar eclipse glasses dust them off and try to find tiny mercury.

•••

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.

We will rock you! t s e W e h t f o s e Min The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Friends of Mineralogy invites you to the 44th Annual Mineral Symposium & Show

Fri 5-9pm Sat 9am-9pm Sun 9am-12 noon

October 18-20 • Red Lion Inn • Kelso, Washington FREE Admission to the Mineral Show and Dealer Area Main Floor Dealers:

EARTH’S TREASURES • LEHIGH MINERALS • XTAL • PACIFIC RIM MINERALS

Additional Room Dealers will be selling minerals from Pacific Northwest and worldwide locations. Featuring at least 16 displays of world-class minerals, including one from Rice Northwest Museum of Rocks & Minerals

Featured Symposium Speakers

Erin Delventhal, Alex Homenuke, Virgil Lueth and Les Presmyk A Registration Fee is required to attend the Symposium.

For more information, including registration deadlines and costs, visit www.pnwfm.org or contact: John Lindell (lindell4@aol.com) or Bruce Kelley (bruce.kelley@gmail.com

WALSTEAD MERTSCHING Attorney Michael Claxton Licensed in WA & OR

Attorney Brian Brault LL.M in Taxation

ESTATE PLANNING & ELDER LAW Walstead Mertsching provides advice and a variety of estate planning services, including: • Asset Protection • Community Property Agreements • Durable Powers of Attorney • Guardianships • Healthcare Directives/Living Wills •Medicaid and Long-Term Care Issues • Probate • Tax and Retirement Planning • Wills • Will Contests

ATTORNEYS AT LAW

A Full Service Civil Law Firm for more than 90 Years CIVIC CIRCLE BUILDING, 3rd FLOOR 1700 HUDSON ST., LONGVIEW, WA

360-423-5220 Longview www.walstead.com

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 35

Miss Manners

from page 5

GENTLE READER: What do lawyers and judges think of laws that upheld human atrocities, even including slavery?

Etiquette, like the law, is traditionbased. But when there is good reason to change, both law and etiquette authorize change — if sometimes centuries after horrendous damage has been done.

Note the word “authorize.”

This process is not license for people to go about discarding obligations they do not like. You did well to check with the highest authority.

abolished the rule requiring social chaperones for respectable young people.

That they were not following it anyway may have had something to do with this leniency. It had always struck Miss Manners as strange that lingering forms of protectionism have restricted the lady, rather than the assumed predator.

She recalls making this point in regard to the women’s dormitory curfew rules of her school days. (Nobody listened, but 10 years later, another student — a future politician — successfully canceled the curfew.)

they have the decency to realize that they cannot trust themselves to behave professionally. In that case, they should, indeed, provide chaperones to keep themselves in line.

•••

A paramount consideration now is the devastating effect that such appendages would have on female careers. And in the cases you mention, it is the males who are calling for supervision. Perhaps

Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or via USPS to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.

In the matter of chaperonage, etiquette finally came to realize how vulgar it was to assume that given the opportunity, any man and any woman must be engaging in only one activity. So, a century ago, Miss Manners’ distinguished predecessors

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Cabaret

from page 15

year’s event chairman. If you can sing, dance, tell jokes — or even if you can’t — lots of volunteers are needed.

Opportunities abound for everyone, she said, both on and off the stage.

“I’ve never had more fun than participating in Cabaret,” said Peterson. “It takes hours and hours of time… people come out of the woodwork to shine on stage and contribute as they can.”

If you can’t make it on Oct. 21 but still want to be involved, contact Cheryl Spencer, 360-430-4800, for more information.

Everyone is wanted and welcome and no one will be turned away. Those unable to participate are encouraged to buy a ticket and support the show, Peterson said.

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The event “has developed a life of its own,” said Evans, who is also the “matriarch” and unofficial archivist of programs, news clippings and souvenirs from shows produced over the last 70 years. The shows have been staged at the Monticello Hotel, Kessler’s, George’s Broiler and the Columbia Theatre.

They’re all fundraisers.

“Most of the time, we focus on children and women,” Evans noted. This year’s net proceeds will go to Community Home Health and Hospice. The fundraising goal, to be met through corporate sponsorships, ticket sales, and a modest fee paid by participants, is $30,000.

Ramona Leber, the group’s treasurer, cited the challenge as an appealing part of Cabaret. “None of us have any other outlet...Whatever you can do, there’s a place for you.” This is a great opportunity for stretching one’s limits and getting to be on stage, she said.

It’s also fun for the audience to watch their friends doing something new and different, and everyone is amused and surpriseby the dances and kits. “They are quite clever,” Leber said.

Cabaret was a longstanding project of the Junior Service League, which after partnering with the Lions Club for a year or two, in recent years shifted its focus to its Annual Festival of Trees. Meanwhile, a separate non-profit, Cabaret Follies of Lower Columbia, was formed to carry on the tradition.

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“We just have a shared history,” Evans said of previous organizers.

And what a history — a tradition of flash, fun and friendly fundraising.

•••

503-397-3211

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 37

yrd Skynyrd

South America

the spectator

from page 33

more and I had to stop frequently.

It began to hail as we approached the summit! I met a great new friend on the hike from Sao Paulo, Brazil.

He was a career mining engineer, now retired in his late 40s and for the first time traveling the world.

I highly recommend the Bolivian Uyuni three-day salt flat tour!

Just don’t forget that US citizens currently need a $160 visa to enter the country and it’s better to take care of this before arrival. The La Paz gondola public transit system and nearby mountain hikes are also a delight. Make sure to take altitude sickness drugs if you don’t know whether or not you’ll be affected.

My next update will include Peru, Ecuador and possibly Colombia, my final stop.

••• During his travels, Perry Piper is working remotely for CRR and can refer clients to a technical consultant filling in for him to help with their computer needs. Reach Perry via email (perrypiper@hotmail.com) or text message 360-270-0608.

Outage questions?

There’s an app for that!

Friends along the Road of Life

R

etired attorney Don Frey and I have been friends for around 50 years. Even with hundreds of acquaintances, I have only a handful of really close friends. Don and I have a number of things in common.

We both write and share poetry with each other. We like and share similar books, by such authors as Robert B. Parker’s (Spencer novels), John Grisham, Willy Vlautin and a few others. We enjoy similar music, namely the blues, jazz and even rock and roll.

Over the years, sometimes we didn’t get together for months, but when we reunited, it was like we hadn’t been apart at all. Even now that Don is retired and my life, too, is a bit more leisurely, we still seem too busy to get together for coffee or lunch as often as we’d like. So when the opportunity arose to drive together to Lake Tahoe for a vacation, we were pumped. We motored to LakeTahoe, a 12-hour adventure, talking and laughing like a couple of teenagers.

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The GPS directed us over miles and miles of back roads, which was much more interesting than just sticking to I-5.

There were times when the Siri said things like, “Turn right on B Street and drive 3.5 miles, then turn left on Skid Avenue.”

We couldn’t believe that was correct, but we stayed loyal to her directions and eventually ended up at our destination.

We stayed in a condo located high above (elevation 7,400-ft) Lake Tahoe. We cooked dinner in our digs the first night, watched a little football and got to bed early, tired from the long drive.

A couple of days later we drove back to Reno to pick up Sue at the airport. She was a great addition to the mix, almost like a “social director” suggesting activities beyond just watching football.

One night we attended a rockin’ Lynryd Skynyrd tribute show at a casino on the Tahoe strip. Sue noticed that Downton Abbey, the film that CRR’s movie reviewer Bob Blackwood reviews in this issue (page 33), was playing at a nearby theatre. We hadn’t followed the series on TV, but indulged ourselves with a morning movie and loved the film.

Another evening, we drove to Incline Village, Nevada, a small town on Lake Tahoe’s North Shore, where Sue had arranged for us to meet a CRR reader, Kathryn Kelly, who spends part of her time in Scappoose, Ore. Kathryn had recently submitted an idea for a “People+Place” interview about barges on the Columbia River and had even gone along on the photo shoot. (Editor’s note: The story will run in the January issue of CRR.) We had a delightful time at a tapas bar and look forward to seeing Kathryn again.

It’s always nice to make new friends. And Sue and the CRR team appreciate ideas and input from readers. Here’s wishing you happy times on the road and the enjoyment of old and new friends.

•••

For more informat ase call our ple current openings, 55

) 575-49

38 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019

E

xperiencing an outage? We have an app for that.

Whenever we experience a large outage, I begin receiving texts and calls from folks wanting the inside scoop. Receiving those questions is one of my favorite parts about my job. I enjoy helping people and providing as much information I can. The problem is, not all of Cowlitz County has my cell phone number (and I’m not going to give it to everyone, either). So what do most people do to find out more information on an outage?

They call our Outage Hotline.

While our outage hotline is a reliable option, we have more resources to discover even more information on an outage that may be affecting your neighborhood.

On our website ( cowlitzpud. org/outages), you’ll find an up-to-the minute, interactive outage map that provides the location of the outage, number of customers affected, cause (if available), status of the crew and an estimated time of restoration.

This map is accessible through any electronic device.

As storm season approaches, communicating with our customers is our top priority.

We are continuously working to improve the resources we provide our customers. I encourage you to look into our outage map, follow us on social media (Twitter and Facebook) and know you can always give us a call at 360-4232210.

••• Alice Dietz is Communications/ Public Relations Manager at Cowlitz PUD. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360501-9146.

Avenue 1700 South 13th 6.

Kelso, WA 9862 ion about Job Hotline: (360

By Alice Dietz

Ned Piper is enjoying the football, leaf-raking and political seasons.

Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019 / 39

40 / Columbia River Reader / October 15 – November 25, 2019