What really — truly — happened during those final wind-blown, rain-soaked thirty days of the Lewis and Clark Expedition’s trek to the Pacific? Southwest Washington author and explorer Rex Ziak revolutionized historical scholarship by providing the answers: day by day and week by week.
Rex Ziak
$29.95
A true and accurate account of Lewis and Clark’s arrival at the Pacific Ocean, and their search for a winter camp along the lower Columbia River.
EYEWITNESS TO ASTORIA Gabriel Franchére
We’ll send your recipient a printed gift notification card.
$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.
In three editions:
• Boxed Signature Edition, with color $50
• Collectors Edition, with color $35
• Trade paperback B/W $25
• Audiobook $15 read by Hal Calbom (online only)
DISPATCHES FROM THE DISCOVERY TRAIL A Layman’s Lewis & Clark by Michael O. Perry. •BW Edition $35
Among the pleasures of publishing CRR these 20 years is meeting people while I’m out and about scouting for stories, working with advertisers and sponsors, and helping to distribute the paper.
For example, every month, my longtime friend and CRR proofreader Merrilee Bauman and I deliver one of the routes in what has come to be known as “The Territories,” the outer reaches of CRR’s readership area. The joke is that we are the royal “entourage” touring the commonwealth and spreading cheer. Actually, we take papers and fill sidewalk boxes in Columbia City, St.Helens, and Scappoose, Ore.. Sometimes people we encounter along the way recognize us and say appreciative, flattering things about CRR. Usually, they are simply fellow adventurers out enjoying the good life. We share a common cause. And almost everyone we meet is amicable!
I tagged along this month with Hal Calbom to the Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail (see story, page 17), with numerous friendly encounters along the path.
Publisher/Editor: Susan P. Piper
Columnists and contributors:
Hal Calbom
Nancy Chennault
Alice Dietz
Joseph Govednik
Jim LeMonds
Michael Perry
Ned Piper
Robert Michael Pyle
Marc Roland
Alan Rose
Greg Smith
Andre Stepankowsky
Debra Stewart
Debra Tweedy
Judy VanderMaten
Editorial/Proofreading Assistants:
Merrilee Bauman, Michael Perry, Marilyn Perry, Tiffany Dickinson, Debra Tweedy
Advertising Manager: Ned Piper, 360-749-2632
Columbia River Reader, llc 1333 14th Ave, Longview, WA 98632
P.O. Box 1643 • Rainier, OR 97048
Office Hours: M-W-F • 11–3*
*Other times by chance or appointment
E-mail: publisher@crreader.com
Phone: 360-749-1021
Ordinary people — friends, siblings, couples, inter-generational family groups like the one pictured below — were all out basking in the scenic beauty of the Gorge that spring day, This month, Marc Roland encourages readers to plan a wine tasting road trip (see page 27). Great idea! Consider a visit to the Catherine Creek Trail. Wildflowers should still be in bloom. Afterwards, I can recommend the Domaine Poullion Wine Bistro overlooking the river in nearby Lyle, Wash., where you can taste wine made from grapes grown just up the hill. The bistro’s at 34 State Street, and is open Wed - Sunday, 12–5:30pm.
Their delicious Ploughman’s Lunch — summer sausage, artisan cheeses, olives, hazelnuts, cornichons, quince and other fresh fruit, and baguette — is plenty for two and will fortify you after your hike. You can find several other wineries in the vicinity, too. Cheers!
Due to a mix-up in haiku submissions, two youth entries were “flip-flopped,” with the writers’ names reversed. Both were in the Youth Category. CRR regrets the error. Here are the corrected entries:
page 17.
The magnetic poles Are we alone in the sky? Too bad I can’t fly
– Kelvin Rose, age 11, Battleground, Wash
The cold polar wind
It whips my clothes all day long I love the Arctic.
– Tristan McClellan, age 13,Battleground, Wash.
Columbia River Reader is published monthly, with 14,000 copies distributed in the Lower Columbia region. Entire contents copyrighted; No reproduction of any kind allowed without express written permission of Columbia River Reader, LLC. Opinions expressed herein, whether in editorial content or paid ad space, belong to the writers and advertisers and are not necessarily shared or endorsed by the Reader.
Submission guidelines: page 32.
General Ad info: page 7. Ad Manager: Ned Piper 360-749-2632.
Visit our website for the current issue and archive of past issues from 2013.
n May 14, 1804, the Corps of Discovery set out on a journey that would cover almost 8,000 miles and take more than two years to complete. Preparations for the trip began a year earlier.
While the Lewis and Clark Expedition was a bigger undertaking, it was similar to camping trips many families take every summer — loading up the SUV, driving to the end of the road and hiking into the backcountry for a week or two. If you forget something, a credit card comes in handy; if you get lost, there’s always your cell phone.
But Lewis and Clark had to take everything they would need for the next two years. Their “camping” trip would take them into areas where no white man had ever set foot. They took items to trade with Indians for supplies. And while they would
“
carry a letter of credit from President Jefferson, there were no stores or hotels along their route, and nobody knew if they would find a trading ship waiting when — or if — they reached the Pacific coast.
During the spring and summer of 1803, Jefferson and Lewis worked feverishly to get organized. The President arranged for Lewis to receive instruction from prominent American scientists about botany, natural history, mineralogy and astronomy. Jefferson also secured passports from the French and British governments to allow the expedition to cross their territory.
However, the President’s most important contribution was his detailed instructions on June 20, 1803. I can only imagine today’s English teachers cringing at Jefferson’s run-on sentences in the following excerpts from his letter to Lewis:
… lots of whiskey…
I
mean, you think about 300 gallons, and 30 people. And every day, they were given a gill of whiskey. How much is a gill? Four ounces.”
Michael Perry enjoys local history and travel. His popular 33-installment Lewis & Clark series appeared in Columbia River Reader’s early years and helped shape its identity and zeitgeist. After two encores, the series has been expanded and published in a book. Details, page 2.
Lewis and Clark fell into relative obscurity during the rest of the 19th century. In the early 20th century, the Louisiana Purchase Exposition was organized in 1904 in St. Louis, Missouri. The following year, 1905, Portland, Oregon, held the Lewis and Clark Centennial Exposition, a feat of civic boosterism as much as historical recollection. Much of the memory of the Expedition over the years was kept alive using currency, U.S. postage stamps, the naming of U.S. naval vessels, geographic locations and a college, Lewis and Clark, in Portland.
The object of your mission is to explore the Missouri river, & such principal streams of it, as, by it’s course and communication with the waters of the Pacific ocean, whether the Columbia, Oregon, Colorado or any other river may offer the most direct and practicable water communication across this continent for the purposes of commerce.
Beginning at the mouth of the Missouri, you will take observations of latitude & longitude, at all remarkeable points on the river, & expecially at the mouths of rivers. Your observations are to be taken with great pains & accuracy. Several copies of these as well as your other notes should be made at leisure times, & put into the care of the most trust-worthy of
your attendants, to guard, by multiplying them, against the accidental losses to which they will be exposed.
Jefferson clearly valued the lives of the expedition members, but he valued even more the information that would be lost if they died en route.
He told Lewis to turn back if the journey proved too dangerous. If they reached the Pacific coast, Jefferson wanted Lewis to send copies of all the notes and maps back by ship, if possible. He didn’t want to risk the loss of everything on a return trip by land.
Lewis was also to serve as Jefferson’s roving ambassador to the Indian
In AprIl 2021 we Introduced A revIsed versIon of Michael Perry’s popular series which was expanded In the new book, Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, edited by Hal Calbom and published by CRRPress. It includes an in-depth author interview and new illustrations and commentary. This month’s episode begins the series anew.
15, 2024 / Columbia River
Lewis & Clark from page 5
nations they encountered. He was told to collect as much information as possible about each tribe’s territorial boundaries, their numbers, cultures, languages, religions, clothing, customs and housing.
Lewis was instructed to be friendly to all Indians, unless circumstances prevented it, and to inform them the United States now owned the Louisiana Territory. However, none of these instructions were to interfere with the principal goal: finding a practical water route to the Pacific.
So what kind of supplies did Lewis take? Obviously, surveying equipment and blank journals for record keeping. Just as important
Besides Jefferson’s impetus, the Expedition enjoyed the sponsorship of the American Philosophical Society, which strengthened its claim to be a journey of exploration and discovery, not simply a land grab. Lewis and Clark rewarded the Society for its hours of tutoring in natural science by cataloging more than 200 new plant and animal species during the Expedition.
were the guns and ammunition needed for both hunting and protection. Lewis expected the men would be able to feed and clothe themselves by hunting along the route.
While they took little food, they made room for lots of whiskey, a standard military ration in those days. They took tools such as axes, drills, and files. They also took a hundred pounds of “Indian presents” (beads, fishhooks, cloth, needles and knives) and a wide assortment of medicines.
... the United States now owned …
Guns were obtained from the federal arsenal at Harper’s Ferry, Virginia. One of the guns was an air rifle, which was to be of great interest to the Indians along the way. Lewis also had a 40-foot long collapsible iron-framed canoe made at Harper’s Ferry. The ribbed frame could be folded up until needed, and then covered with animal hides or bark. It sounded like a good idea, but Lewis would be disappointed when it failed to live up to expectations.
May 18 - Sat Forest Park – Maple Loop (S) Drive 90 miles RT. Hike an 8- mile loop with 500 e.g. Explore grotto-like canyons inside Portland’s “urban wilderness.” Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256.
May 23 - Thurs - Tacoma Tour via Amtrak Depart Kelso at 9:13am. Arrive in Tacoma 10:53 a.m. Divide into groups for self-guided tours of museums, other sights, and lunch. Museums are all within a 22-minute walk of train station; admission is extra. Chihuly Bridge is a 16-minute walk. Foss Waterway Seaport is a 32-minute walk. Reconvene at Tacoma Amtrak station at 6:00pm for 6:28 pm. departure, arriving in Kelso at 8:00pm. Leaders: Melanie F. 907- 351-8741, Barbara R. 360-431-1131
May 29 - Wed - Lake Trail Loop via Lacamas Creek (E) Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 4.9 miles with 500’ e.g. Great trail with wildflowers, birds and waterfalls. Leader: John R. 360-431-1122
May 31 - Fri - Hummocks to Johnston Ridge Observatory Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 10 miles out and back with 1,714’ e.g. on the Boundary Trail up to the observatory. Great views of the Toutle River drainage on the north side of Mt. St. Helens. Leader: Bill D. 503-260-6712
The Purchase now made it easier for them to get the money from Congress, because they’re going to go out now and establish trade, not just discover and explore. Jefferson wanted to go out and establish trade relations with the Indians, and let them know that we’re the new owner of the land, and to quit trading with the British and the French, because our people are coming out. Our business people will come out and set up trading posts.”
June/July/Aug • Tai Chi for Beginners Tues and Thurs – 10 AM Longview Parks & Rec 360 442-5400
Tai Chi for Health and Senior Fitness Instructor Register through
TCHI Certified Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevention (Standing/Seated) Tai Chi & Qigong for Health and Wellness (Standing/Seated)
The Administration on Aging (AoA) has rated the TCHI Tai Chi for Arthritis and Fall Prevent (TCA) program as the highest evidence-based program for older adults and wellness. More information at www.taichiforhealthinstitute.org.
Introduction to a sequence of six gentle tai chi forms beneficial for enhancing and sustaining strength, flexibility, balance, and could be the perfect activity for the rest of your life Register through Longview Parks & Rec (see above) Instructor: LaNay Eastman
In a June 19, 1803 letter to William Clark, Lewis said he wanted “stout, healthy, unmarried men, accustomed to the woods, and capable of bearing bodily fatigue in a pretty considerable degree.” Most men were recommended by their army commanders, and about 45 men gathered at Camp Dubois near the junction of the Missouri and Mississippi Rivers to spend the winter of 1803 getting ready to start their epic journey the next spring.
Next episode, we will retrace the steps of the Corps of Discovery as they made their way up the Missouri River.
June 1 - Sat - Lake Sacajawea (E) Walk 4 miles on flat ground around the whole lake or any portion for a shorter walk. **This walk is designed for super seniors and/or people with physical limitations at a slow pace.** Leader: Susan S. 360430-9914
June 5 - Wed - Mt. Tabor (M) Drive 110 miles RT. Hike a 3-mile loop with 300’ e.g. to summit viewpoint inside an ancient volcano crater. Leader: Bruce M. 360-425-0256
June 8 - Sat - Coldwater Lake via Lakes Trail (M/S) Drive 120 miles RT. Hike 8.8 miles RT with 770’ e.g., out and back along the north shore of the lake. Beautiful views and abundant wildflowers. Leader: Dory N. 213-820-1014
June 12 - Wed - Spirit Trails (E)Drive 74 miles RT to trailhead near Scappoose. Hike 3.5–4 miles through forest and see many shrines honoring a variety of religions along the trail. Leader: Art M. 360-270-9991
June 14 - Fri - Saddle Mountain (S) Drive 160 miles RT. Hike 7 miles RT with 2000’ e.g. At the top we all see great views of the surrounding mountains, Astoria and the Oregon coast. Leader: MJ Rheaume 360-355-5220 ‘
I am not and never was Donald Trump. Any similarity in our appearance is coincidental.
By Judith Martin, Nicholas Ivor Martin and Jacobina Martin
DEAR MISS MANNERS: There are so many requests to give donations at the checkout line these days -- sometimes multiple times in a day! I do give to worthy causes, but I have been asked at every visit to a particular grocery store, where I shop almost daily, for a contribution.
It has started to trouble me that all of these funds -- collected at the expense of the customers, and with such frequency -- serve to benefit these large stores as donation write-offs.
Add to this the implication that one is being miserly to the less fortunate if another donation isn’t made. Some people who would like to give generously are simply not in a position to do so, and shouldn’t feel embarrassed.
I have tried saying, “Thank you, I already donated,” which is accurate, but it doesn’t really address how unkind it is to put customers (and the sales staff, who have been told to ask) in such a position. I have also said, “Not today,” but I admit to feeling a little bad about that sometimes.
I am considering simply giving a warm smile and a, “Thank you, I donate privately.” How does Miss Manners feel about such a response?
GENTLE READER: Does this not seem to you like an inordinate amount of time to spend worrying about something to which the sales staff, the store manager and the other customers are not paying the slightest attention?
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I baked cinnamon rolls and decided to share part of the batch with a friend. I packed some in a container and sent them home with said friend.
At a later meeting, my friend returned the container, covered in residual frosting. I appreciated that they remembered to return it, but found it somewhat rude that it was dirty. When sharing cookware, whose responsibility is the washing?
GENTLE READER: The one who got the free cinnamon rolls.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I enjoy cooking and setting a nice table, and my spouse and I often invite several couples over for dinner. After the meal, I have come upon a problem: I don’t feel right clearing the table for able-bodied adults of equal status to me.
In the past, I joined in clearing family members’ dishes as a sign of respect for my in-laws or parents who were hosting, and I always scrape and rinse my own plate at friends’ houses. But I just don’t feel right taking the plates of our friends as they sit there with their posteriors glued to their chairs.
Something seems amiss if I am expected to be the server or cleaning crew. I’d just like everyone (or one member of every couple, whether male or female) to scrape their plates, briefly rinse them and stack them near the sink.
GENTLE READER: What is amiss, Miss Manners notices, is your definition of a host. You clear the
table when you are the host. The reciprocity comes when your friends entertain you.
Volunteer help is a bonus, and not every host wants it.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: As a young person, I learned that when making a phone call, you introduce yourself and then politely ask to speak to the person you are trying to reach. It’s a really effective way of starting a phone conversation on the right foot. Today, it seems no one practices this. Caller ID does not always provide a name or place of business, so I often have no idea who is calling. I am struggling to figure out a way to politely answer callers who start with, “Is this Wendy?”
Currently I ask them to please identify themselves, but I have a difficult time not being curt. These are not just telemarketers, but my doctor’s office, the dishwasher repairman, the furniture delivery driver, and so on.
What do you recommend that I say when picking up the phone and getting asked if I am who I am?
GENTLE READER: “Who is asking, please?”
DEAR MISS MANNERS: A family member has self-published a memoir of their life as an e-book. Although we are not close and live in different cities, we do enjoy chatting and catching up by phone from time to time.
I decided to purchase a copy, as I was curious about their perspective on various family events over the years, but found the book to be poorly written and generally uninteresting. Do I mention it when next we speak? If asked directly, is it acceptable to offer vague pleasantries or a fib? I have no wish to be unkind, as taking the trouble to write and publish this book clearly meant a great deal to my relative.
GENTLE READER: Then say something nice. Your relative is not inviting literary criticism, just a kind word.
And no, you needn’t fib, because for an author, any sign of apparent interest is a kindness. Miss Manners can offer you a few samples:
“You must have a wonderful memory to be able to recount all this.”
“You’ve certainly seen a lot of changes.”
“Was it difficult to go over all that again?”
“Are you planning a sequel?”
No, maybe not that last one.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: I am expecting houseguests, and their visit will include a Sunday morning. Normal Sunday mornings for us include a church service; we only stay home if someone in the house is ill or the roads are unsafe due to weather.
Our guests will be invited to join us at church, but if they decline, ought I stay at home with them? Or is it acceptable to leave them at the house with a generous supply of coffee, pastries and the Sunday paper?
GENTLE READER: There is no need for you to skip church. Miss Manners assures you that a quiet Sunday, with ample provisions, is the answer to your guests’ wishes -- if not their prayers.
DEAR MISS MANNERS: Have manners changed as to when someone can begin eating their meal? I grew up in a household that believed no one starts eating until everyone is served. My daughter-in-law thinks that if you are served a hot meal, you are allowed to begin eating it right away.
GENTLE READER: What one believes and what is proper are not always the same. The rule has not changed, but Miss Manners trusts that
Jake McLeod, DPM, of Longview Orthopedic Associates, is one of only a handful of surgeons in the Pacific Northwest to offer minimally invasive bunion procedures to his patients. This technique means a much more rapid return to normal activities.
“Typical bunion procedures rely on larger incisions with more soft tissue dissection in order to get the correction necessary,” McLeod said. “This added dissection can cause more scarring, more swelling, and — in some cases — more pain than a minimally invasive approach.”
Recovery time varies from patient to patient and is often dependent on the patient’s activity level prior to surgery. However, in many instances recovery time is roughly a month faster with minimally invasive surgery as compared to a traditional open bunion correction.
Call before you go ! Are
Dr. McLeod has been performing minimally invasive procedures for the past three years. “I learned this technique from a colleague at a surgical training course we were doing together,” he said. “I have been quite pleased with the results.” Since then, he has taught the technique to colleagues in the Pacific Northwest.
“It’s important to note that while minimally invasive surgery for bunions can be very beneficial, it’s not always the best procedure for a specific patient’s deformity or diagnosis,” McLeod said. “If a patient is seeking a surgeon that treats bunions, that surgeon should be knowledgeable about every method for fixing a bunion.”
Dr. McLeod is well-versed in a complete range of methods for treating common foot and ankle conditions. “I base my treatment plan on the needs of the individual patient, not on what I’m comfortable with or on which procedure is the easiest to perform.”
Following their morning walks through Longview’s Old West Side, friends Cal Fowler and Jackie Evans would rest on the benches at the Monticello Convention commemoration site near the Longview Public Library. They both have deep roots in Longview’s history. Cal’s great, great grandfather, Jesse Fowler, owned Fowler’s Slough which became Lake Sacajawea and Jackie’s grandfather, Jack Kelly, founded J.H. Kelly Plumbing & Heating, in 1923.
Jesse Fowler was one of the 44 signers of the Monticello Convention’s petition for Congress to designate the Washington Territory, the land north of the Columbia River. The Monticello Convention met along present-day Tennant Way. The original sign on the site was installed by the Daughter’s of the American Revolution. See interpretive panel and text, at right.
Jackie and Cal noticed that the wooden signs at the new site were beginning to badly deteriorate with age. Jackie first voiced the idea that, with Longview’s Centennial approaching, someone should see about giving the site a remodel. She called her son Mason Evans, CEO of J.H. Kelly, a company now 100 years old and a successful contractor with projects throughout the region and nation.
A committee to bring action to the idea was formed, consisting of Jackie Evans, Cal Fowler, Mason Evans, State Senator Jeff Wilson and his wife, Trisha, and the J.H. Kelly Company. They worked over several months, with guidance from the City of Longview, to advance and accomplish the project.
Monticello Convention Marker Dedication and Ribbon Cutting Thursday, May 30, 11am
Meet in front of Longview’s Hotel Monticello with the Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution, and walk to the Monticello Convention at 18th Avenue & Olympia Way for the ceremony.
The historical marker has been restored with landscaping, benches, three panels and an interpretive panel.
Info: calflower@comcast.net
By Ned Piper
The Monticello Convention occurred in the southeast corner of modern Longview, between Tennant Way (Hwy 432) and the Cowlitz River. A modern commemorative sign is posted near a walnut tree planted
during the convention. In the 1920s, the Daughters of the American Revolution wanted to commemorate this location significant in the signing of the Monticello Convention, which successfully petitioned Congress in 1853 to create a new territory north of the Columbia River from the Oregon Territory. Washington Territory was born in Longview from that convention.
The first official memorial was installed in 1952 at the original site, telling the story of the new Washington Territory, along with the name of the signers of the convention. Many were prominent early settlers of this region, including Simon Plamondon, H.D. Huntington, Seth Catlin, and Arthur Denny of Seattle fame.
In the 1960s, Highway 432 was expanded, and the commemorative panels were relocated near the Longview Public Library. The dedication of this relocation was documented in 1967 with two of the original panels, and a third panel created to the same scale.
In 2023, after 70 years of withstanding the elements, the original 1952 panels were replaced and the surrounding area was restored by Jackie Kelly Evans, Calvin Fowler and J.H. Kelly, along with Senator Jeff Wilson and his wife Trisha Wilson.
Columbia River Reader BOOK
Gift Books Lewis & Clark, Longview’s Centennial, Columbia River poetry, art, history, see pg 2 Gift Subscriptions for yourself or a friend!
you will teach this to your daughter-in-law with your behavior, not by rudely correcting her manners.
Mon-Wed-Fri • 11am–3pm Other times by chance or
1333 14th Ave, Longview Free local delivery of books 360-749-1021
DEAR MISS MANNERS: It’s nearing that time again: time for the ridiculous show of kindergarten “graduations.” I generally decline invitations to any such events, but this year I have a grandniece “graduating” who lives in the same town I do. I feel I should attend and do my best to limit any eye-rolling. Is a gift required? What does one get a 6-year-old for this event?
GENTLE READER: You seem to have difficulty appreciating the solemnity of the occasion and your grandniece’s mastery of academic skills. Therefore, Miss Manners suggests that you approach it, instead, as the young lady’s entry into (slightly) higher education.
You would not, then, give her a toy, but an introduction to a subject that interests you -- science, art, history, whatever that may be. The present could be a book at the first-grade level or, better yet, an excursion with you to a museum, laboratory, national monument or such. Along with your sincere efforts to spark her interest.
Think of the future, when you attend the ceremony at which she receives her Ph.D.
cont. page 35
How do astronomers come up with the names for comets?
It is a bit odd, but not too complicated.
They are designated by the year of their discovery followed by a letter indicating the half-month of the discovery and a number indicating the order of discovery (a system similar to that already used for asteroids). For example, the fourth comet discovered in the second half of February 2006 was designated 2006 D4. Prefixes are then added to indicate the nature of the comet:
Half month = January A,B; February C,D; August P,Q; September R,S and so on.
Dec. is X,Y, as they do not use the letter I as to not confuse it with the number1.
Prefixes:
P/ indicates a periodic comet, defined for these purposes as any comet with an orbital period of less than 200 years or confirmed observations at more than one perihelion (close sun passage).
C/ indicates a non-periodic comet i.e. any comet that is not periodic according to the preceding definition. There are more designations, but these two are the most commonly used.
So if you see a comet listed like this — P/2004 Q2 — it is the second periodic comet discovered in 2004 in the last
half of August. If a person found it, it will have the person’s name attached to it, as in Banner P/2004Q2. It may even be just called Comet Banner. If it was discovered by one of the automated telescopes it will have the telescopes name as in PANNSTARS P/2004Q2.
Why don’t they just use the date as in Banner P/2004 8/B-2, showing that it was the second comet recognized in the last half of August of 2004? This would be a lot easier to understand. Sometimes astronomers are not that logical and have to complicate things more than they have to be. Astrophysics can get very complicated on its own without arbitrarily adding to it.
As I said at the beginning, it’s odd, but not too complicated. A bit obtuse to add another list to memorize just to confuse non-astronomers.
Planets galore this month!
The Evening Sky
A clear sky is needed.
Mid-May through Mid-June, the night sky is empty of planets. It is a good time for learning the constellations. In the East is the large constellation of Boötes. It kind of looks like a kite. There is the very bright star Arcturus at its narrow end. At magnitude -0.07, it is one of the first stars to come out at night. There’s a simple way to find it by following the arc of the handle of the big dipper through the sky till you reach the bright Arcturus. The first of June will find it high in the SE sky. There are five stars that make up the kite shape of the constellation.
Should the supernova that is supposed to happen this summer occur, it will be to the left of Boötes not all that far from Arcturus. It will be in the dim small constellation of Corona Borealis. Look up this constellation online. You may also find information on the anticipated supernova.
The Morning Sky
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.
A cloudless eastern horizon sky is required. Planets galore this mont!. Saturn leads the morning parade of planets in early June before 4am. Then comes Mars just after 4am. The last bit of the waning moon is next. Then comes Mercury and Jupiter in the growing glare of the rising Sun at 5am. On June 4th , Jupiter and Mercury are in conjunction just as the sun rises at 5:25 am. By June 18th , Jupiter is just above the horizon at 4:30 am. The rest of the summer Jupiter will be rising earlier and earlier, along with
By Greg SmithAll times are Pacific Daylight Savings Time
Moon Phases:
First Quarter: Wed., May 15
Full: Thurs., May 23rd
Last Quarter: Fri., May 31st
New: Thurs., June 6th
1st Quarter: Fri., June 14th
End of twilight - when the brightest stars start to come out. It takes about another hour to see a lot of stars.
Sun., May 19th, 9:17pm Fri., May 31st, 9:32pm Mon., June 10th, 9:41pm Mon., June 17th, 9:44pm
Mars and Saturn. Saturn’s rings are flattening out from our perspective and in a few months will be almost invisible, as they will be edge-on in our view of the planet.
Night Sky Spectacle
A clear sky is a must.
While you are in the area of Corona Borealis, find the next-over constellation of Hercules. The main way to find Hercules is to find the four stars that make up the odd square shape trapezoid, the body of Hercules. On the right side of this trapezoid, about one third of the way down, is the star cluster of M13. You can see it in binoculars, as a tight ball of fuzz. If you have a telescope of any size, you will see a tight mass of stars, estimated to be the home of 300,000 to 500,000 stars. Just imagine what a night sky would look like from a planet around a star in that mass of stars — virtually no night time.
Biz Buzz notes news in local business and professional circles. As space allows, we will include news of innovations, improvements, new ventures and significant employee milestones of interest to readers. Please email publisher@crreader.com to share the local buzz.
Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce recently welcomed Bonnie Delaney as its new CEO, anticipating her proven skills in leadership, strategic planning and community engagement will support the growth and success of the Chamber and its influence to help the Kelso-Longview community create
a strong and successful business environment. She presided over the Chamber’s Pillars of Strength & Crystal Apple Awards banquet May 2 at the Cowlitz Event Center. A multitude of scholarships, educator and business awards were presented, including Small Business of the Year Bob’s Merchandise , Large Business of the Year Koelsch Senior Communities, Business Individual of the Year Cal Miller, Large Non-Profit Youth & Family Link and Small NonProfit Life Flight Network.
Kalama resident Dan Polacek recently finished an interpretive panel that will be dedicated at the site of the Monticello Convention marker near the Longview Public Library on May 30 (see story, page 9). Polacek worked on the project with Cowlitz County Historical Museum director Joseph Govednik, as well as Jeff Wilson and other members of the Longview ‘23 Club. Polacek serves as the Port of Kalama’s legislative/public relations administrator and in his spare time, enjoys doing design work on a pro bono basis for non-profits. The Monticello Convention panel follows others he completed last year for Victoria Freeman Park, near the log arch at Lake Sacajawea, near the Shay Locomotive, and two others at R.A. Long Park across from the Monticello Hotel.
Jeanne Nortness , Elementary Principal for Three Rivers Christian Schoo l, is retiring this year after 40-plus years of serving in Christian education. She’s been a lifetime learner, going far above and beyond her state licensure, including earning a Master’s Degree in Educational Technology in order to serve as an administrator at Three Rivers Christian School. She has taught multiple generations of Cowlitz County students and provided stellar administration, overseeing Chess Club, Robotics, Speech Meet and many other school activities. In retirement, she will get to spend more time with her husband Steve and family, gardening, and volunteering with organizations she loves including Royal Family Kids and Altrusa of Longview/Kelso.
Erin Hart, Superintendent of Three Rivers Christian School , finished her PhD in Organizational Leadership from Columbia International University in August 2023. Dr. Hart did her dissertation research on steward leadership practices in sustainable, mission-achieving private schools. Three Rivers Christian School is the only fully-accredited, PreK-12 private Christian school in the Lower Columbia region.
Hart began working at TRCS in 2009 as the Development Director, and became Head of School/ Superintendent in 2015.During her tenure the school has obtained the Beacon Hill campus and first obtained accreditation through the Association of Christian Schools International (ACSI), Cognia, and the Evangelical Financial Council of America (ECFA)
She lives in Longview with her husband, Seth, and daughters Scarlett and Ruby.
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TStory and photos by
Joseph Govednik, Cowlitz County Historical Museum Directorhe King Agriculture Museum is the largest antique tractor museum between Seattle and Portland with more than 100 antique tractors, rare agricultural and logging equipment, local history items, train memorabilia, vintage toys, and much more! The museum is conveniently located in downtown Centralia just 400 feet from the Centralia Amtrak station. For an added adventure, take the train and enjoy the antique shops and dining around downtown, all in walking distance!
The museum boasts an impressive gift shop for all your souvenir and kids’ toy needs. What I like about this museum is the variety of items on display. Exhibits go beyond agriculture and include such items as a cabinet of vintage California Raisins and Smurf figurines, the Twin City Drive-In neon sign, retro kitchen gallery, and model aircraft and trains. Among one of the surprises uncovered was a gallery showing pieces of the iconic Kalakala “Silver Slug” ferry which operated in Puget Sound. Part of the ship is incorporated into the wall and visitors may enter the gallery using a hatch from the Kalakala. If you like motorcycles and large model aircraft, those are on display too.
Adding to the eclectic mix are antique sewing machines of multiple manufacturers, each with their factory transit chest. David King, the founder of this museum, gives tours of the museum, testament to a lifelong labor of love. The King Agriculture Museum is mostly housed in an unheated vintage warehouse, so operational season is June 1 through September, from 10am-4pm
Hwy 101, South Bend, WA 360-875-5224
• Long Beach Peninsula Visitors Bureau 3914 Pacific Way (corner Hwy 101/Hwy 103) Long Beach, WA. 360-642-2400 • 800-451-2542
• South Columbia County Chamber Columbia Blvd/Hwy 30, St. Helens, OR • 503-397-0685
• Seaside, OR 989 Broadway, 503-738-3097; 888-306-2326
• Astoria-Warrenton Chamber/Ore Welcome Ctr 111 W. Marine Dr., Astoria 503-325-6311 or 800-875-6807
Thursdays through Sundays. Admission is $6 for adults, children under 12 are free. For more details call the museum at 360-701-7525 or visit the museum’s website at: https://kingagmuseum.com. A grand seasonal opening will be on June 1st with free admission and light refreshments that day only, although donations are gratefully accepted.
Join chairs
Chris Searing • Byron Hanson, MD
Josie Rosa • Sean Atkins at the 21st Annual PeaceHealth St. John Golf Classic
Friday, July 12
Longview Country Club Register at www.peacehealth.org/sjgolf
We are grateful to our board, volunteers, community members, and local businesses for making this event possible. The funds raised through the Golf Classic will support PeaceHealth St. John Medical Center’s mission to provide quality healthcare close to home.
Celebrating life in the Columbia River region, supporting local journalism, and spotlighting community causes
For information about becoming a sponsor, please contact publisher@crreader.com or call 360-749-1021. Thanks to our sponsors: Weatherguard • Cutright Supply • NORPAC • Sue
slantz@windermere.com www.suelantz.com 360-751-5157
They paved paradise and put up a parking lot
“Big Yellow Taxi,” Joni Mitchell’s bouncy cab-full of commentary, resonates more than ever. And she keeps at it...
They took all the trees and put ‘em in a tree museum
And they charged the people a dollar and a half just to see ‘em.
More than 400 other artists have recorded and performed “Taxi.” Mitchell and her acolytes have firmly established — laid down in asphalt, even — “paving paradise” as a rueful truth for our times.
A truth still biting and bad, right? Well…right now I’m not so sure.
Lately we seem to be having trouble managing our own Earth awareness and stewardship. People are getting out in droves, and the outdoors is suffering for it. Trails, parks, campgrounds and, yes, even parking lots, are crowded and congested. More and more pathways and pristine spots are being overrun and degraded by different user groups — many on two wheels — and thousands of human feet.
Our cultural institutions feel the paradox, too: How do we balance people and preservation? We endanger, by our very presence, the very things we wish to exalt and hang on to. And who are we to deny these experiences to the one in six of us with disabilities, or of a certain age, or simply not up for trekking Nepal?
Our trails trip up the Columbia Gorge to Catherine Creek reinforced for us that if we wish to keep things pure and pristine, we may need to take Joni’s Jibe out of the realm of satire.
Paving paradise isn’t just for exploiting wilderness and our natural environment. It can also be, as we found out on this Universal Access Trail, a useful way to preserve, protect and promote.
It’s the hIker’s moment of truth: Go steeply, bravely, up the hill above the highway, or stroll more gently, leisurely, down the hill below it?
It’s a bright day with a slight wind, calm for the often gusty micro-climate that is this magnificent gorge, the second National Scenic Area ever declared in the United States. Among a dozen cars parked off Old Highway 8 at a hillside trailhead above the Columbia Gorge, the day hikers are limbering up and choosing their routes.
“We love the paved trail,” said longtime friends Pat Sterling and Lee Nordgren, who meet often to share favorite hikes. It’s a lot friendlier for old ladies.” The paved trail is just that — the lower and gentler of the two at this trailhead — a relatively easy 1.2-mile walk, rich with wildflowers and basalt formations and views of the river, and paved like a city sidewalk.
Opposite, above the road, climbs a 4-mile trail called Rowland Ridge, undemanding by true trekker standards, but formidable for most of the rest of us tenderfeet. Below the road unwinds its counterpart. The Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail — something of a novelty among Northwest hiking trails — is, in the words of one pundit, “a trail for all the rest of us.”
“We tried the upper trail and it about killed us,” said Pat. “This one got all kinds of attention on Facebook, and we read about it and it sounded great!”
Seasons Greetings
The lower trail serpentines a basaltic bluff high above the river. Interpretive signs are keyed to geology, climate, and flora. Guidebook guru Craig Romano calls this “one of the blooming best trails in the Gorge when it comes to displaying the region’s floral diversity.” Depending on the “wildflower window” February through June, hikers savor twinflowers,
THIS IS SO MUCH DIFFERENT FROM A COUPLE OF WEEKS AGO!
death camas, grass widows, lupines, bitterroots, Oregon sunshines and penstemons, among others.
“Things change so fast — this is so much different from a couple of weeks ago!” Brian Snyder of Vancouver was snapping flower photos when we encountered him a few hundred yards down the trail. Until now it’s not occurred to me that “the ideal time” to hike a trail like Catherine Creek actually might be six different times, each two weeks apart.
A frequent hiker and avid photographer, Brian cites the benefits of the asphalt, not just the smoothness of the stroll. “I think the big help with the paving is the wear and tear on the trail itself. This gets an awful lot of traffic and handles it well.”
from page 17
IT’S
“And if it weren’t paved I wouldn’t be out here,” chimed in his sister Gail, two guidebooks and a walking stick in hand. The seasonality of the hikes seems as special to wildflower lovers as the terrain and its features. “This is a perfect day, very little wind,” said Gail, “in a few weeks it can be a hundred degrees here and this place just fries. The weather hits this place pretty hard.”
“And then new flowers come up!” interjected brother Brian. These two have seen some miles and some seasons together.
Preserve, Protect, Promote
monitored, and sustainably promoted recreational activities around. The sacred rites and rules of the trail — don’t pick or plunder, leave things as you encounter them, respect the environment and your fellow trails people — pervade the organizations and institutions that maintain them, too.
“We have over a hundred members now,” said Bruce McCredie, president of the Longview-based Mt. St. Helens Club. “and the Club is almost a hundred years old itself.” The hiking club has sought out numerous
From our brief introduction to it, Northwest hiking seems to be among the most organized, carefully cont pg. 19
Photos, clockwise from top: The trail overlooks the Columbia River and the massive basalt deposits split by Highway 14.
Brian Snyder tracks the seasonal blooms with his camera.
National Scenic Areas, by definition, are less stringently reserved than Wilderness Areas, and encourage integration of business and people.
Wildflowers put on their show every spring in the Gorge.
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trails in the Catherine Creek area. “It’s a great spot, a real micro-climate,” he said. “I’ve got nothing against paved
trails — and many former railroad beds have been converted to multi-use trails, great especially for bikes.”
The Club’s website and bylaws reflect its conscientiousness and environmental stewardship. Guidelines for guests include 17 separate instructions; and
Average Crowds
1.2 mile loop trail
Elevation Gain: 90 feet
Dogs permitted on leash
ADA Accessible
No Permit required
From Washington Take I-205 to Exit 27 toward Camas onto WA-14 E (Lewis and Clark Hwy) up the Columbia. Continue 4.5 miles past Bingen. Just after Milepost 70, turn left onto Old Highway 8. Continue for 1.4 miles to the trailhead and parking. Privy available mid-Jan through mid-June.
From Oregon Take I-84 and cross the Columbia at The Dalles, Hood River, or Cascade Locks (Bridge of the Gods), follow Hwy 14 directions to Bingen.
You are invited to the Monticello Convention
Ribbon Cutting Ceremony
Thursday, May 30 • 11am
offers of membership are extended only after participation in four club events: hikes tend to be on Wednesdays and Saturdays. (See hike listings, page 6.)
“Yes, we bend over backwards to respect the trails and the environment,” said Bruce, “but we also have a lot of fun out there. The main thing I get from the club is socializing with the other members in some wonderful places.”
Craig Romano’s day hiking bible, Columbia River Gorge , reflects this
Columbia Gorge National Scenic Area
GETTING
•Camas Historic Downtown — shops, coffee and galleries
•Pendleton Woolen Mills — mill and store in Washougal
•Spring Creek National Fish Hatchery — open to the public
•Beacon Rock — state park and manageable climb up this Columbia landmark (Discover Pass required)
•Domaine Pouillon — winery and tasting bistro in Lyle
ON THE OREGON SIDE
•Multnomah Falls and Lodge — one of the state’s most popular attractions
•Crown Point —Vista House viewpoint highlighting pioneering scenic road building
•Bonneville Dam — First on the Columbia with rich history, self-guided tour
•Cascade Locks — Charming town at the foot of Bridge of the Gods
Meet in front of the Hotel Monticello with the Sons & Daughters of the American Revolution, and walk to the Monticello Convention at 18th Avenue & Olympia Way for the ceremony. The historical marker has been restored with landscaping, benches, three panels and an interpretive panel (see story, page 9)
The Evans Kelly Family
The way I glorify God when I wrestle is by praying for me and my opponent before the match and staying humble after I win, and gracious if I lose.
Questions? calflower@comcast.net
One Of LOngview’s piOneer famiLies. Proud Sponsor of People+Place
Weatherguard supports the FCA vision: To see the world transformed by Jesus Christ through the influence of coaches and athletes.
fastidious approach to the sport. Its first 28 pages rate over 110 hikes in everything from aesthetics to degree of difficulty, and deal in depth with permits, wilderness ethics, trail etiquette, poison oak, ticks and rattlesnakes, and even responsible defecation: “Choose a site at least 200 feet from water, campsites, and the trail…”
Clubs and guides concentrate especially on gear and preparation, from the oftpublicized Hike Essentials to appropriate shoes and dress. “There’s no such thing as bad weather,” Bruce quipped, “only bad rain gear.”
Generations
Lest we think the Catherine Creek Universal Access Trail only hosts people of a certain age, around the corner come Mike and Diane Nilson with their grandkids, Everett and Juniper, two generations out for an afternoon. (See Sue’s Views, page 3.)
We gaze together at tugs pushing massive loads downstream on the Columbia, meadows full of bright purple and yellow, perfectly situated benches for rest and respite, and simply get to know each other. We exchange greetings with passersby. Smiling seems to be the dominant language.
“This place is incredible,” said Mike. And we agree.
Interviews are edited for clarity and concision.
Universal access
accommondate all ages,
levels and physical abilities.
Hal Calbom, a third-generation Longview native and author of Empire of Trees: America’s Planned City and the Last Frontier, produces CRR’s People+Place monthly feature, and is CRRPress associate publisher.
It’s been a very long winter! This is an understatement for those of us that rely on Mother Nature’s seasonal push to get out and moving in our gardens each spring.
Finally, the warning of “until the danger of frost is past” has passed. What motivates gardeners to grab every daylight hour we can? What temptation causes us to longingly look up from our desk and pine for the great outdoors? Mild temperatures and sunshine, it is as simple as that.
It hurts good
I overheard a conversation while shopping recently that echoes throughout our region after a day of warm weather. “I’m so sore!” the shopper moaned. “I spent the entire day in my yard. I hurt all over. It was wonderful.” The cashier responded, “I hope to do the same on my days off if the weather is good. I want to be sore, too.”
Why do we do this to ourselves? Is this tradition? Is this penance for enjoying a fabulous spring day? I can identify with these gardeners because the same thing happens to me. I gratefully worked several enjoyable hours in my garden today. I’m sore. I hurt all over. It is wonderful. I hope to be able to do the same tomorrow.
Here are a few reminders as you first get going. It would be a shame to suffer bodily injury before even having a chance to enjoy spring. After all, summer is just around the corner.
Dress in layers
Peel clothing off and on as needed. Wear light colored shirts and jackets on sunny days and do not wear anything yellow and avoid fragrances, both of which attract bees and yellow jackets
Lather the sunscreen on all exposed, or soon-to-be exposed body parts.
Stretch and warm up gradually
Do just as you would as you begin your daily exercises. Lift heavy objects with your legs, not your back. Try not to lift and twist at the same time because this action can cause back injuries. Breathe deeply and pace yourself. Taking a moment to rest while you admire your accomplishments is one of the rewards for all your hard work.
Drink lots of water
Eat a snack for lunch instead of sitting down to a big meal. You’ll not only feel more like getting out into the garden again, but your digestive system will appreciate it, too. It is best to “graze” throughout the day. Grapes, dried fruit, raw almonds or walnuts, carrots and cheese sticks are favorites. It is possible to pull weeds with one hand and eat with the other when you have a snack in your pocket!
Don’t be caught red-handed
Have a gardener’s salve or lotion with you outdoors. Hands constantly go from wet to dry to wet again and can become chapped and cracked in an afternoon. A lip balm with sunscreen is a good investment, as well.
Gardening is non-combative, but put on the gloves
A good pair of lightweight, gardening gloves is essential. If you find some that can be laundered and breathe so your hands don’t sweat, buy two or three pair. Chances are you will misplace a pair sometime during the day. With an extra pair, you won’t spend valuable time searching for them.
The right stuff
Choose pruning tools, trowels, garden spades and wheelbarrows that fit your hand and body size comfortably and keep them in good working order. There is nothing worse than trying to dig a clump of weeds with a shovel twice your size or maneuver a cumbersome cart down the garden path. Put your name on them! If someone borrows them, hopefully you will get them back.
Have a bucket containing all the necessities that can never be found. You’ll have more time to enjoy in the garden if you don’t have to constantly look for twine, trellis ties, hose mending supplies, measuring cups, scissors, a kneeling pad and that extra pair of gloves.
The insects are buzzing with activity as the season warms toward summer. Most bugs out there are good bugs. Very few do any damage to home gardens. Identify the damage and the culprit correctly. Do not wrongly accuse an innocent insect! Know the natural predators and encourage their presence. Tolerate some insect feeding on your flowers. Beneficial insects need something to eat. Why would Mama Ladybug lay her eggs on a plant that doesn’t have some aphids for her babies to eat? If you are going to have ladybugs as insect control, you are always going to have some aphids in your garden.
Consult with a nursery professional about appropriate control measures that are specific to the pest, once it is determined that the insect is indeed a pest. Avoid chemical sprays that say “All Purpose.” Always use pesticides according to label directions. The label is a contract. Once the purchase is made, you are legally responsible for using the contents within the specifications of the label.
1 cup rubbing alcohol
1 tsp liquid dish soap
1/2 tsp vegetable oil
4 cups water
Shake well and store in a wellmarked spray bottle. Apply directly to the insects you wish to kill. Repeat as needed.
Nancy Chennault is a member of “Castle Rock Blooms’” team of volunteers. She and her husband, Jim, operated a landscaping business and independent nursery/ garden center for 20+ years. She wrote CRR’s Northwest Gardener column with great spirit and pizazz from 2006 until early 2017. After a seven-year hiatus she has come out of “retirement” to reconnect us with some of her favorite gardening topics.
Active or retired clarinet players!
Please consider joining the Lower Columbia Clarinet Guild If you need a clarinet, we can get you one. Our library includes 200+ tunes arranged for clarinet ensembles: Bach, Broadway, Bond, Batman, Beatles — everything from “1812 Overture” to “The Lion Sleeps Tonight.” If you are interested, contact kirkpatrick@kalama.com, or call Rich Kirkpatrick 360-636-2211.
Arthritis isn’t just an inconvenience. It is a painful, debilitating condition caused by joint inflammation. It most commonly affects the hands, lower back, knees, hips, feet, and neck.
Nearly 60 million Americans suffer from arthritis. If you are one of them, consider having your condition assessed at Longview Orthopedic Associates.
The American College of Rheumatology notes that 790,000 knee replacements and 544,000 hip replacements are performed in the U.S. annually. These numbers continue to grow as the population ages. Total joint replacement is one of the safest and most reliable treatments in any area of medicine.
It is possible to regain your mobility and quality of life. Call LOA today to schedule an appointment.
We’re
The Longview Public Library’s Seed Library is hosting a free workshop on May 25th at 1pm, with Christine Ebrahami introducing our community to rock gardening and how we can grow amazing alpine and arid plants, even in this wet climate!
Please call 360-442-5300 to reserve your spot in this hands-on workshop. All materials will be provided free of charge.
In addition, the Seed Library continues to have a variety of crop, flower, and native seeds for patrons to grow. The Seed Library is a free program committed to supporting community gardeners of all levels. Seeds may be “borrowed” by browsing the seed card catalog in the library on the main floor or by mail. Learn more about our seeds, plant books, and resources for check out here: https:// www.mylongview.com/808/ Seed-Library
For more information about these events and all the spring happenings at the Longview Public Library, please call 360-442-5300, visit longviewlibrary.org or Facebook.
It’s delivered all around the River by the 15th of each month. Here’s the handy, regularly-refilled sidewalk box and rack locations, where you can pick up a copy any time of day and even in your bathrobe:
U.S. Bank
Post Office
Bob’s (rack, main check-out)
In front of 1232 Commerce Ave
In front of 1323 Commerce Ave
In front of Elam’s 1413 Commerce
In front of Freddy’s 1110 Comm.
YMCA
Fred Meyer (rack, service desk)
Teri’s on Broadway
Grocery Outlet, OB Hwy
The Gifted Kitchen (711 Vandercook Way)
Fibre Fed’l CU - Commerce Ave
Monticello Hotel (front entrance)
Kaiser Permanente
St. John Medical Center (rack, Park Lake Café)
LCC Student Center
Indy Way Diner
Columbia River Reader Office
1333 14th Ave. (box at door)
Omelettes & More (entry rack)
Stuffy’s II (entry rack)
KELSO
Visitors’ Center / Kelso-Longview Chamber of Commerce
KALAMA
Etc Mercantile
Fibre Fed’l CU
Kalama Shopping Center corner of First & Fir
Columbia Inn
McMenamin’s Harbor Lodge (rack)
Luckman’s Coffee, Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama
WOODLAND
The Oak Tree
Visitors’ Center
Grocery Outlet
Luckman Coffee
CASTLE ROCK
Lacie Rha’s Cafe (32 Cowlitz W.)
Parker’s Restaurant (box, entry)
Visitors’ Ctr 890 Huntington Ave. N., Exit 49, west side of I-5
Cascade Select Market
VADER
Little Crane Café
RYDERWOOD
Café porch
TOUTLE
Drew’s Grocery & Service
CLATSKANIE
Post Office
Mobil / Mini-Mart
Fultano’s Pizza
WESTPORT
Berry Patch (entry rack)
RAINIER
Post Office
Cornerstone Café
Rainier Hardware (rack, entry)
Earth ‘n’ Sun (on Hwy 30)
El Tapatio (entry rack)
Grocery Outlet
Senior Center (rack at front door)
DEER ISLAND
Deer Island Store
COLUMBIA CITY
Post Office
WARREN
Warren Country Inn
ST HELENS
Chamber of Commerce
Sunshine Pizza
St. Helens Market Fresh
Olde Town: Wild Currant, Big River Tap Room
Safeway
SCAPPOOSE
Post Office
Road Runner
Fultano’s
Ace Hardware
WARRENTON, OR Fred Meyer
CATHLAMET
Cathlamet Pharmacy
Tsuga Gallery
Realty West
Puget Island Ferry Landing
SKAMOKAWA
Skamokawa General Store
NASELLE
Appelo Archives & Café
Johnson’s One-Stop
ILWACO
Time Enough Books (entry table)
Temperature conditioned units -15 sizes!
RV Storage • Boat Moorage
Quality since 1976
On-site Manager
503-728-2051
503-369-6503
t’s wine tasting season. Many of our readers start making the annual pilgrimage to wine country this time of year. As the weather improves, so does our sense of an impending road trip.
There is no better excuse. A wine tasting jaunt is an enriching experience with the opportunity to explore a variety of wines while expanding your palate and knowledge, along with taking in the breathtaking landscape of the Pacific Northwest. Start making plans now! Just as there are rituals and customs associated with planning any road trip, a wine tasting trip starts with putting together a good playlist.
Lots of snacks are a must, along with a well planned itinerary. There are also etiquettes to observe when participating in a tasting. Here, we delve into the nuances of wine tasting etiquette, from tasting techniques to social interactions:
First and foremost, pick two or three places to visit
Avoid trying to go to too many places in one day. Arrive at the tasting with an open mind and a willingness to learn. Did you get that? It’s all about learning. That means try something different from what you normally like. Whether you’re a novice or a seasoned enthusiast, approach each wine with curiosity and respect. Be mindful of your surroundings and fellow tasters, as the ambiance of the event plays a crucial role in enhancing the tasting experience.
Start with lighter-bodied whites and progress to fuller-bodied reds, following the suggested tasting order if provided.
•It’s rude to refuse some wines because you don’t think you will like them.
•Hold the glass by the stem to avoid warming the wine with your body heat, and take a moment to observe the wine’s color and clarity before swirling it gently to release its aromas. This step shows that you are approaching the wine with interest.
•When it comes to tasting, take a small sip and let the wine coat your palate, noting its flavors, acidity, and tannins. Avoid wearing strong fragrances or chewing gum, as these can interfere with your ability to fully appreciate the wine’s nuances, but more importantly, think about the people around you. You don’t want to interfere with their enjoyment of the moment. Use the dump bucket provided to discard any wine you don’t wish to finish, being mindful not to waste. Ask for a smaller pour on wines that you don’t think you will like.
Interacting with hosts and winery staff is an integral part of the tasting experience
Ask questions about the wines being poured, the winemaking process, and the history of the winery. Engage in conversation with your hosts, expressing appreciation for their knowledge and expertise. This is the number one rule for having a great time: Interact and show interest. If you do, you may get an extra pour or an offer to tour the winery!
•When engaging with fellow tasters, remember to be courteous and respectful. Avoid monopolizing the pourer’s time or interrupting others while they’re tasting. If you overhear someone discussing a wine you’ve tried, feel free to join the conversation and share your thoughts, but do so in a manner that fosters dialogue rather than debate. Don’t be a know-it-all.
•Please remember that wine tasting is subjective, and everyone’s palate is unique. Don’t feel pressured to conform to others’ opinions or preferences. Trust your own senses and instincts.
Wine tasting etiquette is about more than just following rules; it’s about cultivating an atmosphere of appreciation, curiosity, and camaraderie
by Andre Stepankowsky
Award winning journalist Andre Stepankowsky is a former reporter and editor for The Daily News. His CRR columns spring from his many interests, including hiking, rose gardening, music, and woodworking. More of his writing can be found under “Lower Columbia Currents” on substack.com
Since Daylight Savings time and the calendar are officially indicating spring, you may be eager to head outside and enjoy the blooms and the critters. Mt. St. Helen’s Club is a group of more than a hundred men and women who regularly get out to do just that. We offer several different avenues to experience the great outdoors.
We have hiking of course, with great hikes geared to your level of ability. They range from Easier (E) to Moderate (M) to Strenuous (S).
For the adventurous, we often head out on our bikes, kayaks or snowshoes. And a few times a year we’ll even pack up for the weekend, which allows us to hike areas further afield.
Longview resident and former Kelso teacher Marc Roland started making wine in 2008 in his garage. He and his wife, Nancy, now operate Roland Wines at 1106 Florida Street in Longview’s new “barrel district.” For wine tasting hours, call 360846-7304.
By observing proper etiquette and approaching each tasting with an open mind and respectful attitude, you’ll not only enhance your own experience, but also contribute to the enjoyment of those around you.
So, as you prepare to go on your next adventure, don’t forget to include a visit to a winery or two. There are many located just a pleasant drive away, including the Columbia Gorge, Yamhill County, and Walla Walla areas. And spontenaeity can be fun: “Hey, Siri, find wineries near here.”
There are also those of us who enjoy our slower walks, where we take our time, enjoy nature and each other’s company.
We always welcome guests and are eager for new members to join us. We’re sure we’ll have an activity that suits both your interest and ability. Contact our hike leaders to get started. You can find our hike and walk schedules on our website, mtsthelensclub.org or every month in CRR (see page 6).
See which ones speak to you. Come join us and bring a friend!
— Maureen BaldwinMt. St. Helens Club publicity committee
The curious thing about fishing is you never want to go home. If you catch something, you can’t stop. If you don’t catch anything, you hate to leave in case something might bite. --Gladys Taber, American author and columnist, 1899-1980
Ability is the art of getting credit for all the home runs somebody else hit. --Casey Stengel, American Major League baseball player and manager, 1890-1975
Never lend books, for no one ever returns them; the only books I have in my library are books that other folks have lent me. --Anatole France, French poet and Nobel Prize-winning author, 1844-1924
Difficult times have helped me to understand better than before, how infinitely rich and beautiful life is in every way, and that so many things that one goes worrying about are of no importance whatsoever. --Isak Dinesen, Danish author, 1885-1962
Flops are a part of life’s menu, and I’ve never been a girl to miss out on any of the courses. --Rosalind Russell, American actress, 1907-1976
When we treat our neighbors as they deserve to be treated, we make them even worse; when we treat them as if they were who we wish they were, we improve them. --Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, German polymath and writer, 1749-1832
Walking, ideally, is a state in which the mind, the body, and the world are aligned, as though they were three characters finally in conversation together, three notes suddenly making a chord. Walking allows us to be in our bodies and in the world without being made busy by them. --Rebecca Solnit, American writer, 1961Every improvement in communication makes the bore more terrible. --Frank Moore Colby, American educator and writer, 1865-1925
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.
oing about my job, I pass many “Little Free Libraries” and often stop and browse. I keep a bag of books in my car to trade, as the custom is to take one, leave one. I’ve picked up some of my most treasured authors this way. Recently, I found this book by Charles Finch, and it opened a whole new world of 19th-century London to me. It’s not usually my kind of book. I don’t have an appreciation for the long-winded, awkward sentence structure of this time period. However, Finch writes in a way that lets me escape into the past where they get about on horses, deal with servants, and read five newspapers a day to keep up on current events.
The main character, Charles Lenox, is a member of the House of Commons, but also an amateur detective. He can’t resist the feeling of exhilaration from the chase. His latest case involves a mistaken identity which may have led to the murder of the wrong man at the hands of hired ruffians. But who did the hiring? This complex yarn takes him into the very orbit of the Royals to find answers. An Old Betrayal is the seventh book in this series,
but each book also can stand on its own. I’m now on my twelfth Charles Lenox book. You could say, I’m hooked.
Raymond Carver Writing Festival
Fri-Sat May 17-18
Clatskanie Cultural Center, 75 S. Nehalem Street, Clatskanie, Ore.
FRIDAY
5pm Publishers and Writers Fair
6-7:30pm Reception with Chad Wrigelsworth, Portland poet and essayist Kim Stafford.
7:30-8:30pm Storytelling/prose at Fultano’s Pizza, 770 E. Col. River Hwy
7:45-8:30pm Poetry Reading with Robert Michael Pyle at Flowers n Fluff, 45 E. Col River Hwy
8:45-10pm Readings at Colvin’s Pub & Grill, 135 N. Nehalem Street
SATURDAY
10am Kim Stafford, “A Conversation about Writing,” Clatskanie Cultural Center, followed by workshops organized by novelist Marianne Monson, of the Astoria Writers Guild.
Afternoon: In commemoration of Carver’s visit to Clatskanie 40 years ago, Parking Lot Poetry will be read at the Evergreen Shopping Center/Safeway parking lot, 401 W. Columbia River Highway. The Clatskanie Library, 11 Lillich Street, will offer writing prompts for those who wish to steal time for writing.
4:30pm Readings by youth winners of the Raymond Carver Writing Festival Poetry Contest, Clatskanie Cultural Center.
6pm Dinner at the Food Hub, 80 NE Steele Street. $20 per plate. A potluck of pies — Carver’s favorite dessert.
6-9pm Winners of the adult poetry contest will present their poems, followed by an open mic poetry session hosted by Joseph Green, a Longview poet and retired Lower Columbia College professor.
For more schedule details, visit clatskaneiarts.org
Located in the historic Castle Rock Bank Building 20 Cowlitz Street West Mon-Sat 8:30–5 • Sun 10–4 360-916-1377
PAPERBACK FICTION
1. A Court of Thorns and Roses
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
2. The Three-Body Problem
Cixin Liu, Ken Liu (Transl.), Tor, $18.99
3. Happy Place
Emily Henry, Berkley, $19
4. A Court of Mist and Fury
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
5. Dune Frank Herbert, Ace, $18
6. Never Whistle at Night
Shane Hawk (Ed.), Theodore C. Van Alst Jr. (Ed.), Vintage, $17
7. Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone Benjamin Stevenson, Mariner Books, $18.99
8. Just for the Summer Abby Jimenez, Forever, $17.99
9. Bride
Ali Hazelwood, Berkley, $19
10. A Court of Wings and Ruin
Sarah J. Maas, Bloomsbury Publishing, $19
1. The Backyard Bird Chronicles
Amy Tan, Knopf, $35
2. Braiding Sweetgrass
Robin Wall Kimmerer, Milkweed Editions, $20
3. The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine Rashid Khalidi, Metropolitan Books, $19.99
4. All About Love: New Visions bell hooks, Morrow, $16.99
5. The Body Keeps the Score: Bessel van der Kolk, M.D., Penguin, $19
6. Killers of the Flower Moon
David Grann, Vintage, $18
7. World of Wonders
Aimee Nezhukumatathil, Fumi Nakamura (Illus.), Milkweed Editions, $20
8. On Island Time
Chandler O’Leary, Sasquatch Books, $24.95,
9. Dinners with Ruth Nina Totenberg, Simon & Schuster, $18.99
10. Street Trees of Seattle Taha Ebrahimi, Sasquatch Books, $22.95
PBy Alan Rose
James Percival Everett
Doubleday $28
ercival Everett can be very funny about things that are not in the least bit funny, as in The Trees (2021), a history of lynchings, or Erasure (2001), recently made into the Oscarwinning screenplay for “American Fiction.” In James , he retells The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, but from the perspective of Jim, the character escaping slavery.
Here are many of the events told by Huck— finding Jim on Jackson Island, floating down the Mississippi on their makeshift raft and “borrowed” canoes, the wily and unscrupulous Duke and Dauphin—but the story appears differently when seen through Jim’s eyes.
In Twain’s telling, Jim is kindly, not too bright, uneducated,
1. Funny Story
Emily Henry, Berkley, $29
2. The Women Kristin Hannah, St. Martin’s Press, $30
3. James Percival Everett, Doubleday, $28
4. The Familiar
Leigh Bardugo, Flatiron Books, $29.99
5. Table for Two: Fictions
Amor Towles, Viking, $32
6. The Paris Novel
Ruth Reichl, Random House, $29
7. Demon Copperhead
Barbara Kingsolver, Harper, $32.5
8. The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store
James McBride, Riverhead Books, $28
9. Remarkably Bright Creatures
Shelby Van Pelt, Ecco, $29.99
10. The Covenant of Water
Abraham Verghese, Grove Press, $32
1. An Unfinished Love Story Doris Kearns Goodwin, Simon & Schuster, $35
2. Somehow: Thoughts on Love Anne Lamott, Riverhead Books, $22
3. The Anxious Generation
Jonathan Haidt, Penguin Press, $30
4. The Creative Act: A Way of Being Rick Rubin, Penguin Press, $32
5. The Wide Wide Sea Hampton Sides, Doubleday, $35
6. Knife
Salman Rushdie, Random House, $28
7. There’s Always This Year Hanif Abdurraqib, Random House, $32
8. The Age of Magical Overthinking Amanda Montell, Atria/One Signal Publishers, $28.99
9. The Wager David Grann, Doubleday, $30
10. Atomic Habits
James Clear, Avery, $27
Brought to you by Book Sense and Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association, for week ending April 28, 2024, based on reporting from the independent bookstores of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. For the Book Sense store nearest you, visit www.booksense.com
1. Goodnight Moon
Margaret Wise Brown, Clement Hurd (Illus.), Harper, $10.99
2. The Very Hungry Caterpillar Eric Carle, World of Eric Carle, $10.99
3. Bluey: Queens Penguin Young Readers, $5.99
4. Bluey: Camping Penguin Young Readers, $5.99
5. Jamberry
Bruce Degen, HarperFestival, $9.99
6. Little Blue Truck Feeling
Happy Alice Schertle, Clarion Books, $14.99
7. Buffalo Fluffalo Bess Kalb, Erin Kraan (Illus.), Random House Studio, $18.99
8. Where the Wild Things Are
Maurice Sendak, Harper, $21.99
9. Knight Owl Christopher Denise, Christopher Denise (Illus.), Christy Ottaviano Books, $17.99
10. Dragons Love Tacos Adam Rubin, Daniel Salmieri (Illus.), Dial Books
1. The Eyes and the Impossible Dave Eggers, Shawn Harris (Illus.), Knopf Books for Young Readers, $19.99
2. The Night War
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Dial Books, $17.99
3. Working Boats
Tom Crestodina, Little Bigfoot, $19.99, 9781632172594
4. The Last Cuentista
Donna Barba Higuera, Levine Querido, $10.99
5. The War That Saved My Life
Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, Puffin, $9.99
6. A Wolf Called Wander Rosanne Parry, Mónica Armiño (Illus.), Greenwillow Books, $9.99
7. Haru: Book 1: Spring Joe Latham, Andrews McMeel, $14.99
8. A First Time for Everything
Dan Santat, First Second, $14.99
9. Wings of Fire: A Guide to the Dragon World Tui T. Sutherland, Joy Ang (Illus.), Scholastic Press, 10. Ferris
Kate DiCamillo, Candlewick, $18.99
A different account of a raft trip down the Mississippi
and superstitious. In Everett’s retelling, it’s all an act the enslaved people play, the role expected of them, which includes translating their words into “slave talk”
(“White folks expect us to sound a certain way and it can only help if we don’t disappoint them.”)
In one scene, Jim teaches the enslaved children how to talk in front of White people, using a hypothetical situation: Mrs. Holiday has started a grease fire on the stove.
“Mrs. Holiday is about to throw water on it. What do you say? Rachel?”
Rachel paused. “Missums that water gone make it wurs!”
“Of course that’s true, but what’s the problem with that?”
Virgil said, “You’re telling her she’s doing the wrong thing.”
I nodded. “So, what should you say?”
Lizzie looked at the ceiling and spoke while thinking it through. “Would you like for me to get some sand?”
“Correct approach, but you didn’t translate it.”
She nodded. “Oh, Lawd, Missums ma’am, you wan fo me to gets some sand?”
Alan’s haunting novel of the AIDS epidemic, As If Death Summoned, won the Foreword INDIES Book of the Year Award (LGBT category.) He can be reached at www.alan-rose.com.
“What you doin’ out here?” (Huck) asked.
“Furst off, I’m freezin’,” I said. “What you be doin’ on dis ilan? And why you got blood all ova ya?”
“I kilt myself,” the boy said. I looked him over. “You din’t do a good job.”
‘Well, Miss Watson, that damn judge and Pap think I’m dead and that’s all that matters. They think I was murdered.”
“Why dey think dat?” I asked.
“I kilt a pig and spread his blood all around Pap’s cabin. I made a mess like there had been a fight in there.”
In my head I was doing the math. Huck was supposedly murdered and I’d just run away. Who did I think they would suspect of the heinous crime?”
–from James
Not surprising, slavery is much more brutal from Jim’s perspective than in the original, with the lashing and lynching of the men and the casual rape of the women. Even Twain’s venerable Judge Thatcher is confronted with his role in the system: “I can’t feed your fantasy that you’re a good, kind master,” Jim tells him. “No matter how gentle you were when you applied the whip, no matter how much compassion you showed when you raped.” The institution of slavery degraded and dehumanized the enslaver and the enslaved alike, though in different ways.
In an interview, Everett emphasized that his book is “not in any way an indictment of Twain at all. I’m writing the novel that Twain was— not ill equipped—but unequipped to write. That being the story of Jim. So, I consider this more as being in discourse with Twain.”
Everett’s book even improves on the original by throwing in a twist that Twain would never have seen coming, yet worked far better than that long, unnecessary final segment on the Phelps farm (What was Twain thinking?)
Fultano’s Pizza
770 E. Columbia River Hwy
Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more!
Dine-in,Take-out and Home Delivery. Visit Fultanos.com for streamlined menu. 503-728-2922
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant
640 E. Columbia River Hwy
Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. Dine-in, curbside pickup. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-728-3344
102 East “A” Street
Microbrews, wines & spirits 7am–8pm Daily. Inside dining.
Interstate Tavern 119 E. “B” St., (Hwy 30) Crab Louie/Crab cocktails, crab-stuffed avocados. 17 hot and cold sandwiches. Amazing crab sandwiches. Full bar service. Catering for groups. 503-556-9950. interstatetavern@yahoo.com
El Tapatio
117 W. ‘A’ Street
Mexican Family Restaurant. Open Fri-Sat 11am-11pm, rest of week 11am-10pm. Full bar. Karaoke Fri-Sat 8-11pm. Patio seating. 503-556-8323. Longview,
1335 14th Avenue
18 rotating craft brews, pub fare. M-Th 11am–8pm. Fri-Sat 11am–10pm; Sunday 11am–6pm. Local music coming soon. 360-232-8283. Wine Wednesdays: $5 pours.
Bruno’s Pizza 1108 Washington Way. Pizza, breadsticks, wings, salads, fish & chips. WE DELIVER. Four beers on tap. 360-636-4970 or 360-425-5220,
Restaurant & Lounge
The Carriage Restaurant & Lounge (formerly located on 14th Ave).
New location: 3353 Washington Way (formerly Regents) Chinese & American cuisine. New menu in the future. Full bar, banquet room available for groups, special events. Restaurant: 11am–9pm, Lounge 11am–1:00am. 360-423-8680.
The Corner Cafe
796 Commerce Ave. Breakfast & Lunch. Daily Soup & Sandwich, breakfast specials. Tues-Sat 7am-3pm. Closed Sun-Mon. 360353-5420. Email: sndcoffeeshop@comcast.net
Country Steak House
936 Ocean Beach Hwy. Lunch & Dinner. Great steaks, pot roast, burgers, Friday night smoke BBQ, banquet room. Open Mon-Thurs 11am–8pm, Fri-Sat 9am–10pm. 564-217-4129.
Eclipse Coffee & Tea
In the Merk (1339 Commerce Ave., #113)
360-998-2139. Mon-Fri 8am–4pm. Specialty coffees, teas, bubble teas and pastries....drinks with a smile. Takeout and on-site.
Freddy’s Just for the Halibut 1110 Commerce Ave. Cod, Alaskan halibut fish and chips, awardwinning clam chowder. Burgers, steaks, pasta. Beer and wine. M-Sat 10am–8pm, Sunday 11am–8pm. Inside dining, Drive-thru, outdoor seating. 360-414-3288. See ad, page 22.
Hop N Grape 924 15th Ave., Longview Tues–Thurs 11am–7pm; Fri & Sat 11am–8pm. BBQ meat slowcooked on site. Pulled pork, chicken, brisket, ribs, turkey, salmon. World-famous mac & cheese. 360-577-1541.
Kyoto Sushi Steakhouse 760 Ocean Beach Hwy, Suite J 360-425-9696. Japanese food, i.e. hibachi, Bento boxes, Teppanyaki; Sushi (half-price Wednesdays); Kids Meal 50% Off Sundays. Mon-Th 11-2:30, 4:30-9:30. Fri-Sat 11am10pm. Sun 11am-9pm.
Lynn’s Deli & Catering 1133 14th Ave.
Soups & sandwiches, specializing in paninis, box lunches, deli sandwiches and party platters. Mon-Fri 8-3, Saturday 10-2. 360-577-5656
Roland Wines
1106 Florida St., Longview. Authentic Italian wood-fired pizza, wine, and beer. Casual ambience. 5–9pm Wed-Fri, Sat. 1–9. 360-846-7304 See ad, pg 28.
Scythe Brewing Company 1217 3rd Avenue #150 360-353-3851 Sun-Thurs 11:30am -8pm; Fri-Sat 11:30am -10pm. Family-friendly brewery/ restaurant with upscale, casual dining, lunch and dinner.
Stuffy’s 804 Ocean Beach Hwy 360-423-6356 8am–8pm. Breakfast, lunch, dinner. American style food. Free giant cinnamon roll with meal purchase on your birthday with proof of ID. Facebook: Stuffy’s II Restaurant, or Instagram @stuffys2.
Teri’s Café on Broadway 1133 Broadway. Lunch and Dinner, full bar. Mon-Sat 11am–8pm. 360-577-0717
Luckman’s Coffee Company 239 Huntington Ave. North, Drive-thru. Pastries, sandwiches, salads, quiche. See ad, pg 34
Parker’s Steak House & Brewery 1300 Mt. St. Helens Way. I-5 Exit 49. Lunch, Dinner. Burgers, hand-cut steak; seafood and pasta. Restaurant open 1-8pm Tue-Th, 1-9pm, F-Sat. Lounge Happy Hours 4pm. 360-967-2333. Call for status/options.
Vault Books & Brew
20 Cowlitz Street West, Castle Rock. Coffee and specialty drinks, quick eats & sweet treats. See ad, page 28.
LUCKMAN’S COFFEE Market Timber Market, Port of Kalama. Open 11–7. See ad, pg 34
215 N. Hendrickson Dr., Port of Kalama. A Northwest pub and unique bars serving breakfast, lunch & dinner daily. Info & reservations, bar hours at mcmenamins.com. 8am–midnight daily. 360673-9210. Indoor dining, covered outdoor seating, curbside take-out
Antique Deli 413N. First. M-F, 10–3. Call for daily sandwich special. 360-6733310. See ad, page 35.
FIRESIDE CAFE
Open Wed-Sun, 9–4. See ad, pg. 35
Birrieria La Vaquin The best Birria Tacos! Mountain Timber Market, Port of Kalama. 360-431-7732. Open 11–7. See ad, pg. 35
Sunshine Pizza & Catering 2124 Columbia Blvd. Hot pizza, cool salad bar. Beer & wine. Limited inside seating, curbside pickup and delivery. 503-397-3211 See ad, page 26.
Big River Tap Room 313 Strand Street on the Riverfront.
Lunch/Dinner TueThurs 12–8pm; Fri-Sat 12–9pm. Chicagostyle hot dogs, Italian beef, pastrami. Weekend Burrito Breakfast, Sat 8-11, Sun
8am-3pm. Scappoose, Ore.
Fultano’s Pizza 51511 SE 2nd. Family style with unique pizza offerings, hot grill items & more! “Best pizza around!” Sun–Th 11am–9pm; Fri-Sat 11am–10pm. Full bar service ‘til 10pm Fri & Sat. Deliveries in Scappoose. 503-543-5100. Inside Dining.
Ixtapa Fine Mexican Restaurant 33452 Havlik Rd. Fine Mexican cuisine. Daily specials. The best margarita in town. Daily drink specials. M-Th 11am–9:30pm; Fri & Sat 11am–11:30pm; Sun 11am–9pm. 503-543-3017
Warren Country Inn 56575 Columbia River Hwy. Fine family dining. Breakfast, lunch & dinner. Full bar. Call for hours.503-410-5479. Check Facebook for updates. Dine-in.
DREW’S GROCERY & SERVICE 5304 Spirit Lake Hwy (10 mi.
49) 24-hour fueling (gas & diesel, card at pump, cash at Jule’s Snack Shack (when open). Red Leaf Organic Coffee.
Restaurant operators: To advertise in Columbia River Dining Guide, call 360-749-2632
Poem by Robert Michael Pyle
Photograph by Judy VanderMaten
Field Note by Hal Calbom
Like river pilings and other man-made features, the natural flora of the Lower Columbia have adapted remarkably to the extremes of tides, river flows, and weather. The Lewis and Clark National Wildlife Refuge and other preserved portions of the river offer access to these rare environments, known as part of the “estuary eco-system.” Natural adaptations include vast swamps of Sitka Spruce which have flourished for centuries in the hybrid environment of fresh and salt water, high and low tides. Dense thickets of coast willow, Sitka willow, twinberry, osier dogwood, and Nootka rose line the channels along with abundant sedges, wildflowers, and bulrushes.
Mostly, we tend to think of the big lives on the river — the ospreys and eagles, salmon and sturgeon, seals and sea lions and otters, and all of their ilk. But underlying, undergirding, underwriting all those grandees are the lesser lives, at least in matters of size. The fry and the copepods, the worms and the gastropods, all the large legions of invertebrates, whose mass far exceeds that of all the migratory whales.
The surprise is how many of these little creatures are no more native in these waters than the Chinese cannery workers, Finnish loggers, or the name “Columbia” itself. Whether riding Japanese tsunami or some flag’s ballast, they hail from elsewhere, just as most of us surely do.
Have you seen the yellow mayflies, big as grasshoppers and sometimes as thick as locusts? Noted the serried drifts of shiny olive clamshells on some wake-whacked beach? Who knows whose bilge they came in on. But someone eats them all, in this great flowing chowder, this soup-bowl of a river, where we are the least life of all in the long run.
AMERICA’S PLANNED CITY AND THE LAST FRONTIER
by Hal CalbomCrowds danced, watched a rodeo, a tree topping, and an aerial circus, heard the Portland Rosarian Band, and as a climax, listened to the preaching of the top evangelist of the time, Billy Sunday.
Virginia Urrutia
They Came to Six Rivers
Sunday typically did not preach outdoors, but thanks to the urging of Mr. Long, and a $500 honorarium, he mounted an outdoor pulpit and preached twice on the last day of the festivities. Sunday later remarked that he wouldn’t preach outdoors for anybody “but God and R.A. Long.”
Sounds slip through the mist Eerie, wailing, mournful laughs Loons upon the lake
This page and page 5 feature samples from CRRPress’s four books.
CRRPRESS was founded in 2020, with the first printing of Tidewater Reach, followed by Dispatches from the Discovery Trail, Empire of Trees, and Words and Wood.
For purchase info, see page 2.
Send your non-commercial community event info (name of event, beneficiary, sponsor, date & time, location, brief description and contact info) to publisher@crreader.com
Or mail or hand-deliver (in person or via mail slot) to: Columbia River Reader 1333-14th, Longview, WA 98632
Submission Deadlines
Events occurring:
June 15–July 20 by May 25 for June 15 issue.
July 15–Aug 20 by June 25 for July 15 issue. Calendar submissions are considered for inclusion, subject to lead time, relevance to readers, and space limitations. See Submission Guidelines below
Letters to the Editor (up to 200 words) relevant to the publication’s purpose — helping readers discover and enjoy the good life in the Columbia River region, at home and on the road — are welcome.
Longer pieces, or excerpts thereof, in response to previously-published articles, may be printed at the discretion of the publisher and subject to editing and space limitations.
Items sent to CRR will be considered for publication unless the writer specifies otherwise. Writer’s name and phone number must be included; anonymous submissions will not be considered.
Political Endorsements CRR is a monthly publication serving readers in several towns, three counties, two states and beyond and does not publish Letters to the Editor that are endorsements or criticisms of political candidates or controversial issues. (Paid ad space is available.)
Unsolicited submissions may be considered, provided they are consistent with the publication’s purpose. Advance contact with the editor is recommended. Information of general interest submitted by readers may be used as background or incorporated in future articles.
Outings & Events calendar (free listing): Events must be open to the public. Non-profit organizations and the arts, entertainment, educational and recreational opportunities and community cultural events will receive listing priority. Fundraisers must be sanctioned/sponsored by the benefiting non-profit organization. Commercial projects, businesses and organizations wishing to promote their particular products or services are invited to purchase advertising.
Dial M for Murder April 26–May 26. Stageworks Northwest. 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview, Wash. www. stageworksnorthwest.org.
Spring Author Series Appelo Archives & Museum Thurs, May 16, 1pm. Book reading, sales, signing by Hal Calbom (Empire of Trees) and Debby Neely (Words and Wood) Book info, page 2. Browse archive exhibits featuring old logging photos and memorabilia. Refreshments, free prize drawing. Info: appeloarchives.org
Safe Kids Coalition Car Seat Clinic Saturday, May 18 from 10am to 12pm at Cowlitz 2 Fire & Rescue, 701 Vine St in Kelso, Wash. Qualifying participants will receive one free car seat per car/family thanks to a generous donation by the Junior League of Lower Columbia. safeklidslc on Facebook.
Meet the Publishers Sunday, May 19th, 12-2pm. Vault Books & Brew. 20 Cowlitz St. W., Castle Rock, Wash.Reading/signing by Hal Calbom (Empire of Trees). Free prize drawings
Ribbon Cutting - Restored Monticello Convention historical marker, 11am, Thursday, May 30. Meet in front of Monticello Hotel, Longview, Wash., walk to marker for ceremony. See story, page 9.
A gift from Dr. and Mrs. H. Minthorn to the community via Lower Columbia College Foundation, The Minthorn Collection of Chinese Art encompasses a wide range of styles and is displayed in the upper level of the art gallery in LCC’s Rose Center, open M-Th 10–3 during current Forsberg Exhibition only. Free.
Lower Columbia Clarinet Guild invites new players. Active or retired. Details, page 23.
Columbia River Author Festival May 18, 10–4pm. Longview Public L:ibrary. Book Fair, kids’ crafts, 45+ local authors; readings all day. 1:30pm speaker: Tove Donovich, Oregon State Book Award Finalist.
14th Annual Tenor Guitar Festival May 31–June 2, Astoria, Ore. Fosters musicianship four strings at a time. Performers and teachers will use the mandolin, tenor guitar, banjo, violin and embrace multiple ways of tuning and varied genres of music. Workshops, jam sessions, two evening concerts. TenorGuitar. org. Info: John Halovanic, 214-223-1138 or johnhalovanic@tenorguitar.org.
1418 Commerce Avenue, Longview Mon thru Sat, 11–4. Visit the Gallery to see new work. For event updates check our website: the-broadwaygallery.com, at Broadway Gallery on Facebook, and broadway gallery longview on Instagram.
MAY: Guest artists
Jammie Axon (ceramics) Victoria Cooper (painting), JUNE: Gallery artists “Re-purpose, Re-use, Up-cycle”
Spotlight on Roses Fort Vancouver Rose Society’s 69th Annual Rose Show. Sat., June 29. 1–4pm. Large gym, First Evangelical Church, 4120 NE St. Johns Rd., Vancouver, Wash. For info re arrangement exhibits call 360-609-1749. Re photography entries, 360832-3155. www.fortvancouverrosesociety.org. Previous show photo at right.
see page 6
First Thursday, June 6, 5:30–7. Join us for refreshments, live music and New Art!
We are a great place to buy gifts! Free Gift Wrap on request. Gift Cards for sale! Classes & Workshops are back! Check our website or visit the Gallery for details.
The community is invited to join us in the classroom Saturday from 1-3 pm for a free Pop-Up Card workshop. Supplies included; bring scissors. All ages welcome, including children accompanied by an adult.
OPEN Tues - Sat 11–4
Find a unique gift! We have beautiful artisan cards, jewelry, books by local authors, wearable art, original paintings, pottery, sculpture, photographs and so much more.
A new musical melodrama featuring the masked swordsman Zorro will run July 12-28 at Stageworks Northwest Theatre, 1433 Commerce Ave., Longview.
“Zorro’s Grape Adventure” is set in a winery in old California during Spanish rule. In classic melodrama fashion, Zorro fights to stop a villain from taking the winery away from a widow and forcing her daughter to become his wife. Popcorn-throwing is encouraged.
Book and lyrics are by Rainier playwright Leslie Slape. Jamie Hegstad directs. Tickets may be purchased at www.stageworksnorthwest.com or at the door.
And we thought it was just a pretty ground cover!
letter arrived the other day in our mailbox from the Cowlitz County Noxious Weed Control Board. The letter indicated, in all caps, it was a REQUEST TO CONTROL the noxious weeds “that have been found at the above address,” our home address.
The weed in question was Shiny Geranium. A colorful description, complete with photographs of the offending weed, was included. We were given roughly two weeks to remove the weeds from our property. (Editor’s note: “Oh, no! The weed police are coming!”)
Ah hah! There it was. “During a routine survey, the following noxious weed(s) were identified on your property: (Shiny Geranium; along concrete wall visible from alley)
one growing season. Plants can eject seeds from each flower up to 20 feet from the parent plant, making containment difficult. Seeds remain viable in the soil for 2 years.”
I went out to the alley and, by golly, I found the culprits in an area four feet wide by 30 feet long, every square inch of dirt covered with Shiny Geranium, from our concrete wall to the alley. We hadn’t planted it there, and just assumed it was just a pretty ground cover.
A list of herbicides was listed on the page with the photos. Since neither Sue nor I are big fans of spraying chemicals on our yard, I decided to dig up the weeds.
With photographs of noxious Shiny Geraniums in hand I scoured our yard, finding no evidence of them. At this point I decided to read the letter in its entirety.
This pesky weed, according to the letter, “is a Class B Noxious Weed that outcompetes native species and spreads rapidly, producing up to 5 generations in
Our letter was very specific in designating the Shiny Geranium on our property. The Cowlitz Noxious Weed webpage listed an overwhelming number of noxious weeds – 161 in all, broken down into three categories. Shiny Geranium is in category B. “Noxious weeds” are non-native invasive plant species that are very aggressive, take over quickly, are difficult to control, and degrade agriculture and natural resources.
Under state law, landowners are required to control noxious weeds.
If you find a suspicious plant and want to know if it’s a noxious weed, dig it up and take it to the Control Board’s office on the 1st floor in the County Administration Annex at 207 Fourth Avenue North, Kelso.
Further instruction in the letter discussed how to dispose of the plants. Do not, I was advised, just toss them in the dumpster. The Control Board doesn’t want them to end up loose on the way to or in the landfill. I dilligently followed instructions to seal them in a plastic bag before disposing of them.
I will have to check the alley for the next two years, until any seeds will have lost their viability. We don’t want to be responsible for spreading a noxious weed. My apologies to our neighbors if we already have.
For more information, visit co.cowlitz. wa.us/noxiousweeds or call the Noxious Weed Control Board, 360577-3117.
Longview resident Ned Piper coordinates CRR’s advertising and distribution, and enjoys meeting/greeting friends, both old and new.
In partnership with Brian Magnuson, Cowlitz PUD’s live-feed osprey camera is now in its ninth season. The camera focuses on a platform Cowlitz PUD built more than 20 years ago near a utility pole to provide a safe nesting alternative from our energized power lines.
This year, the osprey migrated from their winter home and arrived in Cowlitz County in late March. The female osprey typically lays three eggs in late April and the eggs will hatch in early June. Join us in a watching natural wonder unfold on our live streaming platform at: https://www. cowlitzpud.org/about/osprey-cam/ Be sure to download our “Survival for Osprey and You” children’s activity posters. These illustrate how to stay safe near power lines, while explaining how our osprey have adapted for survival. We welcome you to bring the Osprey Cam into your home and introduce our educational posters to the children in your life. Posters are available on our webpage. Also, enjoy sound with our camera’s new and improved equipment, bringing you even closer to nature.
Alice Dietz is Cowlitz PUD’s Communications/Public Relations Manager. Reach her at adietz@cowlitzpud.org, or 360501-9146.
Miss Manners from page 10
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DEAR MISS MANNERS: After 57 years of marriage, my wife passed away last week. All of our children were here to help me through this, and have now gone home. I am now receiving invitations to dinner. Some I’ll gladly accept, but there are others I really don’t want to. How do I politely decline the invitations I don’t want without hurting people’s feelings?
GENTLE READER: Although you do not need an excuse as long as you express regrets and thanks, Miss Manners notices that you have one easily available. If you say “I’m not going out much,” people should understand that this refers to the way you are handling your grief. •••
Please send your questions to Miss Manners at her website, www.missmanners.com; to her email, dearmissmanners@gmail.com; or through postal mail to Miss Manners, Andrews McMeel Syndication, 1130 Walnut St., Kansas City, MO 64106.
