129102gazpacho-and-waning-summer-days https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/gazpacho-and-waning-summer-days/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/09/IMG_1417-600x450.jpeg

 

I had forgotten how good gazpacho is on a warm summer night.

I had also forgotten how good it is to pull out something prepared ahead to serve at a family meal.

Gazpacho and waning summer daysThat’s how gazpacho went down on Labor Day weekend when some of my family gathered to say goodbye to summer. I had planned to serve appetizers, gazpacho, salmon, corn on the cob and salad outside on our brick porch. A nearby wasp nest made me change my mind, so we ate in the dining room. It just wasn’t the same.

It’s funny how so many family memories get associated with food. From now on, I’ll probably think of wasps when I make gazpacho, which originated in Southern Spain .

Gazpacho (about six servings)

2 tablespoons of chopped garlic

1/2 cup fresh white bread crumbs (cut off the crusts)

3 cups tomato juice

1 green pepper, finely diced

4 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and diced (I used heirlooms, which were pretty ripe)

1/2 a medium red onion, finely diced

1 cucumber, peeled, seeded and diced

1/2 cup olive oil

3 tablespoons red wine vinegar

2 teaspoons salt

pepper to taste

2 teaspoons cumin 

1 teaspoon Tabasco

Combine the garlic, bread crumbs, half the tomato juice and half the green pepper, tomatoes, onion and cucumber in the food processor. Puree. Pour into a serving bowl. Add the remaining juice, diced vegetables, oil, vinegar and seasonings to the puree. Stir with a spoon. Your soup will be pretty chunky. 

I chilled the gazpacho overnight, which helped bring out the flavors. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

128950my-new-favorite-drink https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/my-new-favorite-drink/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/08/image.png

Hi there, Small Plate pals:

About two months ago, I had dinner at Masala, an Indian restaurant in Ashland, and I discovered my new favorite drink: Masala’s version of the East India Company cocktail.

It is perfect for hot weather. The drink is icy, refreshing, tart and tasty. No kidding. It contains gin, pamplemousse rosé, lime and grapefruit bitters. That’s it — simple but elegant and perfect for hot summer nights.

So when I returned to Vancouver, I started looking for a recipe. Most contained cognac, but Masala’s cocktail description specified the grapefruit rosé. I finally found something that I thought would work and modified it to my tastes. Keep in mind that the Pamplemousse is a sweetener.

Gin and Pamplemousse cocktail

Fill a cocktail shaker halfway with ice, and then shake with fresh juice squeezed from one lime, 2 ounces of gin, 1 ounce of pamplemousse rosé and a couple of shakes of grapefruit bitters

Strain into a glass filled with ice or into a martini glass. Cheers!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

128365new-spanish-service-for-the-blind-and-disabled-in-our-community https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/nw-am-country-radio/new-spanish-service-for-the-blind-and-disabled-in-our-community/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/06/spa4-300x112.png

Hello to all, Community Growth Radio(CGR)/Northwest Audio Information Service has added a 4th audio stream, This Audio/Radio Reading Service which has served our area since 2013, has added as mentioned a NEW audio stream which is on 7/24/365(Some Public Places or places that have a firewall that may block it).

This Audio Service(CGR 4-En Espanol)provides News, Information. Health, Wellness, and Educational Programming. This network is the only full-time Spanish audio network that has programming for our Blind, Visually Impaired, and Disabled listeners west of Colorado. CGR/NWAIS is the only such network in SW Washington and Oregon.

It just has news and such as mentioned, but has NO music and that way does not or will not compete with the local/regional Spanish stations(AM/FM or Internet), just programming that is very target specific. This network gets programming from ACB Radio, Program Share(IAAIS), Pacifica Radio, and others. It is easy to tune in. CGR is a member of The International Association of Audio Information Services, ACB Radio, Pacifica Radio, and other related Networks.  Here below are the links and they do work! Thank You..

https://cgrradio2.wixsite.com/cgrradio

CGR Radio 1 News-Info-Community Programming


http://station.voscast.com/5bb29904b7f28/

CGR Radio 2-Arts-Entertainment-Community Programming 

http://station.voscast.com/5c54a781c884c/

CGR 3-VetNet Radio for Blind, Visually Impaired and or Disabled Veterans.

http://station.voscast.com/5d9602575e504/

CGR Radio 4-Spanish Speaking service for the Blind and Disabled with Community-News-Information.

http://station.voscast.com/629cdd6c58632/

(you may have to copy the above listen links and paste them in your browser). The Listen links do work but may be blocked by a firewall in public places.

CGR NWAIS Radio in Vancouver Washington, is a full-time audio information service for The Blind, Visually Impaired, The Disabled, and Veterans by providing News, Information, Community, Educational and Entertainment intended mainly for those above and from 54-to 90 with target-specific programming as well offering newspaper-book and magazine readings by in-home volunteers.

128291this-local-radio-network-is-viable-reliable-and-community-connected https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/nw-am-country-radio/this-local-radio-network-is-viable-reliable-and-community-connected/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rrs-2-300x204.png

I am glad to serve my community and hopefully, the listener will benefit from listening to this audio service(CGR-Community Growth Radio)since 2013 these online and free streams provide target-specific programming for The Blind, Visually Impaired, The Disabled, and Veterans…Though to this day all Radio/Audio Reading Services are very relevant and useful to their listeners.

And many do use it and the goal is to provide News, Information, Community Issues, Book-Magazine-Newspaper Readings, and more, and still, co-exists with many formats of options, CGR Radio/NWAIS is a member of The International Association of Audio Information Services. Many have asked what is a Radio Reading Service..(you may have to copy and paste the link to your browser).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_reading_service 

This Radio Network is growing in programming and offering more than just your typical RRS programming and has been since 2013, it offers programming for the blind and the disabled in over 40 Languages, and it has added more programming than other local/regional AM/FM/LPFM or internet broadcasters that are not normally offered.

I have always stated That CGR/NWAIS is NOT a nonprofit or claimed to be, the operational funding has been self-supportive and has on occasion accepted free-will, non-tax-deductible donations(PayPal)in order to stay on and it pays for the basic bills such as Power, Internet, and related operations.

It always has been local and owned by me since then, CGR has no formal sponsors but does run sponsor mentions as thanks for their moral support or in 100 percent barter. CGR does belong to several radio networks and independent programming sources and with permission. This radio network does have the capacity of broadcasting live from a location(with a two-week notice and the requirements to set up and properly broadcast from a location).

Community Growth Radio(Northwest Audio Information Service)does have a business license and has retained it just in case of a formal sponsor and is(DBA)Northwest Audio Information Service with The State of Washington and The IRS. This Network does have a large reach via several apps, 3rd party non-commercial FM broadcasters via their SCA option AND SCA is still in use(67Khz)on 2 stations that carry CGR 1 Radio and this network is one of 30 similar services in The United States and CGR 3 VetNet Radio is a full-time radio network like the other two and it does have in-home volunteers for reading material.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subsidiary_communications_authority

These Networks offer a wide variety of programming from Educational, Community, and Entertainment..THE streams DO work(via)Voscast and are on, but they may be blocked due to a firewall in some public places..Here are the links…and they do work and how to listen directly to one of the 3 streams with different programming…THANK YOU…CGR Radio is NOT owned or operated by any other LPFM/AM/FM or Internet station….and to clarify CGR Radio has partnered with Jenny Brown of The Royal Oaks Country Club…and CGR NWAIS Radio is the only network such as this in Western Washington and Oregon. Thank You, Susan Galaviz(KXRW/KXRY Radio)and Jenny Brown…

CGR Radio DOES not charge for nonprofits or to broadcast live from a location that is non-profit or a free event and the station is self-contained (ask for details)and requirements to set up for a broadcast…* With all the 3 streams, apps and 3rd party broadcasters combined this network DOES have a large reach that is diverse and inclusive and equal.

https://cgrradio2.wixsite.com/cgrradio

CGR Radio 1 News-Info-Community Programming


http://station.voscast.com/5bb29904b7f28/

CGR Radio 2-Arts-Entertainment-Community Programming 

http://station.voscast.com/5c54a781c884c/

CGR 3-VetNet Radio for Blind, Visually Impaired, and or Disabled Veterans.

http://station.voscast.com/5d9602575e504/

(you may have to copy the above listen links and paste them into your browser). The Listen links do work but may be blocked by a firewall in public places.

CGR NWAIS Radio in Vancouver Washington, is a full-time audio information service for The Blind, Visually Impaired, The Disabled, and Veterans by providing News, Information, Community, Educational and Entertainment intended mainly for those above and from 54-to 90 with target-specific programming as well offering newspaper-book and magazine readings by in-home volunteers.(Legal Note)This network is not associated with any other non-profit or J.Cohen, C.Forhan, P.Robinson, J.Barber, KIEV FM(and staff), but has solely been owned by me since its first day…THANK YOU again…

128275a-community-minder-broadcaster-that-is-relevant-reliable-and-responsible-to-our-listeners https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/nw-am-country-radio/a-community-minder-broadcaster-that-is-relevant-reliable-and-responsible-to-our-listeners/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rrs-1-300x204.png

Some additional notes: The intended audience normally for Audio/Radio Reading services are those who are blind, visually impaired, those who cannot read or hold printed material, and those who rely on information-news-community-book and or magazine readings. Programming includes education and entertainment.

Programming comes from many sources such as program producers, I.A.A.I.S(The International Association of Audio Information Services)via Program Share, Pacifica Radio and Pacifica Archives, APR/PRX, and 20 plus networks.

This network of 3 streams is free and does not require a note from a medical provider in order to qualify to listen programming(some services still do). There are about 30 similar services in The United States.

Other content includes programming for intended audiences such as news, book-magazine-newspaper read by in-home volunteers in over 40 languages. This network does include nostalgia-old time radio shows that contain original commercials(pre-political correctness)or language of that time such as Cigarette commercials and other ads of that time period when they were socially acceptable.

This network does NOT edit, or erase content but merely showcases programming of that period to preserve the past for historical value and education and not to shock or offend, there may be some similar content in nostalgic music of that time and period that was different but to preserve the past as “oral history” only.

Mind you it was from the past and we do NOT edit books or reading material such as book classics and are Public Domain. The intention is to educate about its programming value, including current programming.

The music includes Nostalgia going back to 1897(the beginning of recorded music)both in acoustical and electronic such as Cylinder Wax, 78 RPM, and other formats of that time and has been “cleaned up” in the best way in order to enjoy and to comply for DCMA rules and Public Domain recordings.

There are over 5,100 audio nostalgic files and over 11,000 Old Time Radio Shows from 1929 to 1962. At times you may hear Public Domain Classical Music recordings(3,000). Also offered in Oldies formatted music from 1954-79(over 68,000)titles from Top 40/Hot 100 and other charts.

This network does offer over 48,000 songs from AAA(Acoustical Country)to Western Swing and 20 sub-genres going back to the roots of country from 1920 to today(literally). This includes Local, UN-signed, indie music from solo artists and bands, but the goal is to have a large selection of female artists or artists that are not played much by mainstream radio.

No music was bought or there was no exchange of money from the artists, labels, talent agencies, or music promoters and used with permission from the above mentioned, this network provides programming that is inclusive for all in fairness and exposed to the audience programming that is Fair-Diverse and inclusive and by having the goal to serve all in the community.

A majority of programming heard on all 3 streams is not duplicated by any other Low Power, Non-Commercial, AM-FM, or streaming service in our area. Nor to step on or compete with any other non-commercial, community-based, or commercial radio or streaming outlet in our area.

The intention is to offer an alternative or choice in programming.

CGR/NWAIS is a legally recognized service as an Audio/Radio Reading Service that serves an intended target specific audience..Similar services are relevant to this day.

Note: CGR 2 does brand as “Willie The Legend” and has permission to do so AND he does know about the use and the radio service. CGR Radio is known for breaking in or exposing artists that were the first outlet in The NW to play music such as IE; The Ebony Hillbillies, Randy Jack, and many others.

CGR/NWAIS/CCAIS is local and is owned by related titles and names are owned by me Gerald R. Gaule and no one else the names as such are copyrighted. This station is not owned or has been since 2013 by no other or persons mentioned in previous posts do not own or represent CGR/NWAIS and(legal disclaimer)did not give permission to any other person to act on behalf of me and the radio network. CGR does comply with DCMA rules and I am also a public domain agent. The goal of this station has the intention to be “a good neighbor” broadcaster.

I do own a collection of programming such as music and nostalgia and old-time radio shows that are used for all stations and are properly restored for better audio and historic methods that were used many years ago. I do not own or claim ownership of works that is heard on this network. This network has been on since 2013.

 

Station/Personal(legal)disclaimer, I, this station, CGR, NWAIS, CCAIS, and titles have no further association with J. Cohen, C. Forhan, P. Robinson, KIEV LPFM(and staff)since 2018 and they do not represent me or act upon my behalf(legal)disclaimer.

CGR/NWAIS is NOT a non-profit nor claims to be nor ever was, but is a non-commercial broadcaster but some programming does have some ad sponsor mentions(from programs)that are from other sources.

This network has in-home volunteer readers(non-paid)and this network is the ONLY full-time service in The NW. This network is mainly self-supported but does have free will non-tax deductible donations at times to help with the basic operational bills.

All ads/sponsor mentions are done in a 100 percent trade(barter), but do have a business license to operate in The State of Washington, and are registered(DBA)Northwest Audio Information Service(in case of sponsorship).

CGR can broadcast from a public event, or community-based event at NO charge or is free to all and the station is self-contained and with a two-week notice to do so and the requirements to broadcast live for the event.

PROGRAM Note: ALL streams do work(via Voscast)but their servers may have maintenance, but the streams DO work(but a firewall in a public place)may affect the streams, ALL 3 streams are on 7/24/365. CGR streams are on several apps such as NOBEX, i Blink App for The Blind and Visually Impaired, SCA Radios that are closed-circuit kHz re tuned radios on two Non-Commercial FM stations in The NW(this SCA technology)is still in use by other Audio Services…

The service located in Spokane Washington repeats CGR 1 through the main FM station and their translators and the translators cover parts of Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Washington, and parts of B.C. Canada and each translator owned by The Spokane Non-Commercial FM and The Tri-Cities Washington have a large reception range.

SCA use is mainly found in nursing and retirement communities for those who may not use or get cable and is given out free for those who request an SCA Radio from the respective outlet. There is NO SCA use in our area. The stations use kHz.

62% of those who are Visually Impaired, Blind, and or Disabled in The Metro Area listen to CGR Radio from the listen Voscast player site, and the main audience from age 54-90 uses CGR for a community connection and do listen to the service that is community connected and relevant for current topics affecting the intended audience, and CGR 3-VetNet is the ONLY service dedicated to the intended audience in The NW.

CGR is not here to compete with ANY other broadcast outlet or LPFM station such as KXRW/KXRW, KIEV LPFM in Camas, or the 6 country formatted broadcaster that can be heard in our area, or any other foreign languaged based station such as Russian/Slavic or Spanish speaking broadcaster nor to encroach or take away a listener.

https://cgrradio2.wixsite.com/cgrradio

CGR Radio 1 News-Info-Community Programming


http://station.voscast.com/5bb29904b7f28/

CGR Radio 2-Arts-Entertainment-Community Programming 

http://station.voscast.com/5c54a781c884c/

CGR 3-VetNet Radio for Blind, Visually Impaired, and or Disabled Veterans.

http://station.voscast.com/5d9602575e504/

(you may have to copy the above listen links and paste them in your browser). The Listen links do work but may be blocked by a firewall in public places. I thank Susan Galaviz from KXRW, Wayne Roche for KOUV Radio, and Jenny Brown from The Royal Oaks Country Club, Vancouver Washington for the partnership in order to keep this service on. I also thank The Columbian and the readers. For contact via e-mail ccaisradio_at_gmail dot com.

128222in-all-honesty-a-truthful-blogas-i-amfrom-gerald-gaule https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/nw-am-country-radio/in-all-honesty-a-truthful-blogas-i-amfrom-gerald-gaule/ /wp-content/uploads/2022/05/rrs-2-300x204.png

First of all, I thank you for reading this.  Many of you know I operate and own The ONLY full-time audio service(online) solely in Western Washington and Oregon for The Blind, Visually Impaired, The Disabled, and Veterans. 

I started this in 2013 after spending 13 years as a volunteer working for the late Jerry Delaunay who was with Golden Hours/Omni Media Networks under The Oregon Commission for the blind, owned by Oregon Public Broadcasting. In the early years such as 1995, I was a volunteer book reader for him but ended up doing various things such as being Program Director, Music Director, Operation Manager, Engineer, Board Member, and Grant Writer( I wrote 3 grants for them ie; Pepsi, Microsoft, and Free Geek) and later as fundraiser manager and then PIO.

I left in 2013 after writing a proposal for them to apply for a Low Power FM station in The Metro area and spending several months writing the proposal and acquiring the funding and equipment in order to be “The first LPFM station on The West Coast” for radio programming for the blind, this was shut down fast without discussion and I literally quit on the spot.

Well at that moment in the car with my belongings, I made a phone call to the outgoing president of The Evergreen Radio Reading service in Seattle Washington and asked her for advice then during the conversation I was informed they were going off the air after 40 years, we had a great conversation.

The ironic thing was that I quickly planned what I was going to do and start the new service, well I had equipment and programming and that night I began CGR online with one stream and it took off.

I knew Jerry was livid and very angry, which to be honest I did not care, I was on my own, and knowing how programming worked then, I wanted to do better, the only regret was that I was at odds with Jerry and find out later he died and not mending things with him.

Here is the bad part, to be honest, I got so wrapped up in my work I started to rely on others without really checking out who a person can really be and blindly trusting and let things be handled by very shady people, but that is my fault to a point.

Well, the funny thing was I started to get complaints from potential sponsors and getting word that the people I hired were doing very shady things from misrepresentation and false claims and so on, well by having better judgment and verifying what was going on, I did fire them, well after that they still made claims and were “representing the station” allegedly. It got so bad that to be honest here(disclaimer) I had to file a restraining order because it got so much out of hand.

To this day there is still some “unwanted garbage” in my opinion from that era of the early days. Now mind you this blog is mainly in my words and to my experience and in my opinion ONLY, but again this is from my experience and what not to do. Now mind you this blog is coming from a transparent point of view(in my opinion)and being honest and with clarity, I am not here to clear my name but to say how I feel. I am thankful the streams(3)are operating and yet being an audio service(like 30 others)in the United States.

The roots of Radio Reading services go back over 50 years and “Golden Hours” was the first in The NW by being started by Graham Archer when he worked at KOIN AM/FM and TV and it was on until a few years ago. Now mind you the services are “NOT Non-Profits” nor ever claimed to be, and yes Audio/Reading services are very niched services and do to this day are very relevant and used and very accessible even though there are podcasts and other streaming services but I found out many older persons do not embrace new technology and that is very true.

Many services are online and rebroadcasted only via TV Digital subchannels(audio only) and some services still use SCA(technology)via Non-Commercial FM services(subcarrier), Non-Commercial and Educational FM stations still use this older technology going back to the days when SCA started for MUZAK but in the ’70s Golden Hours was available on KOIN FM’s SCA then GH moved to KOPB(Then KOAP)FM SCA and later moved to KOPB’s SAP service, now SAP is mainly used for TV for Spanish language broadcasts.

In 2008 KOPB(and its entire network)dropped GH from its service. Still, many audio services are on either a TV station’s Digital Subchannel(for audio), or a public access channel(audio), streaming online, and various apps for easy access for those in nursing homes or facilities. For many years the Main service CGR 1 is carried via KFAE 89.1 in The Tri-Cities area through their 67KHz service(needing a special pre-tuned closed-circuit radio)that you can switch from regular FM radio to SCA)and these radios are very inexpensive.(CGR 1 below link).

CGR Radio 1 News-Info-Community Programming

http://station.voscast.com/5bb29904b7f28/

These SCA radios are wonderful, and also KPBX FM in Spokane Wa also rebroadcasts CGR 1 via their 67KHz SCA service and repeats through their FM translators via 67Khz, their translators cover parts of Washington State, parts of Oregon, Idaho, and BC. SCA Radios are covered either 67KHz or 92KHz. So CGR Radio 1 has extensive coverage via this technology as well as heard on various apps and other broadcasters. 

I want to clarify that CGR/NWAIS is local and I do own and no others own it and never had, I do have a business license(in case of sponsorship), but I do run sponsor mentions for free and always have to thank them for morally supporting CGR/NWAIS Radio, I never had a sponsor that paid but they were always free mentions. To be honest, many sponsors or potential sponsors do not get the concept(honestly)of what an audio service is or the programming it has. I learned this from personal experience.

I love what I do very much, I work on it daily and for many hours a day, I literally do it all, you name it I do it. I do have in-home volunteers who read books and magazines and have for many years. They are non-paid. I have been in radio for years and worked for many stations and many functions from Announcer, Program/Music Director, Operations, Sales, Engineer, Fundraising Manager, and MORE.

I do thank my dear friend Susan Galaviz from KXRW/KXRY for being a big moral supporter and Jenny Brown from The Royal Oaks Country Club as well. Now mind you CGR NWAIS(the names I own as well as CCAIS)is an audio service that does provide VERY target specific programming with News, Educational, Community, Information, Book-Newspaper-Magazine Readings, and Entertainment really intended for The Blind, Visually Impaired, Those who cannot read or hold print, The Disabled and Veterans. And also mention NO other person I was associated with DOES not own or represent CGR/NWAIS/CCAIS and I am not responsible for their actions and never had(Disclaimer). My goal is to do in the best way I can to provide a viable, reliable, and honest service. I thank you.

The Links below do work and the listen links do work(voscast)streaming but they may be blocked due to firewalls, especially in public places, but THEY do work and I do check them many times and daily to make sure, they can be down due to maintenance through Voscast and their servers, but no server is perfect, I do my best to keep it on or investigate why it is not on via directly contacting Voscast, I have been with them since 2013.

Also if I may add, this service will be handed to someone who I trust when I pass on and who has promised not to change things but to ensure CGR/NWAIS will continue when that time comes. Thank you, Columbian for allowing me to write this. Here are the links….you may have to copy and paste them to your browser….. 

Gerald R.Gaule

The owner(sole)-PD-MD-Chief Engineer of CGR Radio Networks/N.W.A.I.S.

 

https://cgrradio2.wixsite.com/cgrradio

CGR Radio 1 News-Info-Community Programming


http://station.voscast.com/5bb29904b7f28/

CGR Radio 2-Arts-Entertainment-Community Programming

http://station.voscast.com/5c54a781c884c/

CGR 3-VetNet Radio for Blind, Visually Impaired, and or Disabled Veterans.

http://station.voscast.com/5d9602575e504/

CGR NWAIS Radio in Vancouver Washington, is a full-time audio information service for The Blind, Visually Impaired, The Disabled, and Veterans by providing News, Information, Community, Educational and Entertainment intended mainly for those above and from 54-90 with target-specific programming as well offering newspaper-book and magazine readings by in-home volunteers.

 

114085resolution-in-support-of-3rd-4th-bridges-not-far-enough-for-lentz https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/all-politics-is-local/resolution-in-support-of-3rd-4th-bridges-not-far-enough-for-lentz/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/10/0804_met_Interstate_5_Bridge-600x381.jpg When it comes to planning and building for third and fourth bridges across the Columbia River into Oregon, the Clark County Council is passing the buck. At least that’s what Councilor Temple Lentz told the council during its meeting Tuesday. Lentz’s comments came shortly before the council passed a resolution in support of the additional travel corridors. “I still feel this resolution doesn’t deliver. I’d hoped that the loudest proponents on this council would recognize that leadership is more than simply saying that somebody else ought to go do something,” Lentz said. Lentz said, unfortunately, that’s exactly what the resolution does, ask others to do the hard work. “It fails to demonstrate even a rudimentary understanding of land use and the process and collaboration that would be required to take something like this on,” Lentz said during the meeting. During prior reviews of the resolution, Lentz had asked for the language to be changed to show the council was stepping up as a leader in the process. The resolution says the county “urges all parties to simultaneously begin work to expeditiously construct a third bridge crossing the Columbia River …. and to begin planning for a fourth bridge corridor.” It also asks for planning to begin, with all jurisdictions joining the county in integrating the additional bridges in comprehensive plans and transportation planning maps. According to the council, replacing the Interstate Bridge won’t be enough to solve the county’s traffic problems and additional bridges will be needed. A 2008 study by the Regional Transportation Council found the county’s growing population would outpace infrastructure improvements and recommended additional bridges be built connecting west Vancouver to the St. Johns area in Oregon and in east Vancouver connecting to Gresham and Troutdale. Because planning, design, permitting and construction work for additional bridges could take years, the council said it wanted to get a resolution on the books to help kick start the effort. Councilor Karen Bowerman, who proposed the resolution initially, said the sites identified in the study may not be the best locations now. “Where that will be is unknown at this time. It is to be studied beyond what was done in 2008 because things have changed since then,” Bowerman said. Bowerman said the county is hoping for a smooth planning process that involves neighboring cities and jurisdictions. 114085county-council-already-eyeing-third-fourth-bridges https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/all-politics-is-local/county-council-already-eyeing-third-fourth-bridges/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/10/0804_met_Interstate_5_Bridge-600x381.jpg With efforts to replace the Interstate 5 Bridge barely off the ground, the Clark County Council is already looking ahead to additional bridges across the mighty Columbia River. At its Nov. 2 meeting, the council is likely to pass a resolution in support of a third and a fourth bridge crossing between Clark County and Oregon. The council said the resolution is needed to prompt project partners, such as the Oregon Department of Transportation and Washington State Department of Transportation, to “make meaningful steps” toward planning for construction. Although a primary goal in replacing the Interstate 5 Bridge is to reduce traffic congestion between Clark County and the Portland metro area, the bridge by itself likely won’t be enough, the council said. According to a 2008 Regional Transportation Council “Visioning Study,” added capacity from additional bridge corridors will be needed to offset the county’s growing population. The study placed the highest demand areas between west Vancouver and the St. Johns neighborhood in Portland, and between the east Vancouver/Camas area and the Gresham/Troutdale communities in Oregon. But those may not be the right spots for additional bridges now. “(The study) needs to be updated at this point in time. There were maps made of the additional corridors that would be logical back then,” Councilor Karen Bowerman said during council time on Oct. 27. “What they are to be now might be different,” especially with new roads, construction and other changes built in Clark County since the study was done. Councilor Temple Lentz also said the study didn’t take changes to the county’s Growth Management Plan into account either. “The findings of that 2008 study were never incorporated into any of the jurisdictions,” Lentz added. Despite the needed changes, the council is moving ahead with the resolution to get the bridge ball rolling. “We’re not engineers, and we don’t know what Oregon is going to agree to, ultimately. But as a political body we should speak up,” Councilor Gary Medvigy said. Medvigy noted none of the planning work should exclude other options, such as tunnels or ferries, in other corridors. He also said active planning for additional travel corridors by both states, as well as the state and federal government would “satisfy a great portion of the public concerned about congestion today.” The resolution asks all jurisdictions in the county to “integrate the additional bridge corridors into all comprehensive plans and relevant Clark County long-term transportation planning maps in the metropolitan area, including a tie-in with the Clark County Growth Management Act Comprehensive Plan update.” For more information on the resolution, go to https://clark.wa.gov/councilors/clark-county-council-meetings. — Shari Phiel   119490nothing-better-than-spring-chinook https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/nothing-better-than-spring-chinook/ /wp-content/uploads/2020/05/IMG_0233-917x1024-412x460.jpg



A couple of weeks ago, one of my sons and I made a quick trip to Eugene (exhibiting proper social distancing, using masks and doing hand sanitizing) to pick up some bees. We also ordered chinook salmon from Newman’s. (I miss them so much in Portland; best fish monger ever.)

Nothing better than spring chinookLast night, David and I used Nancie McDermott’s Salmon Steaks in Caramel Fish Sauce from her “Quick & Easy Vietnamese” cookbook, one of my favorites and available on Amazon. I made the sauce; David did the cooking in a cast-iron pan. He removed the skin and cut the salmon into chunks so he could control the cooking, according to the size. Remember, the salmon continues to cook after it is removed from the heat.


Heavenly, just heavenly. It was moist, sweet, salty and fiery all at the same time. We served it with spring greens and a toasted sesame and ginger salad dressing. We also had roasted asparagus and Pinot Gris from Jerry Sass’ winery. Here’s the recipe:
Salmon in Caramel Fish Sauce
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped shallots or onions
1 tablespoon coarsely chopped garlic
1/4 cup fish sauce (Note from Janet: Use Red Boat. It is 100 percent pure with only two ingredients: black anchovies and sea salt.)
2 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1-1/2 pounds salmon steaks or other meaty fish, about 1 inch thick
3 green onions, trimmed, white part chopped and green part cut into 2-inch lengths
In a small, deep skillet or saucepan, combine the oil, shallots and garlic. Warm over medium-high heat until the garlic sizzles. Add the fish sauce, sugars, water and pepper and bring to a boil. Cook, stirring now and then, until the sugar dissolves and the sauce thickens a bit, 2 to 3 minutes. Add the salmon steaks and let the sauce return to a gentle boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, Carefully, turn the steaks over, add the green onions and cook for 5 minutes more. Transfer the fish steaks to a shallow serving bowl, sauce and all. Serve hot or warm.
— From Nancie McDermott’s “Simply Vietnamese Cooking: 135 Delicious Recipes”

Nothing better than spring chinook

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 50 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

118780apologies-to-nonna https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/apologies-to-nonna/ /wp-content/uploads/2020/04/514832CF-F862-49D5-9ACF-4F9B70197898_1_201_a-1024x768-600x450.jpeg

Here is wedding soup, with apologies to all my Italian friends who learned to cook alongside their nonnas. I had to make substitutions because I didn’t want to run to the store, and I didn’t have the soup bones to make the rich, homemade broth. I had ground pork, but not ground chicken for the meatballs. And here’s another confession: I had about a cup of Cento porcini sauce in the fridge. I threw that in because I didn’t have enough for a meal and I didn’t want it to go to waste. That paragraph had a lot of “didn’t” in it. Geez.


Apologies to nonnaSee what I mean when I ask for apologies for messing with what your nonna would have made?
And here’s a side note: When I was about to become a granny, I told my kids I didn’t want to be called “grandma” or “granny.” Ruben said, “No way. You’re Grandma Boats.” That’s what he called his paternal grandmother. I decided that “Nonna Boats” had a nice ring to it and I liked it just fine.


The broth:
1 large yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, nicely minced
Olive oil
1 small leek, chopped
3 carrots, chopped into rounds
6 cups chicken broth
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of porcini sauce or 3 tablespoons of tomato paste
½ cup chopped Italian parsley
10 cups loosely packed spinach
1 cup orzo


Sauté the onion and garlic in olive oil. Add the leek and carrots. Stir in the chicken broth and sauce or tomato paste. Season with the salt and pepper. Simmer for an hour or two. We’ll deal with the spinach and orzo after you’ve made the meatballs.


The meatballs:
¾ pound ground pork
¾ cup fine dried bread crumbs
½ cup grated Parmesan
¼ cup chopped fresh Italian Parsley
1 large egg, beaten
Salt and pepper
Grated Parmesan for serving


Bring a large pot of water to boil. Add salt. In a large bowl, combine the ingredients for the meatballs. Mix well with your hands, and then roll into 1-inch meatballs. Add them to the boiling water and simmer for about 5 minutes or until they are pretty much done. Transfer them from the water to the soup mixture, where they will continue cooking.
Add the spinach and orzo. Cook about 10 more minutes or until the orzo is done to your liking.
Serve in soup bowls with a sprinkle of Parmesan.

Apologies to nonna

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 50 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

117320hunkered-down-and-making-poppy-seed-cake https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/hunkered-down-and-making-poppy-seed-cake/ /wp-content/uploads/2020/03/BB8ED1D8-8907-4E56-B6D3-C4BCD96BA77F_1_201_a-1024x768-600x450.jpeg
Hunkered down and making poppy-seed cake

I dredged up the poppy-seed cake recipe from memory.

Hi there!

It has been awhile, and I can’t say that I’m back at blogging for Small Plates, but today I made a cake that has been in the family files since 1972. It was a recipe that my mother-in-law used after her sister sent it to her from Virginia.

Hunkered down and making poppy-seed cakeHunkering down to avoid COVID-19 is making me think of food and days gone by. I knew I had everything on hand. I had made this poppy-seed cake so many times in the 1970s that it was etched in my memory.

That’s a good thing: I looked for my handwritten recipe, and when I couldn’t find it, I gave it a try from memory. No. 2 son said the result was just as he remembered it. I used whipping cream as the topping, maybe better than a cream cheese frosting, and I happened to have a few raspberries in the fridge.

All this is making me want a cup of coffee. Stay safe and healthy, Small Plates readers.

Aunt Claire’s poppy-seed cake

2 sticks of softened butter
1-1/2 cups of sugar
4 eggs
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 cup sour cream

Cream the butter and sugar. Add the eggs one at a time, beating until smooth. Throw in the vanilla.

Sift together the baking powder, salt and flour. Alternate the flour and the sour cream, beating at low speed.

Pour into a 13- x 18-inch pan and bake for 20 minutes at 350 degrees. You can use a bundt pan or two 8-inch round cake pans, but adjust the cooking time accordingly.

 

Hunkered down and making poppy-seed cake

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

112430frassati-suppers-up-and-running-again https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/frassati-suppers-up-and-running-again/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/08/IMG_1404-1024x768-600x450.jpg
Frassati Suppers up and running again

St. Joseph Catholic Church parishioners Robyn Hansen (left) and Jan get the plates ready for Frassati guests at the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater in downtown Vancouver.

After an extensive kitchen remodel in the Lower Hall of the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater, we are serving Frassati Suppers again.

Frassati Suppers up and running againWhat’s Frassati? A welcoming place in Vancouver where volunteer greeters, chefs, waiters and others serve the poor and homeless in the spirit of Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The supper is part of the downtown parish’s Pier Giorgio Agape Ministry, an outreach effort named in honor of the 24-year-old Italian man who died in 1925 from polio he likely contracted while visiting the sick. He was beatified in 1990.

My job is to coordinate the volunteers and help in the kitchen. The once-a-week effort averages 25 workers a week. I never planned on volunteering; it just happened as I learned more about the ministry and met dedicated people committed to helping the poor in our community.

And we do make a difference: In 2018, we served 8,470 meals (includes seconds) to the 6,209 people who signed in. It took 3,354 volunteer hours to make this happen.

The work alone has been a huge blessing for me. But I have also made new friends. For example, Greg Repman brings in a crew the third Thursday of the month from Our Lady of Lourdes in northwest Vancouver, and Robyn Hansen, a parishioner at St. Joseph Catholic Church, serves meals the second Thursday of each month. Robyn recently made sloppy joes, coleslaw and potato tots for dinner. The meal was a big hit for our guests.

So I was thinking that sloppy joes might make a quick and easy meal as families begin thinking about back to school and the rush of homework and activities. Robyn’s recipe comes from her sister.

Frassati Suppers up and running again

Frassati guests wanted seconds and in some cases thirds of Robyn’s sloppy joes, coleslaw and tots.

Sloppy joes (serves four to six, depending on size of buns)

1 pound of hamburger
1/2 cup chopped onion
1 cup of ketchup
1 cup of water
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 cup chopped green pepper (optional)
Brown hamburger and drain fat.  Add onions (and green pepper), spices and wet ingredients and simmer covered on medium heat for 20 to 30 minutes. Serve on toasted buns.
Frassati Suppers up and running again

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

109516thai-sweet-and-sour-pork https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/small-plates/thai-sweet-and-sour-pork/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/06/IMG_1266-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Thai sweet and sour pork

My friend Linda Meade, a member of Our Lady of Lourdes parish in Vancouver and a volunteer for the Frassati suppers at the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater where we feed the poor and homeless, took me to lunch the other day at Thai Orchid.

Thai sweet and sour porkWe ordered the Thai sweet and sour pork entree. It was so good that I vowed to replicate it at home. The result? It was delicious at the restaurant but even more tasty at home. I went to a couple of recipes for guidance, and then I combined and improvised.

No. 2 son dropped by as he often does on a Saturday night. It passed the John test. The Intrepid One praised the flavors. In fact, we all pronounced it “company worthy,” a term we use when something is good enough to serve to guests. We had leftovers, so I’m anticipating that the flavors will meld tonight and we will have a delicious lunch tomorrow.

Here is my improvised recipe:

Thai sweet and sour pork

Half a pork tenderloin, sliced into 1/4-inch rounds

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 clove garlic, finely chopped

1/2 teaspoon pepper

2 tablespoons oil

1/2 large onion, cut into large chunks

1 bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips

1-1/2 cups fresh pineapple

1 tomato, chopped into chunks that are about the size of cherry tomatoes

2 green onions, peeled and chopped

1/4 cup cilantro

Steamed rice for serving


For the sauce:

1/2 cup brown sugar

3 tablespoons white vinegar

2 tablespoons ketchup

1 tablespoon soy sauce

1 teaspoon chili-garlic sauce

1 tablespoon minced garlic

1/2 cup pineapple juice (I was a little short, so I threw in a couple of tablespoons of lemonade)

2 tablespoons cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water

Thai sweet and sour porkTo put this together:

Marinate the pork slices in the soy sauce, garlic and pepper at the top of the recipe for at least 30 minutes.

Make the sauce by bringing all the ingredients, except the cornstarch, to a boil. After the sugar has dissolved, add the cornstarch and let the mixture thicken. Set it aside.

Cook the pork in hot oil until tender and not overdone. Get a clean frying pan. Heat more vegetable oil and then stir-fry the vegetables. Pour in the sauce and cooked pork. Add the pineapple, cucumber and heat through, Garnish with green onions and cilantro. Serve with steamed rice.

 

 

 

 

 

Thai sweet and sour pork

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

109219gardening-and-multitasking https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/gardening-with-allen/gardening-and-multitasking/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/05/default-avatar.png

Gardening is a fun, creative and healthy hobby. There’s nothing like unplugging from your daily routine and getting down and dirty doing concrete, tangible work. A key part of gardening is how relaxing it is.

In today’s fast-paced advancements in the technological world, you can also multitask while gardening, adding an entirely new dimension to this entertaining pastime. Take a look at some fun suggestions for multitasking while gardening.

Music

Who doesn’t love music? Why not combine two of your passions into a single activity. Listening to music while gardening is one of the most relaxing things you can do.

Studies have shown that music can have a positive effect on workflow and productivity. But even if your aim isn’t to work more efficiently, for most people music is a preferable background to random noise.

This is a great way to revisit old hits or catch up with the newest releases. It’s an approach which condenses two fun activities into one. This is one of the rare ways that you can make gardening even more enjoyable. So kick back, make a playlist and go make the most of your time in the sun.

Audiobooks

Audiobooks are a big hit. They provide an even more convenient way to enjoy literature than e-books. The not-so-good fact is that most of us can’t find enough time to read. Downloading the audiobook of your favorite book or that new novel that you can’t find the time to start reading is a great way to enjoy literature.

It doesn’t have to stop there – you can also find plenty of audiobooks concerning gardening. These can help improve your skills or inspire you with new ideas for your little green corner. Educating yourself on gardening has never been easier.

Podcasts/Videos

Podcasts are hugely popular at the moment. They have almost completely replaced the traditional format of a radio show. If you’re a fan, try listening to one while gardening.

Podcasts and videos offer a wide array of diverse content to enjoy. Listening to something you enjoy while gardening will provide you with a new, unique sense of leisure.

If you’re so inclined, there are many podcasts and YouTube channels which focus on gardening. Check them out for new ideas on how to improve your garden, what to grow and how to grow it.

Where do I begin?

Multitasking and gardening go hand in hand naturally. It’s very easy to start. First things first, purchase a good quality wireless headphone from headsetplus.com. This allows you to enjoy online content while tending to your garden.

A good pair of sound canceling headphones will also help you focus on the work at hand. Not being distracted by ambient noises will help you stay in the zone and make the most of your free time. You will naturally gravitate to what you usually enjoy, but take a look at a couple of suggestions and ideas down below.

Office-work

It may seem counterproductive, but doing some other important work while tending to your garden at the same time can be a good use of your time. It’s important not to go overboard, but if you can delegate, plan or instruct others, doing a bit of work while simultaneously gardening can help reduce stress.

If your line of works allows, taking care of small tasks, delegating it to your subordinates can help reduce the overall amount of work. And when you do have to go to work, you’ll have an easier time there. This is a delicate balance, and obviously isn’t applicable to all lines of work – but if it is for yours, you should at least consider the possibility.

Allen Wilson

Allen has been writing about gardening for over 30 years. He is a retired professor of Horticulture.

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Crab sandwich and warm spinach salad

 

I didn’t hesitate when No. 2 son (John) dropped by the other night and offered to make dinner: a Dungeness crab sandwich alongside a spinach salad. I was thrilled to have a night off from cooking and made a quick deal. He would do the cooking; I would do the cleanup. Afterward, we talked about getting the recipes on this Small Plates blog. But he was worried about being exact.

Crab sandwich and warm spinach salad“I never measure out anything,” he said. So I prodded him into approximate amounts. With that in mind, I suggest that you make adjustments as you go and build the sandwich according to what you think is the correct, spreadable consistency.

Crab and cheese sandwich

1/2 pound of crab
1-1/2 teaspoons chopped dill
1/3 cup cream cheese
2 tablespoons mayo
pinches of black pepper
crusty bread cut 1-inch thick
cheddar or jack cheese to cover

Bake at 350 for 15 minutes, then broil for 2 minutes until brown and bubbly.

Warm bacon dressing for spinach salad

1/2 pound spinach
5 strips bacon
2 tablespoons roughly chopped basil
1/3 cup balsamic vinegar
pinch of black pepper
a little salt
a squeeze of lemon juice
1 teaspoon chopped garlic
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon sugar

Parmesan cheese

Fry the bacon in a pan. Pull out the strips of bacon, reserving the grease. Wick out half the fat. Chop the bacon. Mix the rest of the ingredients into the bacon fat. Let it boil, then toss over the spinach until the spinach appears reduced by half. Sprinkle on Parmesan cheese.

Serve warm.

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

Crab sandwich and warm spinach salad
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Hi there, Small Plates readers:

Last weekend, I had a fabulous visit with one of my best friends from high school and her husband. I flew to San José, Calif., to stay at their house. (It was on a Boeing 737, but not the MAX.)

We went to the Little Italy section of San José and dined at Paesano Saturday evening. I ordered Pappardelle Alexandra, a broad ribbon pasta with pancetta and crab in a tomato vodka cream sauce. It was heavenly.

Food evokes joy of friendshipBack home, I kept raving to the Intrepid One about what a wonderful weekend I had had with my friends.. He had stayed home with our aging Labrador, Abby, who suffers from laryngeal paralysis, a horrible condition common to older Labs that affects their breathing. In late January, she also had a tumor removed from her paw pad. It was determined to be an aggressive malignant melanoma. At this point, we are trying to keep her as comfortable as possible.

Anyway I tried to replicate the Paesano  recipe, though I admit that I used Cento’s creamy vodka sauce, available at Sheridan’s in Southeast Portland. I used Neuske’s bacon, medium sliced, from Portland’s City Market instead of the pancetta. (And next time I’ll make the sauce from scratch.) Anyway, No. 2 son stopped by, and we all agreed the recipe was a keeper and company worthy,

Sorry, St. Patrick, we’re having Italian again tomorrow night because we have plenty of leftovers.

Thanks, Susan, for 56 years of friendship. And thanks, David, for taking care of our beloved pooch, Abby.

Crab and bacon pappardelle

4 strips of high quality bacon, cut into 1-inch strips

1 jar of Cento creamy vodka sauce

Extra whipping cream

1/4 cup basil, finely chopped

salt, pepper

meat from one small crab

Pappardelle pasta (I bought it at Pastaworks in City Market in Northwest Portland)

Parmigiano-Reggiano

Fry the bacon chunks. Dab the excess grease with a paper towel. Pour in the creamy vodka sauce and add salt, pepper and extra cream to taste.

Add the basil and meat from the crab. Gently toss.

Cook the pasta according to directions. With the silky strands of pappardelle, it took about seven minutes. Pass the Parmigiano-Reggiano.

 

 

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

Food evokes joy of friendship
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More cooking with HanaAnother month and another chance to cook with Hana Adamko, my fellow parishioner at the Proto-Cathedral of St. James the Greater in downtown Vancouver.

More cooking with HanaThis time we made a Polish kielbasa-cabbage stew. Again, our guests at the Frassati Supper sang Hana’s praises and sent compliments to the chef. Frassati is a once-a-week event in which volunteers feed the poor and homeless. We served the stew, a peach half and warmed rolls with buter. Desserts are from Simply Sweets in downtown Vancouver, New Seasons and the Clark County Food Bank. (Thank you for your generosity.)

It takes an average of 25 volunteers to put on each supper. Last week, about 130 people signed in and we served 160 plates. (The difference represents seconds, even thirds.) The numbers are down from a couple of years ago. We hope, of course, that that is because some of our former guests have found work and are able to break out of poverty.

More cooking with HanaSo here’s the recipe, as Hana makes it. This version makes about eight servings, but of course we multiply it by 20 so we can serve 130 people or so. I have gotten used to thinking big.

In a large saucepan or nonstick skillet, brown sausage over medium heat. Add the potatoes, cabbage, onion, 1 cup water, sugar, caraway and pepper. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; cover and simmer for 15-18 minutes or until potatoes are tender, stirring occasionally.
Add beans and vinegar; cover and simmer 5-10 minutes longer. Combine flour and remaining water until smooth; stir into stew. Bring to a boil; cook and stir for 2 minutes or until thickened.

Thank you to all the Frassati volunteers who work each Thursday serving the poor and homeless.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Janet Cleaveland

What happens when a retired journalist spends a lot more time in the kitchen than in past years? She tries new dishes and jumps at the chance to write a blog about food, family and good times. My kids are grown now, but I'll be looking back at how they learned to cook, what recipes my husband (the Intrepid One) and I are experimenting with, and how food and conversation make for happy times in the kitchen. I worked for The Columbian for 15 years as a copy editor and another 10 elsewhere, though I didn't start out as a journalist. I thought I wanted to teach English literature. My husband grew up in Clark County, and I've lived here since 1983. My kids have grown and left home. Like my husband of 49 years, our adopted chocolate Lab would never pass up a chance for a tasty meal.

More cooking with Hana
93653the-diary-of-a-young-girl-censorship-over-opportunity https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/confessions-of-an-educator/the-diary-of-a-young-girl-censorship-over-opportunity/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/09/ChrisMargolin_037_Anne-Frank-had-a-vagina_IMAGE-640x360-600x337.jpg

The Diary of a Young Girl: Censorship over OpportunityAnne Frank had a vagina—as does just about every other female on planet earth. I know, shocking, isn’t it? A young girl, who stays in hiding and has no access to the outside world, has to make discoveries about herself, and one of them just happens to be that her major sexual organ is an odd one.

In the Definitive Version of Anne Frank’s diary, the publishing company actually decides to give us the entire diary, and not simply the excerpts we get to read in the heavily abridged version of the text. Unfortunately, a few years ago, a mother in Detroit deemed this version as too “pornographic” for her daughter to read.

Her daughter, a seventh grader in a suburban school district, had to read about such disgraceful, sickening, horrifying events like the Holocaust, you know, the murdering of countless people … oh, and about a vagina. The mother felt as if it should have been her job to teach her daughter about such physical traits. She’s right. She should have taught her daughter about her body and it probably should have been done before her daughter was hitting puberty. I guess she missed the boat on that one, and since she couldn’t do it, her daughter had to learn about it from one of the most important and most read pieces of literature in any country.

Here is the excerpt from The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank:

“Until I was eleven or twelve, I didn’t realize there was a second set of labia on the inside, since you couldn’t see them. What’s even funnier is that I thought urine came out of the clitoris…. When you’re standing up, all you see from the front is hair. Between your legs there are two soft, cushiony things, also covered with hair, which press together when you’re standing, so you can’t see what’s inside. They separate when you sit down and they’re very red and quite fleshy on the inside. In the upper part, between the outer labia, there’s a fold of skin that, on second thought, looks like a kind of blister. That’s the clitoris….

 There are little folds of skin all over the place, you can hardly find it. The little hole underneath is so terribly small that I simply can’t imagine how a man can get in there, let alone how a whole baby can get out!”

During banned books week in September, my high school students were always shocked at how many books have been “banned” over time and the silly reasons why. Much like in the time of the great philosophers such as Plato and Socrates and Descartes and Aristotle, people are shunned from asking questions and wondering about society, and themselves.

My parents introduced me to books and movies with difficult subject matter when I was very young. They taught me all about the difference between what I see on the screen and reality. The same logic was presented to me when it came to books. Certain books dealt with subject matter that might be above my weekly two-dollar allowance, but my parents and I kept an open dialogue about what I was reading and it was always a learning environment. I wasn’t watching any sexy-time television (save for the grainy sometimes-maybe-boob porn of searching for the playboy channel); it was just that the stories may have been offensive in some way. But a lot of it revolved around my curiosity to learn about all different ends of the literary realism in which I swam—or at least semi-paddled—to knowledge.

My parents knew how to guide me through what I was watching or reading. I don’t really subscribe to the same ideas as my parents—I will not show my daughter anything questionable—but when we read books at bedtime, she asks a lot of questions, because she’s curious. Reading begets life experience. It helps us understand the crazy world in which we live. It also acts as the perfect escape, allowing one to move seamlessly into someone else’s existence.

My parents did not “ban me” from certain movies or books, but instead, talked to me about the text and made sure that I was not only comfortable with the material, but also for the sake of opening the doors of conversation.

Most of all, my parents talked to me about life stuff and they did it before I hit seventh grade. I wasn’t finding out about my sexuality through a book as a young teenager. They used their position as authority figures to read with me, discuss the material, and make sure that I wasn’t looking at anything that served as a detriment to myself or those around me. You know what they’re not doing? They’re not banning a book.

Life lessons come in many forms. For some, it’s staring into a mirror. For others, it’s speculating on life’s happenings. Most of all, it’s whatever the characters want it to be and they are mostly willing to take us by the hand and help us enjoy the conversation.

It’s banned books week, and I wonder more an more why we are still holding onto these titles as if they will forever scar our children. It’s unfortunate since a good portion of those texts are vital to the life experience, and it’s sad that some students will not have access to, or even know about so many poignant pieces of writing.

So, yeah, Anne Frank had a vagina, and that’s obviously the most terrifying part of her diary.

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Originally posted on The Big Smoke

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

The Diary of a Young Girl: Censorship over Opportunity
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How Not to Be Offensitive“Maybe, you might have some advice to give

How [not] to be [offensitive]….” – Jann Arden “Insensitive”

Offensitive – Easily offended and overly sensitive

I can be fairly sarcastic, a little sardonic, and sometimes I offend people with my off the cuff remarks. There were years where I introduced myself to classes by telling them, “I’m sarcastic, and if that doesn’t work for you, I have two doors in my classroom”. In no way was this helpful, or something that should have been said on the first day of school, nor did it endear me to those I was tasked with educating. It didn’t earn me respect, and frankly, it broke my chances at building a strong connection with several students who needed a positive influence, rather than a jerk. Maybe.

I have a really hard time not being myself in front of students. I have a good time with them, joking around, and having real conversation about life and how to live it. Maybe some students are just too offensitive – new word from Anthony Muhammad that means “too easily offended and overly sensitive”.

I think there is quite a bit of merit to being your most honest self in front of students. They need to see a real person in front of them. It used to be the norm for teachers to be robotic. They were there to instruct, and instruct only what was supposed to be taught. Teachers were the sage on the stage, with a book on the podium, a chalkboard behind them, and no time for the students in front of them. They lacked personality, and a way or want to connect with their most immediate stakeholders. This is not to say there weren’t incredible teachers throughout the 19th and 20th centuries who were wonderful at making honest connections, but that wasn’t the basis upon which education was built.

There is a need to be both of these teachers. We shouldn’t be the sage on the stage. We should stick to the theory that 10-15 minutes of direct instruction per hour is a solid amount of time, and that students should be working in groups, or in discussion, or in some type of activity that furthers their understanding and moves them toward content area proficiency.

But what do we do about the students who are super offensitive? There were always a good handful of students who didn’t appreciate my sarcasm, or somewhat dark humor, and I tried to make sure that with those kids I was careful, and intentional with my words. Code switching is important in those situations. It’s good to make sure you truly know your population, and know how to differentiate your approach. The offensitive students will pick up on the differences, and it will go a long way toward building those necessary relationships.

It is not the students who need to become less offensitive or develop thick skin, it’s the teacher who needs to know when to soften their own.

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

How Not to Be Offensitive
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The Death Knell for Elementary and Middle Schools: Creating the New Standard for EducationI’m pretty sure it’s time to do away with all elementary and middle schools. We’ve seen enough. The students obviously know everything and since the grades don’t really matter and the permanent records only exist to taunt everyone, there is absolutely no point to Kindergarten through 8th grade. This is unfortunate for educators as it will lead to far fewer positions available; then again, there is such a teacher shortage at the moment, it might just revitalize the whole industry.

The Common Core State Standards (CCSS) provide a rubric for the essential skills needed to navigate through life, head toward higher education, or begin a career—or at least a job. The whole standards thing leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many parents and teachers alike. Unfortunately, these parents and teachers don’t really stop to understand what they actually mean for their children or students. The CCSS are the same damn thing teachers have been teaching—supposedly—since they ventured into the profession. The only difference is that now students at every level have a light at the end of the tunnel. They are no longer tethered to an “F” for a missing assignment or for a lack of understanding or because they had a family issue and couldn’t get it turned in on time.

Students have spent too many years in fairly unsupportive environments with teachers chiding them for not completely understanding the assignment. Unfortunately, many teachers negate the opportunity to help these students and instead tell them they should have listened or tried harder or done better or stayed during lunch or after school or not have gone to sleep or sporting events or dinner with their parents or work or babysit a sibling or do anything other than focus on the assignment they don’t understand because the teacher was unwilling to re-teach or go over or conference with or do much at all to show that student that they are capable of achieving the goal if they work hard, ask questions, and never give up.

Instead of providing students with straight A-F grades, they are simply asked to work until they have met that specific standard. If a student doesn’t meet a specific standard on an assignment in September, they are now able to complete it over and over again until they reach proficiency. As teachers, it’s easy to not want to grade, and re-grade, and re-grade. It’s tedious, and we get frustrated too easily with students who do not get things right the first time, or the 20th time. But we miss the fact that eventually they get it. Eventually, the student who works on it over and over and over and over again will turn in a paper that meets the goal.

I used to tell my students that “we can work with words on paper.” Words on paper will give students a starting point. It will allow them to show that they’ve at least given a quick attempt at something. But the problem is that students are still scared to ask a question. As cliché as it is, there are no stupid questions, and if one student has that question, then multiple students have the same one. Teachers need to realize that if more than two or three students have the same question or are confused about the same work, that they should simply re-teach or teach in a different way that helps with the confusion. It’s not okay for a teacher to simply shut down the students by saying they’ve already learned the information.

If we want to increase the graduation rates, teachers need to move into a standards system. Students need the ability to move up the ladder and know that they will always have the chance to complete work for a higher level of achievement. So then why do we need the primary or middle grades? Why can’t we just have one school system that moves on a vertically aligned system of grades and standards? We are no longer tethered to curriculum. The standards are our curriculum, and the content is used in order to provide a gateway to those standards. This can open the door to younger children having social skills courses, or typing classes, and once they’ve completed their work and earned at least proficiency for those courses, they will be able to move on to the next goal. If there are 100 goals to meet in order to reach graduation and a student meets them all at standard, why shouldn’t they be allowed to move on to higher education or a vocational program or an internship or whatever it is they want to do, considering they have proven themselves in all areas?

The education system is in a constant state of flux, but it’s headed in the right direction. No one will ever agree on how the system should be run, but we all want the same end result—creating a working-class citizen who has become their best self. People spend too much time complaining, rather than working with students and taking the time to understand that nothing much has changed, save for the now subtle light at the end of the sometimes-challenging tunnel.

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

The Death Knell for Elementary and Middle Schools: Creating the New Standard for Education
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You Can’t Build a Time MachineI didn’t write my column last week. The days leading up to last Tuesday came and went, and I knew I needed to sit down and write up something, but I just couldn’t think of anything worth writing. At least that was the excuse I used. My wife kept reminding me that I needed to sit down and get it done. I just didn’t. I love writing these posts, but I just didn’t have it in me last week to actually do it. So, I didn’t do it..

I’m going to run with the excuse that because my dog had just gotten fixed, and was running around like a bull in a china shop, with this huge cone around his head. I’m going to say that it was so hot outside, that I just couldn’t pull myself away from the great outdoors. Unfortunately, I’m not a fan of the sun, so that would be too obvious of a lie. I could say that I was busy gardening, or playing music, or writing the next great American novel. It wasn’t that I didn’t care, but life just got in the way. For so many students, life also gets in the way.

It can be hard to remember that the student sleeping on their desk might have worked the night prior, or had to take care of siblings, or had to do x, y, and z, and all were so much more important than school work. It wasn’t that they couldn’t do the work, it was that they were not able to actually do the work.

In my early years as a teacher, I had no problem telling a student that late work was unacceptable. It ended up in the recycling bin, or crumpled in the bottom of a backpack. I told them time and time again that they could always build a time machine. Where was my empathy? Where were the memories of similar moments? In no way was my response to their needs a positive one. I had my expectations, but they were unrealistic for both student and teacher.

In high school and beyond I was awesome at last minute work. I’d find a quiet space, toss on some headphones – typically a Miles Davis album – and get started. It was easy. I think my head works better under pressure. I do better when I don’t think too much about it, and just keep typing. In Anne Lamott’s book Bird by Bird, she urges writers to just move one word at a time, not overthinking anything, but rather putting word after word as they come. This means the drafts might be dirty, but they are on paper, and can always be edited and cleaned. As long as I could leave myself enough time to go back through the piece of writing and correct my errors, I was good to go. I think that because I loved this pressure-based writing, I just developed a knack for it. But still, if I don’t do the work it doesn’t really matter how good I think I am when it comes to a last minute finish.

But here I am, another Tuesday has arrived, and I’m just now sitting down to write today’s post. Sometimes we all do last minute work. Sometimes there are real life obstacles for students, teachers, professionals, and everyone else in this world. I did not complete my post last week, and I do not have a time machine. It’s Tuesday, I am running against a deadline, and this is my last sentence.

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Follow Chris Margolin on Twitter @theEDUquestion

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

You Can’t Build a Time Machine
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You can’t Shame Your Way to SuccessIf you’re anything like the many people who step on the scale every morning, after enjoying a night – or full day of – candy, soda, and carbs, you’re probably still really angry that the count is continuously higher than yesterday’s. Regardless, you step down, glare in the mirror, and in your faux-drill-sergeant voice you bellow, “You keep doing this, over, and over again. You’re never going to learn. Why don’t you listen to anyone? Try a bit harder. Meet standard!” Meeting standard has become an all too important part of life. It has also become an important part of education.

It’s annoying to have to convince ourselves, almost daily, that we are not up to “standard,” but we can sure get there if we “try a bit harder”. It’s really easy to bellow words into a mirror each morning, step on that scale, or into the classroom, and continue the frivolous attempt at shaming yourself toward meeting standard. It’s not nice. It’s not kind. It doesn’t help move yourself any farther toward success. It’s a lot harder to actually put in the effort and time to get there.

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, I was not a believer in the Common Core State Standards until I watched my wife teach, work with students, and grade their papers with feedback rather than a grade. They learned because they knew why they needed the information; it was never a you must, but rather a you can. It was stated via conferences, or feedback on papers, or class discussions, or peer-to-peer discussions. There wasn’t really a grade, because why would anyone grade that which the students really don’t yet understand. Eventually there would be a formative and summative assessment, but even those weren’t final grades, because the student would have more opportunities to meet proficiency. They didn’t have to go backwards, instead, they could look at the next assignment, and know where, and how, to improve their work. They trusted her as a teacher, and she trusted them as students. They all worked for each other.

Deep down I knew that every student should be allowed the opportunity to succeed at each part of the learning process; however, I had somehow lost track of the simple concept that we are not all the same person. Students do not all learn at the same pace, level, or even similar materials. But I was so stuck in this pattern of wanting to change, saying it out-loud, and then doing absolutely nothing to make it better. I was still stepping on the scale each and every morning.

From watching her classroom over time, I became not just a believer in the standards, but I practiced, and preached them to all who would listen. They were one solution to my constant conversation with the mirror. I also realized that beyond the assessments, came the way that students interacted with each other, and learned from each other. It was inspiring. I know that I had, at one point, been that excited about being in a classroom, but now I just seem to be going through the motions.

So, what do we, not just as teachers, but as people, in order to not just move toward change, and promise change, but actually change? If we’ve seen that the numbers never move in the right direction, or that grade books are cluttered with random homework assignments, it’s time to find something different. If you are stagnant, and never get out of your seat, or have your students get out of theirs, it’s time to rethink the way you utilize your classroom. If you stand in front of your classroom and teach at your students rather than with your students, or for your students, you need to rethink the way you approach your classes. If they are not having fun, or if you are not having fun, something needs to shift.

Step away from the scale, and from what you’ve been doing. Give yourself a solid year of change. Seek out professionals, read books, visit classrooms, and ask for help. You will be more confident. You will be okay with buying new clothes, and trying things you’ve never tried before; you will learn a valuable lesson. Then, in a year you can hop on that scale with pride, and know that you have busted through your own standard, and gone far beyond one-year’s growth in one-year’s time.

 

Follow Chris Margolin / The Education Question on Twitter: @theEDUquestion

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

You can’t Shame Your Way to Success
89528one-hundred-sixty-three-dollars-per-second-by-chris-courtney-margolin https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/confessions-of-an-educator/one-hundred-sixty-three-dollars-per-second-by-chris-courtney-margolin/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/07/scrooge-mcduck-warehouse-1-600x337.jpg

Tick: ONE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-THREE-DOLLARS.

Tock: ONE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-THREE-DOLLARS.

Tick: ONE-HUNDRED-SIXTY-THREE-DOLLARS

That is approximately how much LeBron James will make per second of each NBA game for the next 4 seasons. Let’s multiply that by however many professional athletes in the United States, and then take a look around our classrooms. Take a look around your office. Take a look at your supplies. Take a look at the desks, the chairs, the carpet. More importantly, take a look at the curriculum in front of you. Are you a 1:1 district? How old are the textbooks? Do your students have pencils? Food? Shoes?

Whether or not athletes should make this much money has been hot-button issue for as long as there have been professional sports. According to a 2012 study from Next Gen Personal Finance, there are roughly 5000 professional athletes within the United States in the core four sports: Baseball, Football, Basketball, Hockey. While not many players will ever make LeBron James money, a lot of them will make more than half our day’s wages in less than 5 minutes of each game played.

Our nation does not have a top education system. In fact, we don’t even rank in the top ten. “In a 2015 Pew Research Center report, only 29% of Americans rated their country’s K-12 education in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (known as STEM) as above average or the best in the world.” but it would be nice if each of our school districts could at least provide students with basic necessities. Aren’t we exhausted by opening the broken books that we’ve been using since the mid-seventies? The underfunding of our public education system is a dead horse that we keep on beating, but it’s still dead, and we still don’t have the necessary resources to support our students. Many teachers can’t even afford to live within the boundaries of the school they serve.

The reason professional athletes make as much as they do is because we believe there are so few people who can do what they do at that level; it’s so special that we pay them an exorbitant amount. It is widely know that there is a teacher shortage, yet society seems to view teachers as a dime a dozen. Good teachers are becoming just as scarce as professional athletes. Where else would anyone accept that the majority of substitutes are on emergency certificates – meaning non-credentialed educators - and that teachers are placed in content areas in which they are clearly unqualified. Educators are a valuable resource, so how do we adjust society’s viewpoint so that what we do is seen as that special. Teachers are not benchwarmers; they are masters of their craft, and should be seen, and paid, as thus.

 

 

 

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

One-Hundred-Sixty-Three-Dollars Per Second – by Chris & Courtney Margolin
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The Principals of Speed DatingEven though it’s been a handful of years since I was a classroom teacher, or even since I’ve been to the building in which I began my career, I still hold fond memories of my classroom with its decades-old yellowed-carpet, held down with duct tape, and years worth of old gum, and soda stains. We went through a lot of construction, and a lot changes in theory and practice. Mostly though, we went through a lot of administrators. It was like sitting down at some niche bar, creating a list of conversation topics, and likes, and dislikes, and hoping that someone in that room would take your life in the right direction. You wanted a leader who would want to stick around.

Sometimes when you get into a new relationship, you make the mistake of opening your mouth, and asking, “so, um… how many dates have you…..”, and before you can even finish the sentence, you watch all the sizzle fall out of whatever could have been.

You had already fallen in love with the idea of a future together. Everything was new. Everything was exciting. Things were moving in a new direction with new dynamics, and constantly changing positions. You would spend your days taking care of all your children, and then complaining about them as soon as they’re out of the room.

But, then there are problems. There’s some type of miscommunication. An argument about how to get those damn kids to graduate. Or maybe you catch wind that they have been keeping their eyes open for another opportunity – something more exciting, more suited to their current needs. Maybe the respect fades. The trust wanes. You swear you’ll stick it out for the rest of the year – at least until the kids graduate. When graduation comes, and the kids move away, you say your goodbyes to them, and to each other. There’s a divorce. It’s bitter, but amicable. You all keep with what you brought into the relationship, but there’s an emptiness in the brick-and-mortar, and a hope for brighter times.

Because you’re not someone who can wait too long to move on, you place an ad online. You list all of your minimum requirements in a partner, as well as a bit about yourself, and your hopes for the future. You want a leader. You want someone who has experience. Someone who can move in quickly – even if it’s too soon. Really, you just need someone, and hopefully they are good enough. At least for a while. At least as a rebound.

I spent 11 years in one school with 17 administrative changes. I once told a principal – I think it was my fourth – that I felt like I was locked in a rotating door of bad relationships. There was always a hopeful honeymoon where you promise that you on the same wavelength, and that teachers will have more time together, and students will see more growth over the course of the year. While we really want to hold onto that hope, we’ve heard it before, only to watch it all blow up at the end of the year when leadership, once again, changes.

Sometimes it’s good to move slowly. Sometimes it is good to take time to get acquainted. It’s okay to start as friends, maintain a bit of status-quo until you begin to hold hands, and smile with hope for a brighter future.

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

The Principals of Speed Dating
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Teach Like It’s The 21st CenturyIn the beginning there were desks. There was a chalkboard. There was a podium. There were students in rows, pencils at the ready, notebooks opened, and a sage on the stage who preached grammar, and geography, and math, but gave no thought to the students in front of them. They were there to listen, learn, keep their mouths shut, and their bodies at attention, always.

In the pictures from the late 19th century and early 20th century make education look so drab, dry, and boring. Everyone in uniforms. No creativity from a visual sense, or an educational sense. Teachers were not designing their unit plans, or bringing in materials that would inspire most students. Instead, they taught straight from textbooks, or lectured on minutia they thought was important.Teach Like It’s The 21st Century

So, why hasn’t it changed? Why are students still sitting in rows? Why are textbooks still the daily lesson plan? Why are students not standing up, going to stations, having constant conversations, building things, reading from outside materials, and rockin’ all the visual literacy in the everyday world. Why are so many teachers so unwilling to grow with their students, learn from their students, and provide students with materials that truly engage the stakeholders in the classroom.

My experience as a student was not very positive. In all of high school, I think I really connected with two teachers. I didn’t enjoy being there. I wanted to read, and write, and learn about why I wanted to read and write. But I was stuck in a desk. I was stuck with the same Language and Literature and Question and Form books that I still see on teacher bookshelves throughout the last three districts in which I’ve worked. I didn’t attend many classes my junior year of high school. I was much more interested in music, my girlfriend, and the library. I didn’t skip school to get stoned; I skipped, and hopped the bus to the downtown Portland library, and read all day long. It was more engaging than school. I learned so much more from picking up Crime and Punishment, or Rolling Stone, than I did from a molding textbook.

One of the main reasons I became a teacher was to make sure that students were not as bored as I had been. I wanted to make sure that I actually met them where they were at, and let them know that they could read materials they wanted, and that we would only use the textbook a couple times a year. If my students wanted to be auto-mechanics, then if we were doing lit circles, or some time of sustained reading, they could bring in auto-manuals. If they loved video games, bring in a guide book. If they wanted to read the newspaper, a magazine, a news-based website, they could do that as well.

And they worked.

And they enjoyed the work.

Because it didn’t feel like work.

When we moved through different themes, say Social Justice, students looked for news articles, TV spots, court transcripts, and whatever else they could find that focused on the issue, and could be shared with the class. Instead of raised-hand discussions, we did Philosophical Chairs and Socratic Seminars. My desks were in a U shape so everyone could see everyone else. I didn’t stand in the front of the classroom unless there was a real need. I sat with my students. I worked with my students. I learned from my students.

We are in a mobile world – both in screen and movement. Stagnation leads to a lack of learning. We should be out of our seats, or in groups, or doing something that engages body and brain. We are in the 21st century, and if you are still teaching like it’s the 20th, then you need to catch up with the times.

 

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

Teach Like It’s The 21st Century
88308write-the-real-not-the-real https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/write-the-real-not-the-real/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/06/749efb2c_efd0_4e0d_9546_d0712c705c95.png

Write the Real, Not the “Real”Write the real. Notice there are no quotation marks around the word “real” in that first sentence; it’s because the words that should go down on paper are those that actually represent what actually happens either in real life, or in the thought process of real life, or in the real life lessons learned over time, or in the real understanding of real circumstances. In essence, don’t lie to the reader, because the reader will close the book, and walk away, and forget that the words ever existed.

Tell it like it is. Throw no sucker punches – life’s day-to-day twists are more than enough. Don’t write for shock value. Don’t try to figure out what’s already happened. The reader gets nothing from scenes that don’t represent the real.

Now, this doesn’t mean that your piece needs to be one of realism. Science-Fiction, Fantasy, and Magical Realism all represent ideas that people have, or lessons that need to be learned. If we think about it, there’s nothing new learned from Star Wars; it’s simply the story of family, friendship, struggle, and survival. It’s the same for “The Very Old Man With Enormous Wings,” in the way that it’s the story of judgement, degradation, and the inability to overcome certain fears and stereotypes.

It is not the author’s job to give you a new reality, but to simply ask you to think about your own – to find your own story within the one they are providing. To use their characters as mirrors rather than windows.

It’s far too easy to merely observe Holden Caulfield, or J Gatsby, or Moll Flanders, and think that none of those stories apply to you while you’re reading. It’s much more difficult to stare at those characters as if you’re looking back at yourself. We are all Holden in the way that we all struggle to figure out who we really are, and we all swim through a world of “phony” people, or deal with families that don’t seem to care, or our own psyche that tells us everything is wrong. We are all wanting so badly to be J. Gatsby, and never worry about a thing – at least on the outside – and live a life of the surreal where everything just comes to us, and love is easy, and work is easy, and money is easy, while in reality, we know that we can only live that lie for so long, and that at some point it will always lead back to staring across the water toward the green light.

It’s the author’s job to show you reality; it’s your job to admit to it.

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

Write the Real, Not the “Real”
90274when-the-sidewalk-never-ends-2 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/confessions-of-an-educator/when-the-sidewalk-never-ends-2/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/08/81NpqDKpkXL._SY355_.jpg

When the Sidewalk Never EndsI don’t remember how old I was when my mom brought home a copy of Shel Silverstein’s Where the Sidewalk Ends, but I know it’s the first book of poems that I remember reading. I still have my copies of both that book, as well as A Light in the Attic, and while both are tattered, and leaking from their seams, they have been forever loved, and forever staples in my book collection.

I grew up in a household of readers – my father is a collector of all things Sherlock Holmes, and my mother a school teacher who loves books. There was never a time where I wasn’t surrounded by words. In fact, in my childhood bedroom, my dad kept one of his bookcases because he had run out of room in his upstairs library. My middle name is Holmes. I’m not happy about it.

Some of my earliest memories are my mother tucking me in at night, underneath the same two blue blankets that I kept on my bed until my wife finally threw them away, and reading to me from The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh. I don’t think we ever outgrew that book, reading those stories over and over again until I could recite each one of them from memory.

When I was a child, I was never very fascinated with television, and so books were all I wanted, and when I wasn’t outside playing with friends, book were all I had. I read anything I could get my hands on, and devoured everything around me: fiction, non-fiction, historical novels, choose your own adventures, and poetry.

I remember after reading through the Shel Silverstein books, I wanted to start writing my own pieces. My first poem was called “I’m Rubber, and You’re Glue,” and while I’m sure the spelling was wrong, and I know I copied the title and idea, my 5-year-old self was so excited when my mom read it and put it up on the fridge. It was a shining moment for a burgeoning authorPossibly plagiarized, but a shining moment nonetheless. I was going to be a writer when I grew up!

It’s funny though, because I don’t remember any books of poetry between Shel Silverstein, and my discovery of Langston Hughes in my junior year of high school. Ms. Wood, my English teacher both freshman and junior year, had us write a paper on an American Poet. I was having a really difficult time deciding who I would choose. I didn’t know a lot of names, and I remember going back and forth between Adrianne Rich and Langston Hughes. Eventually, either she got tired of waiting for me, or she saw something in me that made her hand me Hughes’ name on a sheet of paper. It was life-changing. I couldn’t get enough of him – still can’t! I wanted to read everything he’d ever written, from his earliest poems through his communist party brochures, and children’s books, and essays, and everything in between. The music in his words spoke to me like Silverstein’s had when I was just a child, except for this time, I was learning about a much more adult world.

In college, I ventured from Hughes to Yeats, and Keats, and Browning, and Shelly, and Donne, and Blake, and Wordsworth, and my fascination with 16th through 19th century British poetry grew at an increasing rate. The bleakness of their words, the raw honesty, and emotion with which they wrote. The way that I could see everything that happened in their time just by reading a short stanza. It was so enthralling.

As time has moved on, I have fallen in love with new poets – Rudy Francisco, Taylor Mali, Shane Koyczan, Mark Halliday, Donald Justice, Shihan, and so many more – and I’ve continued to learn from each and every one of them.

What I have found, as a reader, is that the sidewalk never ends; there is always another adventure from which to choose, another path yet traveled. Reading isn’t just fundamental, it is essential to the soul. Read to yourself, to your children, to your friends, to a stranger at a bus stop, but never stop reading.

Christopher Margolin

Chris Margolin is a Curriculum Specialist for English Language Arts, Social Studies, World Languages, AP, IB, and College in the High Schools. He spent 12 years as a high school English teacher, working not only with students but also as a member of the district curriculum design team, developing the district’s Creative Writing course. He is a contributing blogger with The Columbian, NCTE, McGraw Hill Education, The Buck Institute of Education, Ed Tech, and The Medium. He currently resides in Vancouver, Washington, with his wife and daughter.

When the Sidewalk Never Ends
95879study-common-class-of-drugs-linked-to-increased-risk-of-dementia-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/study-common-class-of-drugs-linked-to-increased-risk-of-dementia-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-HEALTHBEAT-FINAL-LOGOrgb.png

A new study found the use of a common class of drugs is associated with an increased risk of dementia – even when taken 20 years before a dementia diagnosis.

The international research team from the United States, United Kingdom and Ireland analyzed more than 27 million prescriptions for anticholinergic drugs. They compared those prescriptions as recorded in the medical records of 40,770 patients over 65 years old with dementia to the records of nearly 284,000 older adults without dementia.

The researchers found a greater incidence of dementia among those who were prescribed anticholinergic antidepressants, bladder medications and Parkinson’s disease medications than among those not prescribed anticholinergic medications.

Dementia increased with greater exposure to the drugs, according to researchers.

Anticholinergic medications block acetylcholine, a nervous system neurotransmitter, and have previously been implicated as a potential cause of cognitive impairment, said Noll Campbell, Regenstrief Institute and Indiana University Center for Aging Research investigator and co-author of the new study, in a news release.

“These findings make it clear that clinicians need to carefully consider the anticholinergic burden of their patients and weigh other options,” said study co-author Dr. Malaz Boustani, a Regenstrief Institute and IU Center for Aging Research investigator, in the news release.

Further research is needed to understand the reasons for the link between the drugs and increased dementia risk, the researchers said.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Study: Common class of drugs linked to increased risk of dementia
95882report-clark-county-has-higher-rates-of-female-young-doctors-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/report-clark-county-has-higher-rates-of-female-young-doctors-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/doctor-600x398.jpg

While Clark County has more physicians and more primary care providers per 100,000 than the state average, it lags behind in several specialties and psychiatry, according to a new report by the state Office of Financial Management.

Clark County also has a higher rate of female physicians per 100,000 people and has the youngest median age of physicians in the state, according to the report.

The new report by the office’s Health Care Research Center looks at the state’s physician supply using data from 2016.

Clark County has 263 physicians per 100,000 residents – only slightly higher than the state rate of 261. Clark County was one of only eight counties with rates higher than the state average.

County rates ranged from a high of 402 physicians per 100,000 in Chelan County to a low of 19 in Wahkiakum County.

Clark County also has a higher-than-average rate of primary care providers per 100,000 residents: 122. The state rate is 96 providers per 100,000.

But when it comes to specialists, Clark County is below the state rate of 165 per 100,000. Clark County has 141 specialists per 100,000 residents – better than 29 other counties.

Clark County also falls below the state rates for anesthesiologists, cardiologists, emergency medicine providers, family medicine providers, psychiatrists and radiologists. The county exceeds the state rates for internal medicine providers, obstetricians/gynecologists, pediatricians and surgeons.

In total, Clark County had 1,215 physicians, accounting for 6.5 percent of the state’s physician workforce.

The five most populous counties in the state – King, Pierce, Spokane, Snohomish and Clark – had 73 percent of the state’s total physicians while accounting for just 65 percent of the state’s population.

Female physicians in Clark County make up 39.5 percent of the physician workforce compared with 37 percent statewide. Only three counties had higher rates than Clark County: Columbia (42 percent), King (41.7 percent) and Snohomish (40.5 percent).

Across the state, 60 percent of physicians obtained their first state license since 2000. In Clark County, however, 72.6 percent of physicians received their first license since. Only Lincoln County had a higher rate (73.9 percent).

So, not surprisingly, Clark County has the youngest median age of physicians: 47 years old. At the other end of the spectrum is Garfield County, where the median age is 63 years old. Most counties have a median age higher than the statewide median age of 50.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Report: Clark County has higher rates of female, young doctors
95885romaine-lettuce-e-coli-outbreak-continues-to-grow-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/romaine-lettuce-e-coli-outbreak-continues-to-grow-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/romaine-339x460.jpg

Want to avoid E. coli? Better stay away from chopped romaine lettuce.

The number of people sickened in a multistate E. coli outbreak linked to romaine lettuce has climbed to 53 people in 16 states, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

The CDC is recommending people don’t eat any store-bought chopped romaine lettuce, including salads and salad mixes with romaine lettuce. Even those who have eaten some of the lettuce and have not gotten sick should toss the lettuce, the CDC warned.

Health officials suspect that chopped romaine lettuce from the Yuma, Arizona growing region is the source of the outbreak, but no common grower, supplier, distributor or brand has been identified.

The CDC first announced the E. coli outbreak on April 10. At the time, health officials had identified 17 cases in seven states.

On April 13, the CDC announced the outbreak link to chopped romaine lettuce. By then, 35 people had been sickened in 11 states.

And in the week since then, 18 more people and five states were added to the outbreak. Washington has reported one case.

Ill people range in age from 10 to 85, with a median age of 34. Seventy percent of ill people are women, according to the CDC.

Since the outbreak began, 31 people have been hospitalized with the infection, including five people who have developed kidney failure, according to the CDC. No deaths have been reported.

 

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Romaine lettuce E. coli outbreak continues to grow
95888wsu-researchers-study-effects-of-pot-on-depression-anxiety-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/wsu-researchers-study-effects-of-pot-on-depression-anxiety-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pot-smoke-600x361.jpg

Researchers at Washington State University have confirmed what medical marijuana users have been saying for years: Smoking pot helps with anxiety, stress and depression.

The WSU researchers looked at how self-reported levels of stress, anxiety and depression were affected by smoking different strains and quantities of cannabis at home.

They concluded that smoking cannabis can significantly reduce short-term levels of depression, anxiety and stress but may contribute to worse overall feelings of depression over time.

This research is unique because it looked at inhaled marijuana use in the home, whereas most of the previous research has been conducted in a laboratory using orally administered pills, according to a WSU news release.

The WSU researchers assessed how use of cannabis with varying concentrations of chemical compounds tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) and cannabidiol (CBD) affected users’ feelings of wellbeing.

They found that one puff of cannabis high in CBD and low in THC was best for reducing symptoms of depression.

Those looking to reduce anxiety symptoms responded best to two puffs of any type of cannabis. And 10 or more puffs of cannabis high in CBD and high in THC produced the largest reductions in stress, according to the researchers.

While both men and women reported decreases in symptoms for all three conditions after using cannabis, women reported a significantly greater reduction in anxiety following cannabis use, according to the news release.

“This is to my knowledge one of the first scientific studies to provide guidance on the strains and quantities of cannabis people should be seeking out for reducing stress, anxiety and depression,” said Carrie Cuttler, clinical assistant professor of psychology at WSU and lead author of the study, in the news release. “Currently, medical and recreational cannabis users rely on the advice of bud tenders whose recommendations are based off of anecdotal not scientific evidence.”

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

WSU researchers study effects of pot on depression, anxiety
95891research-shows-marijuana-ends-up-in-breast-milk-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/research-shows-marijuana-ends-up-in-breast-milk-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/pot-600x400.jpg

New research shows that a marijuana compound ends up in mom’s breast milk, but the exact consequences of that are still unclear.

Research published this month in Obstetrics and Gynecology looked at marijuana use among eight women in Colorado, where recreational marijuana is legal. The women were between two and five months postpartum and were all exclusively breastfeeding.

“This study is just a start to see if marijuana transferred into breast milk. Levels in milk were quite low,” said senior study author Thomas Hale, director of the Infant Risk Center at Texas Tech University School of Medicine in Amarillo, in a HealthDay article.

Still, researchers advised against women smoking marijuana while breastfeeding because there’s no known safe amount.

The anonymous women in the study all used marijuana, but the amount they used varied. Most used it infrequently; one woman said she used it seven to 10 times in the prior week.

The women used a provided breast milk collection kit that included bottles for the breast milk, as well as a new glass pipe for smoking marijuana to avoid contamination from past drugs.

The women were then instructed to buy a specific strain of marijuana from a specific dispensary to ensure a consistent dose. They were asked to stop smoking marijuana for 24 hours prior to smoking for the test.

The mothers then collected breast milk samples one, two and four hours after smoking for the test. About 2.5 percent of the amount the mother smoked was found in the milk. The test looked for a specific compound, delta-9-tetrahydrocannabinol.

The researchers said more work needs to be done to get a better understanding. For instance, the study only looked at inhaled marijuana. It’s also unclear whether the amount of marijuana in the breast milk would rise if a woman smokes more or if levels would be different among heavy users.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Research shows marijuana ends up in breast milk
95894survey-young-women-dont-see-std-risk-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/survey-young-women-dont-see-std-risk-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cropped-HEALTHBEAT-FINAL-LOGOrgb.png

While more than half of young women are sexually active, more than 85 percent of those who are do not believe they are at risk for chlamydia or gonorrhea, according to a new report.

Quest Diagnostics surveyed thousands of young women 15 to 24 years old, their mothers and primary care and OB/GYN providers about sexual activity, sexual health and knowledge of and screening for STDs.

The results showed a disconnect between sexual activity and perceived risk among young women, as well as poor communication between patients and providers.

The survey found that 56 percent of young women are sexually active, but of those, only 39 percent said their partner used a condom the last time they had sex.

And while STD rates have been on the rise – gonorrhea rates are up 19 percent since 2015, chlamydia rates are up 5 percent – young women are more worried about HIV/AIDs, according to the survey.

About 40 percent of survey respondents said they’re concerned about HIV/AIDS, while 20 percent said they were concerned about chlamydia and only 16 percent were worried about gonorrhea.

Yet of those who are sexually active, only 56 percent said they’ve been tested for an STD, according to the survey.

But the survey also revealed that physicians may be contributing to the problem.

A quarter of physicians said they were very uncomfortable discussing STD risk with female patients. In addition, one in three physicians said they relied on symptoms to diagnose an STD, even though infections can be present without symptoms, according to the survey.

About half of young women said they don’t want to bring up sex or STDs with their providers, and less than 25 percent of women would ask their provider for an STD test.

On the flip side, nearly 50 percent of women said their provider has never asked them if they want STD testing.

And when young women do talk about sex with their doctor, they’re not always truthful. About a quarter of young women admitted they don’t always tell the truth. Among 15- to 17-year-olds, that rate is much higher: 43 percent.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Survey: Young women don’t see STD risk
95897surgeon-general-urges-people-to-carry-opioid-antidote-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/surgeon-general-urges-people-to-carry-opioid-antidote-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/naloxone-600x399.jpg

In an effort to combat the opioid’s crisis, U.S. Surgeon General Dr. Jerome Adams says more Americans should be carrying the overdose antidote naloxone.

Adams released a public health advisory Thursday, recommending more people carry the medication that is already carried by many first responders. Individuals, including family, friends and those who are personally at risk for an opioid overdose, should have the drug on hand, according to the advisory.

Naloxone, which is delivered via nasal mist or injection, can counteract the effects of an opioid overdose. While it’s not a long-term solution, it can temporarily suspend the overdose effects until emergency responders arrive, according to the surgeon general.

In many states, including Washington, a prescription isn’t required to get naloxone from a pharmacist. Most states also have laws designed to protect providers who dispense and Samaritans who deliver naloxone or call for help during an opioid overdose, according to a news release from the surgeon general’s office.

The surgeon general’s public health advisory is part of the administrations ongoing effort to respond to the rising number of overdose deaths. Since 2010, the number of opioid overdose deaths has doubled from more than 21,000 to more than 42,000 in 2016, according to the news release.

The biggest increase in opioid overdose deaths were related to illicitly made fentanyl and synthetic opioids, according to the news release.

“Each day we lose 115 Americans to an opioid overdose – that’s one person every 12.5 minutes,” Adams said in the news release. “It is time to make sure more people have access to this lifesaving medication, because 77 percent of opioid overdose deaths occur outside of a medical setting and more than half occur at home.”

Naloxone is covered by most insurance plans and, for those without insurance, may be available at no or low cost through public health programs or retailer and manufacturer discounts, according to the news release.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Surgeon general urges people to carry opioid antidote
95900poll-majority-will-buy-own-health-plan-even-without-mandate-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/poll-majority-will-buy-own-health-plan-even-without-mandate-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/reform-531x460.jpg

The vast majority of people say they will continue to buy their own health insurance, even without an individual mandate requiring they do so, according to a new poll.

The March Kaiser Health Tracking Poll surveyed non-group health plan enrollees about the individual mandate and their health coverage.

As part of the Republican tax plan signed at the end of 2017, lawmakers eliminated the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate penalty beginning in 2019.

Only about 19 percent of respondents were aware the mandate penalty had been repealed but is still in effect for this year. Regardless, 90 percent of respondents said they will continue to purchase their own insurance, even with the individual mandate repeal.

About 34 percent of respondents said the mandate was a “major reason” why they purchased insurance in the first place.

The poll also found that about half of the public believes the health plan marketplaces are collapsing. The rate is higher (about 60 percent) among those who purchase plans through the marketplaces.

Among those who are uninsured, the top reason for not having health insurance is its high cost (36 percent) and job-related issues, such as unemployment or their employer not offering health insurance (20 percent).

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Poll: Majority will buy own health plan, even without mandate
95903medical-costs-still-preventing-people-from-visiting-doctor-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/medical-costs-still-preventing-people-from-visiting-doctor-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/cash-600x384.jpg

In the past year, 44 percent of people report skipping a visit to the doctor when they were sick or injured because of the cost of being seen.

And about 40 percent say they skipped a recommended medical test or procedure because of the cost, according to a new national poll.

The survey, conducted by West Health Institute and NORC at the University of Chicago, asked more than 1,300 adults how they feel about medical costs and how those costs affect their decisions.

More people fear the medical bills that come with a serious illness (40 percent) than the illness itself (33 percent), according to the survey.

Other interesting findings:

“The high cost of healthcare has become a public health crisis that cuts across all ages as more Americans are delaying or going without recommended medical tests and treatments,” said Dr. Zia Agha, chief medical officer at the West Health Institute, in a news release. “According to this survey, most Americans do not feel they are getting a good value for their healthcare dollars, and the rising cost of healthcare is clearly having a direct consequence on American’s health-and financial well-being.”

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Medical costs still preventing people from visiting doctor
100324coconut-macaroon-nests-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/coconut-macaroon-nests-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_1601-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Coconut Macaroon NestsCoconut Macaroon Nests will totally be on the table at Easter brunch next weekend.  Although they’re a bit messy to make, they look adorable and taste great.  Feel free to make these a day or two ahead so you have less to manage on Sunday.

Coconut Macaroon Nests

Makes 24 nests

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oven to 300.  Coat mini muffin pans with non stick cooking spray.

Use a stand mixer to combine egg whites, sugar, salt, vanilla, coconut and almond extract.  Mix briefly.  Add shredded coconut and mix until combined.

Scoop 1 T blobs of coconut into the prepared muffin pan.  Grease a smaller item (I have a narrow bottomed shot glass) such as wine cork and gently press it down into the coconut to create the nest-like shape.  It can be messy, it will look like twigs after you bake it.

Bake for 30 minutes until nests set and edges are golden brown.  If it’s browning too quickly, cover the pan with foil.  Set aside and cool completely.

Carefully remove nests from pan.  I used a small spatula to wiggle around the edges and pop them out.  You WILL lose some… I started with 30 and ended up with 24 intact.  It just happens.

Carefully melt chocolate chips in a plastic bag in the microwave, using 30 second intervals and checking often.  Drizzle into nests and carefully stick the eggs to the chocolate.  Feel free to put a bit of chocolate on the back of an egg to “glue” it to the others.  Cool completely and serve.

Recipe modified from “Macaroon Nests,” inspiredbycharm.com

Coconut Macaroon Nests

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Coconut Macaroon Nests
95906study-thousands-of-children-injured-in-hoverboard-falls-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/healthbeat/study-thousands-of-children-injured-in-hoverboard-falls-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/hoverboard-600x417.jpg

New research reveals that nearly 27,000 children and teens were treated at hospital emergency departments for injuries sustained while riding hoverboards during the first two years of sales.

Researchers analyzed 2015-16 injury data among children younger than 18 and found that injuries were most common among 12-year-old boys.

The body parts most often injured are what you would expect with falls: wrist (19 percent) and forearm (14 percent). Head injuries also accounted for 14 percent of injuries, according to the research published in Pediatrics.

Fractures were the most common diagnosis (40 percent), followed by contusions (17 percent) and strains or sprains (13 percent).

Only three burns were reported during the research period, despite hoverboards being known for spontaneously catching fire during those early years.

None of the burns was caused by malfunctioning batteries. Rather, two of the burns resulted from patients being scalded while riding a hoverboard in the kitchen and colliding with a pot of boiling water. The third was a friction burn that developed after the patient’s finger was ran over by a hoverboard, according to the researchers.

The researchers also looked at skateboard injury data. More than 121,000 children visited emergency departments during that two-year period with skateboard injuries. Again, 12-year-old boys accounted for most of those injuries, according to researchers.

And like hoverboard injuries, wrists were the most frequently injured body part among skateboarders and fractures were the most common diagnosis.

But while the majority of hoverboard injuries occurred in homes, skateboard injuries were most common on the street.

Marissa Harshman

I'm the health reporter for The Columbian newspaper in Vancouver, Wash. I started at The Columbian -- my hometown newspaper -- in September 2009. Reach me at marissa.harshman@columbian.com or 360-735-4546.

Study: Thousands of children injured in hoverboard falls
100329super-lemon-coffee-cake-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/super-lemon-coffee-cake-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_1377-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

I’m a food nerd.  Completely comfortable with this title, it means I read cookbooks for fun (yes really), take pictures of everyone’s food at restaurants (sorry not sorry) and take about 5 hours in any kitchen store (I told you to get a coffee and bring a book).

Food nerd status also means I love testing new ingredients.  After few weeks ago I went crazy with coconut milk powder in Creamy Coconut Cheesecake.  After the dust settled, I finally got around experimenting with lemon juice powder.  It’s literally dehydrated fresh lemon juice, the idea is to pack a lot of bright, lemony punch into a small amount.  (Side note, don’t try eating it directly, it’s super duper sour).  Lemon juice powder is absolutely worth adding to your baking collection.

Super Lemon Coffee Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients:

Lemon Streusel

Lemon Coffee Cake

Lemon Glaze

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.  Carefully grease a tube pan (at least 10 C capacity).  A tube pan is another name for an angel food cake pan with a removable bottom.

To prepare lemon streusel, combine all dry ingredients except for pecans.  Cut in cold butter with a pastry cutter or a fork until mixture is coarse crumbs.  Mix in pecans.  Set aside.

To prepare lemon coffee cake, mix together flour, baking powder, salt, lemon juice powder and cinnamon.  Set aside.

Use a stand mixer to cream butter and lemon extract.  Add sugar and beat at least 2 minutes, until fluffy.  Add eggs one at a time, scrape sides if needed.  Add sour cream.

Remove bowl from stand.  Use a spatula to gently stir in dry ingredients.

Spoon about half the batter into the prepared tube pan.  Sprinkle half the lemon streusel.  Finish with batter and more streusel.  Gently tap the pan on the counter to prevent bubbles.

Bake the cake for 40-45 minutes until a cake tester comes out clean.  Allow to cool slightly and run a thin knife around the edges to loosen.  Turn the cake on to a plate and place another plate on top, flipping it over so the streusel is visible.  Allow to cool completely.

To make the glaze, mix ingredients and drizzle over cake.

Recipe modified from “Lemon Streusel Coffeecake,” kingarthurflour.com

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Super Lemon Coffee Cake
100334pecan-caramel-clusters-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/pecan-caramel-clusters-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_1403-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Pecan Caramel Clusters

Pecan Caramel Clusters don’t require any baking.  Quick and easy, these treats would be a perfect addition to Mother’s or Father’s Day brunch.  You can also substitute in your favorite nut mix.  A coworker has asked me to try making these with a pecan, cashew and pistachio combination.  Sounds even better, can’t wait to give it a spin.

Pecan Caramel Clusters

Makes 18 clusters

Ingredients:

Directions:

Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

Break pecan halves into slightly smaller pieces, leaving big chunks.  Put in a large bowl.

Dump heavy cream and unwrapped caramels into a small sauce pan.  Heat over medium low until everything melts, stirring gently to combine.  Don’t be tempted to heat caramel too quickly, it can burn (I know from firsthand experience).

When caramel and cream have melted together, remove from heat.  Add vanilla and 1/4 t sea salt and mix completely.

Pour melted caramel over pecan pieces and use a spatula to stir until evenly coated.  Use a tablespoon to scoop out clumps, setting on prepared baking sheet.  Allow to cool, about 30 minutes.

When pecan clusters have set, transfer chocolate chips into a plastic bag.  Microwave in 15 second bursts until chocolate melts.  Snip the corner and drizzle pecan clusters.  Sprinkle with sea salt if using.

Store refrigerated.  Put parchment paper between layers if stacking, these get a bit sticky at room temperature.

Recipe modified from “Caramel Pecan Clusters,” mybakingaddition.com

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Pecan Caramel Clusters
85400do-you-have-any-experiments-you-can-recommend https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/do-you-have-any-experiments-you-can-recommend/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Dr. Universe: Do you have any experiments you can recommend? Thanks! -Etta, 7, Milwaukee

Dear Etta and Friends:

You can try all kinds of fun experiments at home. It really all depends on what you are curious about. Lately, I’ve seen some really great sunsets and started wondering what gives them their colors.

I decided to ask my friend Tom Johnson, who leads fun physics demonstrations for kids visiting Washington State University. I asked him if he had any simple ideas for an experiment I could try out in my lab, or even the kitchen. One idea he had was to create a sunset in a cup.

Maybe you can try it, too. You’ll need a flashlight, a transparent cup or two, water, and some milk. We cats have a reputation for liking milk. But it really isn’t so great for our digestion. So instead, I like to use it for science.

Once you’ve collected all your supplies, you’ll want to fill your glass about 2/3 of the way with water. Then, you’ll want to add milk until the liquid gets pretty cloudy. Be sure and stir it up well.

Turn on your flashlight and turn down any other lights in the room. Now you can shine the flashlight down into the water and look through the side of the glass. What color do you see?

This time, shine the flashlight through the side of the glass while looking at it from the opposite side. Any changes? Then hold your glass up off the table. Shine the flashlight up through the bottom of the glass and look down into the liquid. What colors can you see now? Perhaps the colors are looking more like those you’d see during a sunset.

Milk in the water scatters the light from the flashlight. It’s similar to the way different molecules and dust in our atmosphere scatter light from the sun.

Light travels from one end of the glass to the other and then up to your eyes. The further the light has to travel through the water, the more blue light gets scattered. That leaves more red light for your eyes to pick up.

Now that we’ve started to get an idea of how light scatters, runs into particles, and travels long distances, you can really get to experimenting.

What happens when you use less or more milk? Will you see any changes if you use a different kind of flashlight, like an LED? What kind of milk gives off more orange or reddish colors? Two percent? Whole milk?

Does the shape of the glass change anything? Why do you think that might be? Make a prediction and give it a try sometime. I’d love to hear more about your experiments and how your own sunset in a cup turns out. E-mail: Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

ABOUT ASK DR. UNIVERSE

The post Do you have any experiments you can recommend? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

100338fudge-buckeye-cake-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/fudge-buckeye-cake-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0849-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Fudge Buckeye Cake combines dense chocolate cake with sweet, squishy peanut butter filling.  A great option for Father’s Day, you can substitute 9 inch round cake pans for the fancy rectangular ones.  Buckeye is a reference to a super popular treat originating from the Midwest.

Fudge Buckeye Cake

Serves 12

Ingredients:

Cake

Filling

Frosting

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350.  Grease and flour the baking pans.  Be sure not to miss any spots.  You will be making 4 layers, meaning you need enough time to bake in to batches.

To make the cake, whisk together the dry ingredients.  Add eggs, oil and vanilla.  Scrape sides if needed.  Gradually add water, beat until smooth.

Pour about 1/4 batter into each pan.  Bake for 30-35 minutes or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.  Cool for 15 minutes then turn cakes out of the pans to cool on a rack.  Wash the pans and grease and flour again.  Fill with remaining batter and bake again.

To make the filling, use a stand mixer.  Combine peanut butter, powdered sugar and vanilla.  It will be crumbly.  Add milk in increments until smooth and spreadable.  It needs to be thick enough to hold its shape but soft enough to spread between the layers.

When the cake is completely cool, use a spatula to divide the peanut butter mixture into 3 even amounts.  Eyeball the 4 cake layers, if they have puffed up in the centers you may need to carefully trim with a serrated knife until it is mostly even.

Carefully set the first layer of cake on a platter.  Use an offset spatula to distribute a third of the peanut butter filling.  Start in the center and carefully push out to the edges.  Set on next layer of cake and repeat.  Leave the top later uncovered.

To make frosting, combine chocolate chips, heavy cream and corn syrup in a microwave safe bowl.  Decrease the power to 50% and carefully melt together using 30 second bursts.  You’ll need about 90 seconds.  Stir until smooth.

Spread along the top of the cake, allowing it to drip down the sides.  Store in the refrigerator until chocolate frosting sets.

Recipe modified from “Peanut Butter Fudge Buckeye Cake,” kingarthurflour.com

Fudge Buckeye Cake

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Fudge Buckeye Cake
85035how-do-we-get-our-personality https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/how-do-we-get-our-personality/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Screen-Shot-2016-05-06-at-4.08.12-PM-349x460.png

Dr. Universe: How do we get our personality? – Jamie, 11

Dear Jamie,

Everyone is different. Maybe you are adventurous, shy, outgoing, funny, or kind. Before you were even born, your unique personality was beginning to take shape.

Part of the answer to your question is that some of your personality comes from your parents. Just as parents pass down physical traits like hair and eye color to their offspring, they can also give them different personality traits. They’re in your genes, the information passed throughout generations.

But your personality isn’t set in stone from the beginning. There are a few other things that go into it.

That’s what I found out from my friend Chris Barry, a psychologist at Washington State University. He studies personality in young people, including how people express themselves on social media. He was really excited to hear about your question.

Even as little babies, people start to express their own personalities, he said. Maybe you were a really fussy infant. Maybe you laughed or smiled a lot. As you grew up and learned how to communicate, your personality started to grow, too.

You’ve had a lot of different life experiences and those play into your personality, too. Barry reminded me that humans are social animals. He explained that as the brain develops, you become much more aware of the world around you.

For example, when you were little, you could run around with spaghetti all over your face and no one would think much about it. But now that you are an 11-year-old, running around with spaghetti on your face could be a little embarrassing.

Perhaps your family and friends would suggest you find a napkin. Barry explained that as you get older you are not only more aware of different social situations, but also your own personality.

Humans are often looking for information from other humans to figure out how to navigate the world. Meanwhile, an almond-shaped brain structure called the amygdala is especially helpful as you figure out these new situations and emotions.

You may notice that your family, friends, or others may react to the way you behave. You might learn to change your behavior depending on their reactions. While everyone has their own personality, in a way, other people are helping shape it, too.

Humans have all kinds of words to describe each other’s personality traits. In fact, some researchers have come up with a list of more than 600 characteristics.

Barry explained that we still have a lot of unanswered questions to explore when it comes to understanding personality. He said that while your personality develops a lot as you grow from a baby into a kid, it probably won’t change too much once you become a grown-up.

Based on your question, it appears that you are very curious. That can be a great personality trait. Have you ever thought about become a scientist or researcher one day? Keep asking great questions and you’ll be well on your way.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post How do we get our personality? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

84815why-do-cows-moo https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/why-do-cows-moo/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Why do cows moo? -Sam, 11, Gahanna, Ohio

Dear Sam,

If you’ve ever been near a herd of mooing cows, it might have sounded like all their moos were the same. But just as each person’s voice is a little different, so is each cow’s moo.

Human ears might not always pick up the small differences in moos, but cow ears sure can. In fact, cows have great hearing. They can even tell that different moos mean different things.

That’s what I found out from my friend Amber Adams-Progar, an animal scientist at Washington State University who studies cow behavior. She learns a lot about how we can better care for cows and spends time visiting our herd out at the Knott Dairy Center in Pullman, Wash.

Adams-Progar explained that before humans domesticated cows and started raising them on farms, these animals lived in the wild. In nature, mother cows go off on their own to find a spot to have their baby.

Sound is a big part of how a mother and baby cow bond. While a calf might send out one kind of moo when she is hungry, another moo might mean she’s lost.

“Sometimes a calf will go running off and the mom will look around. All of a sudden you hear her moo and then somewhere in the distance you hear a little moo respond back,” Adams-Progar said. “It’s kind of cute.”

Some cows will also moo when they are looking to find a mate. Finding other cows in the herd is part of why these animals moo, but there are other reasons, too.

In the wild, cows are prey animals. Sometimes mooing attracts predators, but sometimes cows can also use their moos to help keep each other safe. They can use their moos and their great sense of hearing to let other cows in the herd know there might be danger afoot.

While mooing can help cows find and protect one another, they also use other kinds of behaviors to communicate. Sometimes cows will grunt. Usually when we see cows grunting, they are pretty content, like when they are eating. They may also use their grunts when they are defending themselves or letting other cows know about their rank in the herd.

A wag of their tail can also help communicate to animals around them. When its tail is between its legs, the animal may be cold. A wagging tail could also mean it is in pain or just irritated. Cows also use their tails to swat away flies and sometimes calves wag their tails when they are nursing.

It’s a great question you ask, Sam. Maybe the next time you pass a herd of mooing cows you can think about all the different communication that is going on out there in the pasture.

In fact, your question leaves me with even more questions about animal communication. Why does a bat screech? A bee buzz? Or an elephant trumpet? What is your favorite animal? What sounds does it make to communicate? Tell me about it sometime at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Why do cows moo? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

100344simple-spice-cake-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/simple-spice-cake-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0784-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Simple Spice Cake

Simple Spice Cake is a throwback recipe to less complicated time.  It’s easy to get caught up in the super complicated gourmet recipes people seem to favor these days, I like to things my grandma would have made 70 years ago.  Feel free to add raisins and pecans if you love them, only about a cup total before baking.

Simple Spice Cake

Makes 24 cupcakes

Ingredients:

Directions:

Heat oven to 350.  Line muffin pan with cupcake wrappers.

Mix flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, ground cloves, nutmeg and allspice.  Set aside.

Use a hand mixer to combine butter and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time.  Measure out buttermilk.

Add some of the flour mixture to the butter and sugar with about half of the buttermilk.  Mix gently.  Add the rest of the flour and buttermilk.  Scrape sides if needed.

Transfer to prepared cupcake pan, filling 3/4 full.

Bake for 22-25 minutes until cupcakes are lightly golden and a toothpick comes out clean.

Cool completely and frost with white chocolate cream cheese frosting.  Garnish with fresh nutmeg.

Recipe modified from “Old Fashioned Spice Cake,” geniuskitchen.com

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Simple Spice Cake
84567can-video-games-help-us-learn https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/can-video-games-help-us-learn/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Can video games help us learn? – Isaac, 12, Clyde, N.Y.

Dear Issac,

All kinds of games can help us learn, including some video games. They can be a fun and useful way to help you remember what you learn, too.

Our brains work hard each day to take in and process information. Ever since video games were invented, people have been asking if and how they might change our behavior and brains.

For example, people once thought that video games left players with poor eye-sight and poor attention. Some scientists decided to actually test out these ideas. Their studies have shown that some video game players actually have better attention than non-players. Other studies have shown how some video game players also have sharper vision.

When it comes to learning new things, being able to focus and quickly process visual information can be helpful. But those aren’t the only things that help with learning.

That’s what I found out from my friend and Washington State University education researcher Raed Alsawaier. He studies how different elements of games can help us learn in our classrooms or other settings outside of the virtual, video game world.

“Almost all of us grow up learning through playing,” he said.

Just think back on a time when you played a game with friends. Maybe you worked with as a team. Maybe you used some creativity and imagination to face a challenge or solve a problem.

It appears that there are two elements to video games, in particular, that can really help us learn, Alsawaier said. One of these elements is collaboration. Learning through video games often happens when you are working with others to reach a goal. This can happen in the game or outside the game.

For example, some games like Minecraft help kids learn to read and write. But the game itself doesn’t actually require you to read or write. The game also doesn’t come with a lot of instructions. Players read other people’s experiences online and write about their own.

The other element of learning through video games is, well, fun. When playing video games, people use a lot of their senses during the experience; sight to watch the screen, hearing to listen to their fellow players, and touch when using the controller.

Our senses and experiences are also tied closely to our memory, Alsawaier explains. Not only can video games give us skills that help us learn, but there’s evidence that they can help us remember what we learn, too.

We still have a lot to learn about different video games and how they affect us, but we can say, at least in part, that the answer to your question is yes.

Now that you know about few elements in video games that can help us learn, what kind of video game would you design? Tell me about it sometime at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Can video games help us learn? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

100348creamy-coconut-cheesecake-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/creamy-coconut-cheesecake-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0793-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Confession time.  We made 3 of these in a week.   Although we only ate 1 at home, the other 2 went into work because the office had a cheesecake emergency and everyone HAD to have a slice.

Be sure to find coconut milk powder ahead of time, I ordered from Amazon Prime and it was $7 for a 5.5 oz bag.  This was enough for 3 cheesecakes.  Coconut milk powder is also available at specialty health food stores.

Creamy Coconut Cheesecake

Ingredients

Crust

Filling

Topping

Directions

Heat oven to 350.  Use a food processor to turn graham crackers into crumbs.

Mix graham cracker crumbs, powdered sugar, shredded coconut, salt and butter with a fork.  Dump into a pie pan.  Use the flat bottom of a measuring cup to gently press down the crust, starting in the center and moving out to the edges.  Leave the edges a bit rough, it will look pretty when it bakes.

Use a hand mixer to blend cream cheese and sugar.  Add eggs one at a time.  Add coconut milk powder and coconut extract.

Scoop into prepared crust, smoothing with a spatula.

Bake for 30 minutes total, 20 minutes uncovered and 10 minutes with a pie crust shield.  If you don’t have a crust shield, you can gently wrap a few pieces of aluminum foil on the edges.

You can tell when the cheesecake is done because it will start to puff slightly around the edges.

To make the topping, put shredded coconut on a cookie sheet.  Bake for 5-8 minutes until golden brown.  Sprinkle on top of cheesecake.

Allow to cool before serving.  Keep refrigerated.

Recipe modified from “Easy Coconut Cheesecake,” King Arthur Flour

Creamy Coconut Cheesecake

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Creamy Coconut Cheesecake
84425strawberry-buttermilk-baked-doughnuts https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/strawberry-buttermilk-baked-doughnuts/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/IMG_0815-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Spring is  around the corner.  From an errant daffodil in our front yard to needing only one coat to walk the dog in the evening, better days are definitely on the way.

Strawberry Buttermilk Baked Doughnuts use real fruit in both the cake and the glaze, making for a bright and tasty treat.

Strawberry Buttermilk Baked Doughnuts

Makes 24 regular size

Ingredients:

Doughnuts

Strawberry Glaze

Vanilla Drizzle

Directions:

Heat the oven to 425.  Lightly spray a doughnut pan with nonstick cooking spray.

Mix flour, wheat flour, baking powder, salt and baking soda in a bowl.  Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine melted, cooled butter, oil and sugar.  Add eggs and vanilla and whisk until smooth.

Measure out buttermilk.

Pour about a third of the flour mixture into mixture and stir gently.  Add half the buttermilk and stir some more.   Add the next third of the flour, half the buttermilk and finish with the flour.  The key is to combine the ingredients gently but to make sure everything comes together.  Mixture will be thick.  Fold in strawberries.

Transfer to a plastic bag and snip the corner.  Pipe into prepared doughnut pans filling 2/3 full.

Bake for 8-10 minutes or until the doughnuts are pale gold and spring back when touched with a fingertip.  Remove and cool.

To prepare strawberry glaze, put strawberries in a small sauce pan.  Cook over medium heat for 10 minutes until mixture thickens.  Use a mesh sieve to strain out chunks.  Mix strawberry concentrate with powdered sugar and red food coloring if using.  Glaze will be thick but spreadable, add a small amount of milk if needed.

To make vanilla drizzle, combine all ingredients.  Transfer to a plastic bag and make a very small cut in the corner.

Dip cooled doughnuts into strawberry glaze and set on wax paper.  If your glaze is thin you may need to dip them twice.  Add vanilla drizzle.  Allow glaze to set.  Because you used real fruit, the glaze may be stickier than glazes with artificial flavors.  Share with friends.

Recipe modified from “Strawberry Cake Donuts,” bakedbyanintrovert.com

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Strawberry Buttermilk Baked Doughnuts
84409why-does-hair-turn-gray https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/why-does-hair-turn-gray/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Final-Dr.-U.-Gray-Hair-2-1-600x354.jpg
Dr. Universe examines a gray hair.

Dear Dr. Universe: Why does hair turn gray? –Darae, 10

Dear Darae,

Hair comes in lots of different colors. There’s black, medium brown, auburn, light brown, strawberry blonde, and copper, to name just a few. But in the end, almost everyone will have hair that’s gray or white.

Ever since you were born, different cells have been working on your hair. Each hair sprouts from a follicle, a sort of little hair-making factory under your skin. Here, some of your cells are making your hair and others are coloring it.

The cells that color your hair are called melanocytes. They produce a pigment, or natural coloring matter, called melanin. This is the same pigment that gives your eyes and skin their color, too.

I decided to visit my friend Cynthia Cooper, a biologist and researcher at Washington State University, for help answering your question.

A close-up look at cells 

Cooper and the other scientists in her Vancouver, Wash., lab are really curious about cells. They are investigating questions about how some cells end up becoming the kind that produce skin pigment.

As people get older, she said, the pigment-producing cells in their hair follicles gradually die. They can no longer make enough pigment to keep coloring their hair.

If we took out all the pigment from your hair, it would be totally white.  So when melanocytes stop producing melanin altogether, your hair turns white.

“Why hair follicle melanocytes die over time, and are not replaced, we don’t entirely know,” Cooper said. “Our skin doesn’t turn gray, so the biology is quite different,” she adds.

While Cooper works on pigment in skin, she said some scientists are also working on other big questions about the pigment in hair, too. These scientists are especially curious about the inner-workings of the cells and how gray hair is part of people’s DNA.

Perhaps, you’ve heard someone say their kids are giving them gray hair. But scientifically, if anyone is giving someone gray hair, it’s likely their own parents. Those that come before us pass down their hair color to us through the genes we inherit from them. It’s the same with graying hair.

Scientists have even pinpointed specific genes and parts of cells that are involved in growing gray hair. The new knowledge is helping us put together a better picture of how pigment works. Still, there’s a lot more to discover.

Maybe as you get older and find that first gray hair, you’ll remember some of the science that’s at the root of it all. If you have a cat or dog, maybe you’ll notice that they’ll go gray around their muzzles, too.

I’ve actually had gray and white hair ever since I was a kitten. I think it’s pretty great. Our pigment, or lack of it, help make us all unique.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Why does hair turn gray? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

84016why-do-we-get-fevers https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/why-do-we-get-fevers/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Dr. Universe: Why do we get a fever when we are sick? – Marcelina, 11, Ovid, N.Y.

Dear Marcelina,

Lots of warm-blooded animals get sick, including cats. I’ve had a fever before, but I wasn’t entirely sure why we warm up when we get sick. I decided to ask my friend and professor Phil Mixter at Washington State University.

Mixter is curious about the germs, or microbes, that we all carry around with us. In fact, scientists estimate that humans carry more than 100 trillion of these tiny microbes with them wherever they go. Not all of these microbes are bad, but some of them can make you sick.

Thankfully, a lot of animals—from starfish to cats to humans—also have an immune system that helps them fight off bad germs. In humans, fevers are one way your body helps fight back.

It’s sort of like that story about Goldilocks and the three bears, Mixter said. In the middle of your brain is a control center, the hypothalamus, which helps your body know if it’s too hot, too cold, or just right.

Maybe the last time you went in for a check-up the doctor took your temperature and told you it was somewhere around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit—or 37 degrees Centigrade for readers outside the United States. That’s a pretty normal temperature for humans.

Cats run a little warmer, with temperatures around 100 degrees Fahrenheit. As we go about our day, sometimes our body temperatures will rise or fall just a little. But if germs come on the scene, things can really heat up.

When your immune system realizes something unusual is going on, some of your white blood cells will release a substance into your blood stream. The substance is made up chemicals that your brain can detect. When the hypothalamus receives the chemical message, it sends an alert back out to the body: Turn up the heat! We’ve got to slow down these germs.

Many microbes that make us sick do best in an environment that is about 98.6 degrees F. The temperature is just right. When we get a fever, the heat helps slow down these troublemakers. You might feel sweaty and hot on the outside, but the microbes are also getting too hot. The heat helps keep them from multiplying rapidly.

One thing a fever can’t really tell us is what kinds of germs are in our system. Sometimes there might be something else going on and we might need to visit with a doctor.

A fever may not make us feel great, but it’s usually a good sign that our body’s immune system has kicked into gear and that we’ll get better real soon.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Why do we get fevers? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

83974how-does-a-string-of-lights-work https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/how-does-a-string-of-lights-work/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Dear Dr. Universe: How does a light bulb work? When one bulb in a string of lights goes out, why do they all go out? – Molly, 8

Dear Molly,

Just the other day I was taking down a string of lights from my lab, when I discovered the bulbs were burnt out. I visited my friend Aaron Crandall, an engineer at Washington State University, to see if I might get them working again.

Crandall explained when you plug in a string of lights to a power source, like an outlet, an electrical charge flows into the wires. A lightbulb works when an electrical current runs through thin metal wires in the bulb and electrical energy gets converted to heat and light. We can get this current of electricity to follow different paths, depending on how we wire up the lights.

When the electricity reaches the first bulb in a string of lights, it flows up a tiny vertical wire inside the bulb. Here, it crosses a tinier horizontal wire, which acts kind of like a bridge, for the electrical current. The current follows another tiny vertical wire down and out the bulb. The current moves on, powering up the other lights, until it gets back to the power source. It’s all part of a looped pathway.

My string of lights is on one long path, or circuit— if one of the lightbulbs goes out, they all go out. Usually this happens when the tiny wire bridge that connects those two vertical wires inside the bulb melts or breaks.

Crandall said in some sets of lights you can gently shake the bulb to try and get the tiny horizontal wire to reattach to the vertical ones. I attempted this with my broken lights, but didn’t have much luck. I decided to pick up a new set of lights. This newer set has individual loops, or circuits, for each light. It also requires more wire to work.

You might think of this type of circuit like the monkey bars on a playground. Imagine the view from the top. There are two parallel bars that connect to rungs (the part you swing from). Let’s say you and a few friends are lightbulbs. You each hang from your own rung.

A circuit called a series circuit would be kind of like if you and your friends (the lightbulbs) were all holding hands and the current was flowing down the line. If one friend left, it would break the connection.

But on the monkey bars you aren’t holding hands. You have your own connection (rung) to the lines the electricity is flowing along (the parallel bars). In this kind of design, each light or a series of lights has its own loop, or circuit. If one route along the electrical pathway is not working or blocked, the rest of the bulbs can still light up.

I’ll put up my new lights next year, but I think I’ll break apart my old set of lights to do some experiments with circuits. With some help from an adult, you can check out how to make your very own circuit with old holiday lights. Tell me how it goes sometime at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,

Dr. Universe

 

The post How does a string of lights work? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

83576white-chocolate-raspberry-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/white-chocolate-raspberry-cupcakes-with-white-chocolate-cream-cheese-frosting/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_0698-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

While chocolate is not technically chocolate.  It has cocoa butter, sugar and milk but no cocoa solids (aka cocoa powder).  Feel free to share this bit of knowledge to annoy your friends… I definitely have.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting don’t need cocoa solids.  Clocking in with a whopping 3 white chocolate baking bars in just 12 cupcakes, these are totally decadent.  I added raspberry filling to as a nod to Valentine’s Day.

Because these are for a friend who works as a corrections deputy, a handful are garnished with a chocolate handgun, similar to his duty weapon.  Corrections deputies and their families are unsung heroes of public service, providing safety 24/7 to our community with little acknowledgement of their sacrifices.  This means my friend gets as many cupcakes as he wants (and not just on his birthday).

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Makes 12 cupcakes

Ingredients:

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes

White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting

Directions:

To make cupcakes, heat oven to 350.  Line baking pan with muffin wrappers.

Carefully melt white chocolate in the microwave.  I drop the power to 50% and check it at 30 second intervals.  This usually takes about 2 minutes.  Lowering the heat allows the chocolate to melt but not scorch, chocolate can seize up or become grainy.  Other melting options include a double boiler.  When chocolate is melted, set aside to cool until tepid.

Mix together flour, baking powder and salt.  Measure out buttermilk.  Set aside.

Use a stand mixer to cream butter and sugar for 2 minutes or until fluffy.  Add vanilla and eggs, scraping sides.  Pour in cooled, melted white chocolate.

Switch the mixer to low and add part of the flour mixture and half the buttermilk.  When just combined, add the rest of the flour and buttermilk.

Scoop batter into prepared pan, about 2/3 full.  Bake for 20 minutes total, 10 minutes on a lower rack and 10 minutes on upper racks until cupcakes are lightly golden.  Cool completely.

When cupcakes are cool, use a sharp knife to make a small hole in the center of each one.  Transfer raspberry jam to a plastic bag and snip the corner.  Pipe jam into cupcake.

To make frosting, repeat melting technique for white chocolate.  Set aside to cool until tepid.  Use a stand mixer to combine butter and cream cheese.  Add vanilla.  Add powdered sugar in increments.  Add melted white chocolate.  Frosting will be soft but should keep shape.  If it seems squishy, add powdered sugar in 1/2 C increments until it reaches desired consistency.

Pipe on cupcakes and garnish with fresh raspberries.

Recipe modified from “White Chocolate Cupcakes Recipe,” leitesculinaria.com

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

White Chocolate Raspberry Cupcakes with White Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting
83888why-do-some-animals-live-in-groups-2 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/why-do-some-animals-live-in-groups-2/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/dr-universe-bees-600x399.jpg

 

Dr. Universe: Why do some animals live in groups?

– Mrs. Rubert’s students, Foothill Knolls STEM Academy of Innovation, Upland, Calif.

Dear Mrs. Rubert and Students,

Fish swim in big schools. Baby ducks waddle in a straight line. Ants and bees divide up labor. The world is full of animals that live in groups and they do it for a few different reasons.

For one, living in groups helps some animals avoid getting eaten by predators. Some even join forces to take down prey bigger than them with less risk and effort. Working together can also help them find more food. Ravens and rats, for example, will return from a hunt and let the rest of the group know where to find their next meal.

Being part of a big group is also helpful when it comes to caring for young animals. Sperm whales, warthogs, and some fish will care for young that are not their own. In the future, others in their group will return the favor. That’s what I found out from my friend Charlotte Milling, a researcher at The Ohio State University who studied wildlife sciences at Washington State University.

While there are advantages to living in a group, Milling said, there are also down sides. Sometimes a group gets so big it attracts the attention of predators. When food is scarce, having so many mouths to feed can make it harder to find food for everyone, too.

If there aren’t enough resources or the animals start getting really sick, it can be hard for other animals in the group to survive. Milling explained that while there are benefits to living in groups, it only works if the benefits to an animal are bigger than the costs in the long run.

Believe it or not, finding out how animals work in groups can also help us engineer and design new technology, like self-driving cars. My friend Kshitij Jerath is an engineer at Washington State University. He studies how individual things make up groups and looks for big patterns to help us solve problems. He used a flock of birds as an example.

Jerath explained that we can use math to calculate information about how a bird flies with its flock. How many neighbors does a bird have and how many can it see? How far away are these neighbors? How fast does it need to fly to stay with the group?

Using a similar idea, Jerath’s research helps us learn more about swarms of drones and self-driving cars. A single self-driving car can move on its own but it has to interact with lots of cars on the road, too. Using math and engineering, Jerath is working to help us understand how self-driving cars can better avoid accidents or prevent big traffic jams.

We still have a lot of unanswered questions about groups and systems in our world. Whether you’re looking at a pack, a pod, a school, or a flock, maybe one day you can help us learn more about animals and why they live in groups. Who knows? Learning from nature might even inspire you to come up with new ideas and inventions.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Why do some animals live in groups? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

83890glass-how-is-it-made-2 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/glass-how-is-it-made-2/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Dr. Universe: How is glass made? And, what is it made out of? What about thick glass like they are putting up on the Space Needle? – Tali, almost 8 years old, Seattle, Wash.

Dear Tali,

We can make glass in factories and we can find it in nature. Some volcanoes make glass. When they spew out lava, it often cools into obsidian, a black glass. Glass can also form on sandy beaches. Small tubes with smooth glass on the inside may appear after super-hot lightning strikes the sand.

In fact, sand is one of the most important ingredients we use to make glass. We may also use things like seashells, salt, and other chemicals. That’s what I found out when I visited my friend John McCloy, an engineer at Washington State University. McCloy and graduate student Jose Marcial were testing out different materials to make glass in the lab.

smiling cat in a lab coat

Marcial explained that glass is made of molecules—think of them as building blocks—arranged in a pretty random order. Most of the time we think of glass as a solid. But the way its molecules are arranged actually allows it to act as both a solid and a liquid. When we heat up the mix of sand, seashells, salt, and other chemicals, it can become molten, kind of like lava.

In the lab, Marcial poured a mixture of solid materials into a tiny metal cup. He heated it way up until the mix turned to something in-between a solid and liquid, similar to a thick honey. It was so hot that as Marcial poured it out onto a table, the molten material started glowing orange. As the mix cooled down, the molten liquid turned to a solid piece of glass right before our very eyes.

Marcial said that in factories, glass is made in a similar way. We take sand, add in different chemicals, heat it up, and pour it out onto a bed of molten metal. Just as oil sits on top of water, the lighter, liquid-like glass material floats atop the metal.

As everything cools down, the metal stays molten, but the glass on top solidifies. The glass might end up in a pair of eyeglasses, a computer screen, fish tank, or window. The big pieces of glass you see in buildings or observation decks are often made up of thinner layers of glass that have been combined.

As you’ve observed, the Space Needle is getting a big renovation. According to friends at the Space Needle, more than 10 types of glass will be used to renovate the landmark. They will also bring in 176 tons of glass during construction—that’s more than twice the weight of a NASA space shuttle.

As you can see, glass is made in lots of different ways. Believe it or not, you can also make something very similar to glass in your kitchen. Instead of grains of sand, salt, and seashells, you can use tiny grains of sugar.

With the help of a grown-up you can make your own edible sugar glass by mixing together ingredients like sugar, corn syrup, water, and cream of tartar. Try it out sometime and let me know what you learn at Dr.Universe@wsu.edu.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Glass: How is it made? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

83505yellow-snack-cakes-with-vanilla-cream-filling https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/yellow-snack-cakes-with-vanilla-cream-filling/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_0607-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

I got a Twinkie pan for Christmas!  Technically, it’s a “cream canoe pan,” although I have no idea what cream canoes are exactly.  This recipe can be made as cupcakes but it’s much more fun to create Twinkie look-alike treats.  Be sure to read about whipping egg whites if you’re new to the kitchen, stiff peaks are the key to the fluffy, spongy cake.

Yellow Snack Cakes with Vanilla Cream Filling

Yellow Snack Cakes with Vanilla Cream Filling

Makes 24 cakes

Ingredients:

Yellow Snack Cakes

*It’s worth ordering Princess Flavoring.  It makes the cake taste almost the same as Twinkies and it’s great for other treats.

Vanilla Cream Filling

Directions:

Heat the oven to 350.  Lightly coat the cream canoe pan with non stick spray.

Use a stand mixer with a very clean bowl to whip egg whites.  Add cream of tartar to help stabilize.  Whip in to stiff peaks.  Set aside.

Mix flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, vegetable oil, cold water, egg yolks and Princess Flavoring.  Use a whisk and blend until smooth.  Try not to over mix.

Gently stir about a third of the stiff egg whites into the cake batter.  Use a spatula to mix gently.  You don’t want to crush the air you have added to the recipe.  Continue adding egg whites.

Fill the wells of the cream canoe pan 2/3 full.  Cakes will puff up while baking but shrink back down as they cool.

Bake for 8-12 minutes until lightly golden brown.  Cool for about 5 minutes and use a spatula to gently loosen cakes.  Invert on to a cooling rack.

Wipe out any remaining crumbs or cake and lightly spray again.  Repeat until all cakes are baked.

While cakes are baking and cooling, make the vanilla cream filling.

In a saucepan, cook together flour and milk over medium heat.  Mixture will thicken and form a paste.  Be careful not to boil or the mixture may burn.  Remove from heat and add vanilla.  Press plastic wrap on the surface and set aside to cool.

When the paste is completely cool, use a stand mixer to combine flour paste with butter, shortening and sugar.  You will need to beat for at least 5 minutes on medium high-speed, the mixture will become smooth and creamy.  Load into a piping bag or the piping syringe that comes with the cream canoe pan.

Flip a cooled snack cake upside down.  Gently inject vanilla cream filling in three different spots.  Start slowly, you will be able to feel the cake expand in your hand as you inject filling inside.  It doesn’t take too much, perhaps about a teaspoon per injection.  If you go too quickly, the cake will crack and burst in your hand.  Continue until all cakes are filled.

Wrap cakes individually and tightly in plastic wrap.  Store at room temperature for up to 3 days.  Unlike real Twinkies, Yellow Snack Cakes with Vanilla Cream Filling do not contain a million preservatives that allow them to survive a nuclear winter.

Recipe modified from “Twinkling Good Vanilla Snack Cakes,” kingarthurflour.com

Yellow Snack Cakes with Vanilla Cream Filling

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Yellow Snack Cakes with Vanilla Cream Filling
83892do-all-animals-pass-gas-do-cats-fart-2 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/do-all-animals-pass-gas-do-cats-fart-2/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Dr.-U-Hero-257x460.png

Dr. Universe: Do all animals pass gas? Do cats fart?

Hasandi, 11, Jeddah; Harrison, 10, Albany, Ore.

Dear Hasandi and Harrison,

If you’ve ever been near a cat or dog when they tooted, the smell might have sent you running right out of the room. A lot of animals pass gas. But believe it or not, some animals do not.

First, let’s talk about the gassy ones. When us cats and humans eat food, we are also swallowing air, or gas. It’s made up of elements like nitrogen and oxygen. The gas travels down into our digestive system and can take up space in our stomach and intestines. In our digestive systems, we also find tiny living things called bacteria.

You might blame the dog for your farts, but the real credit goes to your bacteria. Not all bacteria are bad. In fact, a lot of bacteria are helpful. Some of them help break down your food into its simplest form, like proteins and sugars that you can use for energy and growing. Some get rid of waste. But as they do their different jobs, they produce a bit of gas.

That’s what I found out from my friend Kristen Johnson. She’s a researcher at Washington State University who has tackled some big questions about how cow gas impacts the environment. She explained that while each bacterium makes a small amount of gas, there are millions of them doing it. It really adds up.

This gas needs to leave your body somehow, so you can release it either as a burp, a fart or by breathing. But if you were a clam or other mollusk, you wouldn’t toot. If you were a sea anemone, you wouldn’t fart, but you could probably burp.

Last year, a bunch of researchers listed which animals they studied farted. According to their list, it appears that some worms don’t pass gas either. Then there are some animals that scientists aren’t sure about, like spiders and parakeets. One researcher even found that some millipedes have hard valves on their rear ends that silence their toots. It would be nice if some other animals I know had those.

Birds have the equipment to fart but apparently don’t. Some scientists have found that a lot of them don’t usually carry the same kinds of gas-forming bacteria in their guts that humans and other mammals do.

As it is, humans toot around 20 times a day, producing enough gas to fill up about half a two-liter bottle of soda. A lot of the time these farts don’t smell. But sometimes your bacteria release sulfur and other things that can get pretty stinky. It might not always be pleasant, but it’s totally normal. Silent or deadly, a fart is usually a sign that our bodies are healthy.

Sincerely,
Dr. Universe

The post Do all animals pass gas? Do cats fart? appeared first on Ask Dr. Universe.

83456lemon-cheesecake-bites https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sugar-and-spice/lemon-cheesecake-bites/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/IMG_0551-1-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Lemon Cheesecake Bites are perfect miniature treats.  With a lemony crust, sweet cheesecake filling and tart lemon topping, these little beauties will impress anyone.  Need extras?  (Hint… you’ll need extras).  The recipe doubles easily.

Lemon Cheesecake Bites

Makes 24 miniature cupcakes

Ingredients:

Crust

Filling

Lemon topping

Directions:

Make the crust ahead of time.  Use a mixer to combine cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Add flour.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Heat oven to 325.  Line mini muffin pans with cupcake wrappers or coat with nonstick cooking spray.

Use a small cookie scoop to make 1 inch balls.  Set into pan and use fingers to squish to fit OR use a shot glass rolled in sugar (I found narrow ones at a grocery store… super useful).  You want to make crust-like shapes.

To make filling, use a mixer to combine cream cheese and sugar.  Add lemon juice, vanilla and egg.  Scoop into prepared crusts, filling 3/4 full.  I used a teaspoon sized measuring spoon and it worked pretty well.

Bake 18-22 minutes.  You will see the crust becoming lightly golden on the edges and the cheesecake mixture inside will puff up.  Don’t worry, it will settle when it cools.

Remove from the oven and cool about 5 minutes.  Carefully run a thin knife around the edges and remove.  Set aside and cool completely.

While cheesecakes are cooling, make lemon topping.  Whisk together sugar and cornstarch in a small sauce pan.  Add water, lemon juice and lemon zest.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly.  Boil for 1 minute, mixture will become very thick.  Remove from heat.  Add yellow food coloring (if using) and 2 T butter.  Allow to cool to room temperature.

Transfer lemon topping to a plastic bag and snip the corner.  Pipe on cheesecakes, leaving the crust and a teeny bit of the filling showing.  Garnish with fresh fruit.  Keep refrigerated until serving.

Recipe modified from “Miniature Lemon Cheesecake Tarts,” tasteofhome.com

Lemon Cheesecake Bites

Anna Lookingbill

I'm a self-taught Betty Crocker. Food should be pretty, delicious and have sprinkles. Professionally I'm a clinical social worker. Follow me on Facebook and Pinterest- Sugar and Spice Baking Blog- for great recipes, amazing restaurants and culinary adventures.

Lemon Cheesecake Bites
83336outfit-of-the-week-taxi https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/everyday-style/outfit-of-the-week-taxi/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/0E759459-3A93-4341-96A7-15386A559B9D-1024x683-600x400.jpg

Outfit of the Week: Taxi Outfit of the Week: Taxi

Does it look like I’m hailing a cab? Check out these sweet taxi mittens that my cousin sent me that pair nicely with my dark, neutral outfit. They look like they would be perfect for New York City, which is exactly why she sent them to me. 

I’m moving to the Big Apple! Which means that this is my last Everyday Style post. I know this column has been a bit short-lived, but it’s been a blast. I’m so thankful to The Columbian for giving me the space and resources to share my opinions about fashion. I’ve always dreamed of having a style blog but never had the means to, so being able to create one for such a great platform has been amazing. 

For this week’s outfit, I’m wearing my trusty winter coat from GAP, a cozy turtleneck that I’ve had for ages from Forever 21, and Anne Klein earrings. My taxi mittens are from Kate Spade. 

If you would like to follow along with my adventures in NYC, you can find my instagram at instagram.com/marielabbene. If you would like to contact me after my departure from The Columbian, you can email me at mariel.abbene@gmail.com.

Cheers my friends, and thanks for reading! 

Photos by Ariane Kunze.

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Outfit of the Week: Taxi
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Streamline your style by color-coordinating your closetIf you peek into my closet, you’ll see my clothes all fall into a limited color palette. Everything looks like it goes together, and that isn’t an accident. 

For several years now, I’ve done my best to visually streamline my closet. Not only does it make it look neat and tidy when I slide my door aside to pick out an outfit; creating a cohesive color scheme has a lot of other benefits.

First of all, it expands your options if most of your clothing items don’t clash. It also allows you to purchase more interesting pieces. Patterns, metallics and other fun details become a lot more wearable if you have the right colors to pair them with. Traveling is also simpler because you’ll be able mix, match and rewear a few items that all go together. 

I would also go out on a limb to say that having a color cohesive wardrobe can reduce impulse purchases. Knowing what colors you like, what hues look good on you, and what shades will match with your current clothing items can steer you away from that crazy fluorescent pink miniskirt that is destined to hang in the back of your closet with the tags still on. Once you discover your preferences, you’re more likely to stick to them.

The method

Now the question is: What’s the best way to get to this point without shelling out lots of money? 

The most important thing to remember if you’re aiming to streamline your closet colors is to be aware that it will happen over time, not immediately. There’s no need to spend your whole paycheck or throw out large portions of your current wardrobe. It took me several months of (normal levels) of shopping before I started to notice cohesiveness emerging in the items I purchased. 

The first step is to take a look at your current clothing. Are there any pieces you own that don’t look good on you? If yellow makes you look sallow or purple just isn’t your thing, get rid of it. My philosophy is that there’s no reason to keep clothing you don’t like unless you need it for utility or professional purposes.  

Secondly, the next time you shop, start building up a base of neutral colored pieces. When I was a teenager, I thought neutrals were boring. Now, I love them for their flexibility. If you’re someone who starts snoring at the thought of black or beige, think of neutrals as a way to try out different shapes, materials and details. For example, a black shirt with bell sleeves and a ruffled collar is far from dull. In addition to navy, black, gray, brown and white, also consider what I call secondary neutrals, which include colors like olive, camel, and cream. They are versatile and are great if you fancy warmer hues. 

Next, based off your personal preferences and what is already in your closet, determine what non-neutral colors you like to wear. Personally, I tend to favor toned-down primary colors, and gravitate toward red, blue, yellow and green. However, if you’re like my mom, who likes jewel tones, your closet might be filled with violet, emerald and turquoise. I would choose around three or four colors, each of which look good with your complexion and make you feel great. 

Lastly, think about accent colors. For me, red is the perfect pop for almost any outfit. For example, I have a great tan raincoat that has red lining and drawstrings for the hood, which make it look more preppy and adds some interest. I also own no less than three red bandanas that I pair with everything. You can utilize these colors in any kinds of accessories like purses, hats, scarves, jewelry and shoes. 

Whew! That might seem like a lot, but don’t freak out. The most important thing is don’t expect everything to come together immediately. Keep your eyes peeled when shopping, and notice what you gravitate toward. Also, this is by no means a hard-and-fast method. If you see a shirt that you love that is out of your chosen color range, that’s fine! This approach aims to give you more options and streamline your style, not to stifle your creativity. 

Already have a color-coordinated closet? Email me a photo with your name and neighborhood and I’ll feature it for inspiration at the bottom of next week’s online post!

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Streamline your style by color-coordinating your closet
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Outfit of the Week: Embroidery Outfit of the Week: Embroidery Outfit of the Week: Embroidery

This week’s outfit is special, because it has a handmade touch to it: the collars are hand embroidered. I bought this white button-up shirt from H&M almost six months ago with the intention of personalizing it. I embroider all the time, yet I didn’t get around to it until recently. 

I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I sketched the design on the collar with a disappearing marker, then sewed it with a simple backstitch. If this DIY project interests you, it’s super easy to try. Embroidery materials are cheap, and there are plenty of tutorials on hand embroidery on the internet.

I paired my newly embroidered shirt with my favorite coat from GAP, a pair of Madewell jeans, and my Cole Haan booties. When it comes work wear, I usually lean toward menswear-inspired outfits. Buttoning up my shirt and the structured style of my coat helped me give off a more polished look. 

It was really cold and windy out when these photos were taken, but photographer Ariane Kunze did an amazing job of utilizing the lighting. A big shout out to her for making me look like a fancy model!

Photos by Ariane Kunze

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Outfit of the Week: Embroidery
82621what-to-wear-what-to-wear-your-wardrobe-may-surprise-you https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/everyday-style/what-to-wear-what-to-wear-your-wardrobe-may-surprise-you/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Choosing-an-outfit-150x150.png

What to wear, what to wear? Your wardrobe may surprise you

Have you ever woken up in the morning, washed your face, brushed your teeth, and then sat in front of your closet, wishing a fabulous outfit would materialize in front of your eyes? I’ve been there. It’s hard to pick out an outfit that makes you feel confident and comfortable when your closet seems tired and boring. 

In lieu of going to the mall and buying an entire new wardrobe, I thought I’d share some tips that I use to pick out an outfit when I’m really stuck. 

First of all, choose an item that you really like. It could be anything, from a killer pair of boots, to a new sweater, to a cute pair of glasses. Hopefully there’s at least one clothing item in your closet that you can get behind. Don’t be afraid to grab something fun, sparkly, or colorful.

The next step is to start building an outfit around what you selected. Look at your item: What colors are in it? What texture is it? What colors go well with it? Is there anything unexpected you could try on with it? Utilize any neutrals you have, even if the rest of your outfit is all black. After all, black is the new black, folks. 

After that, accessorize! Use the same techniques in the previous step to choose jewelry, a hat, or a scarf. Don’t feel the need to go overboard, but sometimes the perfect pair of earrings or a cute hat can really make an outfit. 

The last step is important: Don’t give up after the outfit. Outerwear matters! What a shame it would be to put together a great outfit and pair it with a junky raincoat or sad cardigan. This might be a hole in your wardrobe (which is understandable because coats can be a big commitment), so if it is, make note for later. There are tons of great resale stores, such as Buffalo Exchange or Goodwill, where you can find great quality, super stylish jackets. 

After that, you’re ready to go! Grab a snack, get out there and rock what USED to be your tired, boring closet. 

Illustration by me.

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

What to wear, what to wear? Your wardrobe may surprise you
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Outfit of the Week: Gingham

Outfit of the Week: Gingham

It’s rare, but once in a while, I will get the urge to bare my legs during the winter for the sake of fashion.

On Monday, I mixed patterns and textures by pairing an H&M gingham shirt dress with a cozy marled cardigan from Target’s latest brand, A New Day. I love the curved collar of the cardigan that makes me feel like I’m wearing a fancy, classic coat.

I also wore a Madewell bandana (surprise!) for a pop of color, and my Doc Martens boots to finish things off. Thank goodness for sunny days in November!

 

EDIT: My apologies if you read this post before and were confused – it looks like the paragraphs got mixed up while we were trying to fix some technical issues. It’s fixed now.

-M

 

 

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Outfit of the Week: Gingham
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Outfit of the Week: Winter Wear

With the weather getting colder, it’s time to dig out the heavy layers. 

Today, I’m wearing my favorite coat, which I found at Buffalo Exchange for $30. I remember trying it on and sending a photo of it to my boyfriend at the time to ask him what he thought of it. He said, “Eh, it’s all right.” I promptly bought it and have worn it every day since, weather permitting. 

This Gap scarf is one of the oldest items in my closet, but I still love it. The colors are trendy, yet are easy to match with other clothing. 

I’m also wearing Madewell overalls (if it seems like half my closet is from Madewell, that’s because half of my closet is from Madewell), and Doc Martens. I’m actually from Portland, so there’s probably some kind of contract stating that I have to wear Doc Martens for 30 days a year in order to be considered a resident. Or something. 


 Photo by Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Outfit of the Week: Winter Wear
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Four ways to wear button-up shirts

One of my favorite things to do when I get dressed in the morning is to pick an outfit I’ve never worn before. I repeat combinations sometimes, but I try to avoid wearing the same outfit twice. 

You may be thinking: “How big is this girl’s closet?” while picturing one of those crazy Pinterest-style rooms stocked with shoes and clothes. If only that was my secret.

In reality, I scope out clothing items that are versatile and get creative with layering and accessories. I also try to keep all my clothing within the same color family, so that everything goes together and can be interchanged. I own a lot of neutrals, which gives me more options and allows me to add colorful and fun accessories to spice things up. 

By far, the most useful items of clothing in my closet that serve as a great base for any outfit is a button-up shirt. They can be worn in so many different ways — buttoned or unbuttoned, dressed up or dressed down. Some brave folks even wear them as a skirt or make them into off-shoulder tops. The options are plentiful and varied.

This week, I decided to show the ways that I usually wear my button-up shirts, and the things I consider when putting together an outfit in order to make it different and more interesting. I selected one top and assembled four outfits around it.

The shirt I chose is a denim Madewell top. I love the boxy structure and the raw hem, which makes it flattering tucked or untucked. Plus, a denim shirt is a great staple, and it’s likely that many readers have one in their closet already, and may be able to relate and experiment with their own looks. 

Four ways to wear button-up shirts

Buttons undone: 

This style is perfect for showing off your favorite necklace or scarf. If you read my first post, you’d probably be unsurprised that I chose a bandana. This one is a basic red one from a craft store. I’m also wearing a crescent necklace from Etsy. This basic, super comfy skirt is from GAP, and I’m wearing my favorite winter shoes — my Doc Martens boots. 

Four ways to wear button-up shirts

Buttoned up: It’s not as common for women to wear their shirts buttoned all the way up, which is one reason that I love this style. It’s unexpected, but it looks sharp and put together. I’m wearing my favorite pair of pants: floral print, tie waisted trousers that are as comfortable as pajamas. I’m also wearing my favorite shoes, which are fabulous Dankso clogs with fringe that I found at Nordstrom Rack. This outfit shows how you can easily turn something casual, such as a denim shirt, into a dressier outfit.

Four ways to wear button-up shirtsUnder: Wearing a crew neck sweater over a collared shirt is a classic workwear staple. I mixed it up by layering this long V-neck sweater from LOFT over my shirt. The relaxed joggers, which are also from LOFT, make it a little more casual, so I chose sleek Cole Haan booties to finish off the look and prevent it from looking sloppy. 

Four ways to wear button-up shirts

Over: This style is easiest when going for a casual look. Maybe I have been watching too much “Stranger Things,” because this outfit has a bit of an ‘80s vibe. Under my denim shirt, I’m wearing a striped tee from Madewell, tucked into these great high-waisted corduroys from Urban Outfitters. I’m also wearing a belt that I stole from my mom’s closet, and my Stan Smith Adidas sneakers to keep the look casual, comfy and sporty. 

Button-up shirts, especially in a neutral color or fabric such as denim, can yield a large plethora of different outfit options. Layering, tucking, or buttoning can create totally different vibes and makes it easier to make good use out of the clothing you already have. It doesn’t take a giant closet full of clothes for outfit options — just a bit of creativity. 

Four ways to wear button-up shirtsFour ways to wear button-up shirts


 Photos by Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Four ways to wear button-up shirts
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Outfit of the Week: Leather

Do you ever get that feeling when you buy some new clothing and you just want to wear it all at the same time? Well, this outfit is a product of that feeling. 

I recently bought this super cool top from Zara, that features a boxy cut and some striping down the middle and on the sleeves. 

I also finally found a leather jacket that suits me! It’s faux leather, which is totally fine with me, both because I don’t want to kill a cow for fashion and also because it was $35 on Asos.com. Win-win.

The bottom half of my outfit isn’t new, but worked well with showcasing my fun items on top. I chose plain skinny jeans (sans rips, of course, since I wore them to work), and my waterproof Cole Haan ankle boots which were perfect for a drizzly day like today. 


 Photos by Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian

Outfit of the Week: Leather   Outfit of the Week: Leather

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

Outfit of the Week: Leather
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It’s all right  to wear white

Well, here we are. It’s weeks past Labor Day, and I’m wearing white. 

Not just white shoes or a white scarf — all white. 

Before you call Stacy London of “What Not to Wear” in outrage, let’s chat about the origins of this age-old adage and whether or not it should be preserved.

According to a Time article from 2009, this fashion rule began in the early 20th Century. For the most part, people wore white during the summer because the dark, heavy clothing they would usually wear was too hot for summer days. When fall returned, they would revert to their usual black, brown and gray. This could be one reason for the rule. However, it’s possible the true origin of the “no white after Labor Day” rule was created out of snobbery. 

During the early 1900s, members of the old-money elite could afford to take long vacations, unlike their social inferiors. During these high-class holidays, they would wear their smartest white linen and finest ivory accessories, giving off an air of casual luxury. These outfits created a sharp contrast between the rich folk and the drab fashions of the general population. Labor Day was an unofficial end marker to summer, as it is now, and the trend of storing away white clothing as summer came to a close became a hard-and-fast etiquette rule for the elites. It was a way to separate themselves from the burgeoning middle class that was becoming increasingly wealthier and closing the social gap. Those who weren’t in the know were easily identified and viewed as outsiders.

Fortunately, it’s not the 1930s anymore, and we don’t have to dress based on our social status in society. White clothing can provide respite from the drudges of the endless black, navy and gray that colder months often entail. There are many ways to style fall and winter whites, and I went all in for this outfit. I have not yet been snubbed, which is a good sign that this rule is a bit outdated, and at it’s core, fairly ridiculous. 

What I’m wearing

Today’s outfit is centered around some great ivory crop flare jeans from Madewell. They are one of my favorite pieces for fall, because the off-white color makes them a versatile neutral that looks great with a variety of other colors, both dark and light. 

If you want to be an etiquette rebel, you can go for the all white look, like I did today. My top is a soft, grayish-white flannel, which also happens to be from Madewell. I chose this shirt because it’s fuzzy texture and thickness definitely says autumn. Plus, it has pockets. 

As a self-proclaimed scarf aficionado, you can spot me with a bandana around my neck at least three days a week. Today was one of those days. This artsy, abstract bandana from Zara works great because the colors have nothing to compete with, since I’m wearing all white. There is also a bit of cream in it, which reflects the color of my pants and ties the outfit together. Lastly, I am wearing a great pair of mules, which were a steal from Target at $22. Talk about bargain shopping!

It’s all right  to wear white

If you’re still wary of wearing white after Labor Day, here are some tips to make your outfit more cold-weather friendly:

Photos by Alisha Jucevic/The Columbian

 

 

 

 

Mariel Abbene

Mariel Abbene is a designer and illustrator at The Columbian. Once a fashion merchandising major in college, she is obsessed with clothes and putting together comfortable yet stylish outfits. You can reach her at mariel.abbene@columbian.com

It’s all right  to wear white
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Male Western Tiger Swallow-tail butterflies will sometimes congregate in wet areas seeking nutrients.  The term for this behavior is mud-puddling.  These butterflies were seen today on the west side of Gee Creek downstream from Abrams Park in Ridgefield.  There were 32 that Paul Snoey counted with some leaving and new arrivals dropping in on occasion.

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The Ridgefield Lions Club will be serving burgers again this year at their famous corner booth at the Clark County Fair. While they are trying to increase membership in the club, they still need many, many volunteers to help at the booth. They have set up a sign-up list on their website www.ridgefieldlions.com and ask that anyone interested, signup for any 6 hour shift. You will get free entrance to the fair for the day and have a good time with the other Lions in the booth.

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Workers are hurrying to finish the ground work before paving Main Avenue in downtown Ridgefield this summer. The deadline of course, is the 4th of July so the road will be in good shape for the parade. Let’s hope we don’t get any rain before then. These photos are looking north and south on Main Avenue.

Road Work Continues in Ridgefield

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Windy Hills Winery in Ridgefield is putting the final touches on their grand rock facade between now and their opening of Memorial Day Weekend. Owner Dave Kelly, right, and winemaker, Bob Mayfield are excited to be a part of the growing Clark County wine scene. (Photo by Viki Eierdam)

This from winemaker Bob Mayfield: “They said it couldn’t be done, and they were almost right. After nearly two and a half years of planning and building, Windy Hills Winery is finally going to open. Owner Dave Kelly texted me at 1 pm Friday to let me know we got the final OK from the county, and here we go! We’ll be open Memorial Day Weekend, noon to five, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. The winery is at 1360 S. 38th Ct. in Ridgefield.

The Windy Hills lineup consists of two vineyard designated Pinot Noirs, a bodacious Reserve Pinot blend, a Tempranillo, and a party red blend. We needed to source juice from elsewhere to fill out our roster, so we grabbed some amazing Viognier (seriously!), Malbec, Syrah, and a Bordeaux blend, all from Walla Walla. We’re starting with two tasting menus, $10  for a flight of five wines, wines by the glass, and beer from a Hood River brewery, whose name I cannot remember.

As wine maker, I will be releasing my wines under the label Spudders Crest (I just got labels approved this morning!), and I’m starting with an estate rosé of Pinot Noir, though I have to call it Homegrown (don’t ask), and a fabulous Sunnyside Vineyard 2014 Pinot Noir. I also have an O! Naturelle wine (no sulfites added) that I hope to release next week, a couple more rosés, and in a couple weeks a Cheep Cheep White Wine, an Auxerrois, some fruit wines, and a hopped apple cider. Phew!

BTW, I promise, I will not spam anyone, and will only send out emails to people who really want them.

And finally, Windy Hills is a fabulous building, a first class event center (I know what you’re thinking, how did I get involved?), just a gorgeous location.

That’s all for now. I hope to see ya’ll soon. It’s gonna be crazy!

Cheers,Bob

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Join host, ethnobotonist and author Kat Anderson at theCathlapotle Plankhouse for a special presentation, “Beauty, Bounty and Biodiversity,” and night hike on May 26 from 7-8:30 pm.

“Kat Anderson will share connections with California and Pacific Northwest tribes, by examining traditionally managed edible wildflower gardens of California. She will also explore the implications that these gardens have for fostering pollinator habitat, increasing biodiversity, and the ways in which these plants have evolved to meet the needs of people.”

Then at 8:30 pm explore the Oaks to Wetlands Trail on a naturalist guided hike, “The Refuge at Dusk”. RSVP required, email sarah_hill@fws.gov to save your spot today!

 

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You are invited to the Ridgefield Art Association sponsored Bruce Crockett Memorial Quick Draw Friday, May 5th, at the Ridgefield Community Center, 210 Main Ave.

You will be able to watch eight artists create original artworks while you enjoy food, beverages and live music. A caricature artist will draw portraits, and there will be interactive art and both live and silent auctions.

A portion of the proceeds benefit the Ridgefield High School Art Department.

You may buy tickets from any Ridgefield Art Association members, or call Patricia at: 360-931-9573. You may also email the Ridgefield Art Association at: ridgefieldartists@live.com to purchase tickets.

This is going to be a great opportunity to see artists in action and get to know your Ridgefield neighbors. Newcomers to town are especially welcome.

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Healthy Living Question:  Does your body desire cooked vs raw food?  Do you strive to eat more raw foods and feel sluggish and bloated?  Consider switching to consuming more cooked food to jump start your healthy living eating program. 

I am currently enrolled in Vancouver Yoga Center‘s 200 hour yoga teacher trainer course instructed by Certified Ayurvedic Practitioner Melonie Nielsen LMP and E-RYT 500.

Healthy Living Cooked vs raw:  Cooked wins

Wowza what a course – not only are we learning about traditional yoga asanas (poses), body alignment, and body biomechanics… we are also learning about the power of the mind, benefits of meditation, ayurvedic principles, natural healing, healthy living, breath work and I’m sure a whole host of other topics yet to be discussed in our final 3 immersion weekends.  Its been a great way to jump start my journey to better health of my mind body and spirit.

Healthy Living Cooked vs raw:  Cooked winsPart of this month’s assignment was to complete a 5 page comprehensive ayurvedic health history to help me determine my mind-body constitution – otherwise known in ayurvedic terms as my prakriti. My prakriti corresponds to the type of dosha I have – either vata, pitta or kapha or a combination of dosas.  In a nut shell the vata dosha = cool, dry, irregular; pitta = fiery, hot and good leaders; and finally kapha = oily, wet and easy going.  I believe I’m a vata pitta dosha – it will be interesting to get validation once my assessment is complete in the next few weeks.  For more info on doshas.

Each meal I ask my body what she wants.  For some reason over the last week, my body wanted more cooked foods over raw foods.  My vata constitution said “heck yeah!”  No problemo – pulled pork crockpot, non dairy salmon chowder, oatmeal with cherries and walnuts, and lots of vegetable stirfrys.  Not one RAW SALAD ALL WEEK!  My body and mind felt nourished and more alive.  My body easily digests and metabolizes cooked foods over raw.  This gives me so much energy or digestive fire Agni.  I feel more alive which I believe is due to better absorption of nutrients.  When I am eating a diet consisting of more raw fresh fruits and vegetables my body feels sluggish with more bloating and more gas.

I remember I did a similar week long cooked food vs raw food protocol experiment 2 years ago as part of my Nutritional Therapy coursework at Portland Community College.  I remember feeling this same amazing on top of the world feeling then too.  Why didn’t I continue eating/cooking this way?  I dunno life got in the way I suppose.  Nevertheless, I am reminded yet again that my body really enjoys cooked food over raw foods and have posted a note on the fridge to help me remember how wonderful I am feeling!  Read more about Ayurvedic Perspective on Food from the Chopra Center

Healthy Living Cooked vs raw:  Cooked winsSo in celebration of this refreshed “cooked over raw” ayurvedic approach to food preparation I prepared a wonderful breakfast for myself of black bean noodles with red curry sauce and sauteed vegetables.

Black Bean Noodles:  Prepare black bean noodles according to package directions.  Once drained, toss noodles with 1 tsp olive oil

Sauce:  16 oz can of light coconut milk, add 1 TBS red curry sauce, 1 tsp of tumeric, 1/2 tsp black pepper, 1/4 tsp of 5 powder spice, and 1/2 tsp of cinnamon.  Bring ingredients to a boil then reduce to a simmer until desired consistency.  Warning – watch the boiling stage – easy boil over stage.

Vegetable saute:  1 cup of carrots sliced, 1/2 red onion chopped, 2 cups of romaine lettuce chopped, 1/4 cup red cabbage sliced, 1/2 yellow pepper.  Saute vegetables in 2 tsp of olive oil until desired consistency.

Serve:  3/4 cup of noodles, add 3/4 cup of sauted vegetables, and 1/2 cup of sauce.  Enjoy!

Healthy Living Cooked vs raw:  Cooked wins

  #healthliving #satedsensitive #yum #healthybreakfast #ayurvedic #igotthis

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

Healthy Living Cooked vs raw:  Cooked wins
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As the dreary gray days continue here in Clark County coupled with the switch this weekend to daylight savings time (HATE!), so many people at my gym Battleground Snap Fitness – have shared with me that they’re feeling bluesy, tired, sleepy and depressed. What can you do about it?  Consider evaluating your Vitamin D levels!  Vitamin D is NOT just for bones – it may just help boost your mood, and improve your memory too.  

MOOD BOOSTER Vitamin D – NOT just for bones
Vitamin D is a fat soluble vitamin which helps support bone health, muscle function, cell growth, immunity and so many other body functions.

Vitamin D helps your body absorb calcium for healthy bones and teeth and helps protect older adults from osteopenia or osteoporosis.   Even if you have a calcium rich diet (plenty of low fat dairy foods and green leafy vegetables), without enough Vitamin D you can’t absorb the calcium into your bones and cells.  Without enough Vitamin D and calcium, vitamin deficiencies may pose a health risk to the 40+ adult leaving their bones at risk for bone fractures.

Vitamin D aids in other areas in our body. It helps muscle function in that nerves need Vitamin D it to carry messages between brain and every body part. The immune system uses Vitamin D to help fight off invading bacteria and viruses.  Vitamin D also helps promote normal cell growth and prevents inflammation throughout the body making it a promising anti-cancer agent as well as an inflammation reducer.

MOOD BOOSTER Vitamin D – NOT just for bonesVitamin D is obtained in 3 ways:

Vitamin D comes in 2 forms – D2 (ergocalciferol) found in some plant life in response to UV radiation (mushrooms) and in most fortified foods. D3 (cholecalciferol) is the more potent and most biologically active. Studies have shown that both forms are equally good for bone health.

Some FAQs:

MOOD BOOSTER Vitamin D – NOT just for bonesThere is continued ongoing research on additional benefits of Vitamin D from helping to prevent colon, prostate and breast cancers to preventing and treating diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, depression and multiple sclerosis. There may also be a correlation with vitamin D deficiency and auto-immune diseases.  I am curiously looking forward to reading the Brigham and Women’s Hospital Dr. Joann Manesults of a the V-I-T-A-L (VIT comes from vitamin D; A from OmegA-3; and L from Trial) 3 year trial that is exploring the potential role of vitamin d and omega 3 fatty acids in the prevention of cancer and cardiovascular disease.  Over 25,000 men and women were involved with this study.  Check out VITAL Study.

As a Nutritionist, I highly recommend taking advantage of the Pacific Northwest sunshine with outdoor activities at least 15 minutes a day 2 – 3 days a week during the spring and summer to naturally stockpile Vitamin D. During the fall/winter its best to supplement with Vitamin D to ensure proper Vitamin D levels. I personally take Genestra Brands’ “D-Mulsion 1000” liquid vitamin supplement in Citrus Flavor. Each drop contains 1,000 IUs of cholecalciferol with .01 mg of stevia. I prefer the easier to swallow liquid form over a capsule; each day I add my vitamin D drops to my liquid calcium/magnesium supplement to boost my mood.

MOOD BOOSTER Vitamin D – NOT just for bones

Come “Stump the Nutritionist” Denise Hays most Thursdays 1 – 4 PM at BG Apothecary located at 314 NE 1st Ave, Battleground WA. I’m always happy to talk nutrition, health, and wellness! See you soon.

 

 

#satedsensitive #healthyliving #glutenfree #dairyfree #eatrealfood #soyfree #naturalremedies #nutritionaltherapy #nutrition

 

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

MOOD BOOSTER Vitamin D – NOT just for bones
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As part of its 2016-2017 U.S. tour, World Help is proud to present Children of the World International Children’s Choir. The choir, comprised of orphaned and disadvantaged children from several different countries, will be performing at Ridgefield Church of the Nazarene on Saturday, March 25th at 6:30pm and on Sunday, March 26th at 9:00 and 11:00am.  This event is open to the public.  There are no tickets, but a free-will offering will be taken to support the ministry of World Hope.  For additional information about the concert, visit the church website at www.ridgenaz.org or call the church office at 360-887-3576.

The choir represents a rich and culturally diverse set of backgrounds and experiences, each with an urgent story to tell. This year’s Rescue Tour calls attention to the staggering impact that poverty, malnutrition, and dirty water have on millions of children around the world.

Through the powerful medium of song, dance, spoken word, and creative media, Children of the World provides a compelling message of hope and opportunity, leaving an unforgettable impression with audiences across the country.

The children have performed in such venues as Focus on the Family, Brooklyn Tabernacle, and Disney World.

About World Help

World Help is a faith-based humanitarian organization that exists to serve the physical and spiritual needs of people in impoverished communities around the world.  World Help is committed to meeting people’s physical needs by providing humanitarian, medical, and educational assistance and ensuring access to clean water to as many communities as possible. We promise to meet people’s spiritual needs by providing Bibles and establishing churches.

Since 1991, World Help has impacted over 73 million people in 69 countries worldwide, offering both physical and spiritual restoration for individuals, families, and communities.

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Every 3rd Sunday, I bake healthy gluten free treats for the Battleground FourSquare Church – so I’m always searching for new and exciting recipes!

I spied this B-A-K-E-D Sweet Potato Donuts with Chocolate Coconut recipe from Ambitious Kitchen blog 

Inspired, I made a few changes for us Gluten Free and Dairy Free Sensitive bakers.  Here’s Sated Sensitive’s take on this scrumptious breakfast treats:

mmmmm Healthy Living Baked Gluten Free and Dairy Free Do’h nuts

INGREDIENTS
3/4 cup gluten free all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/8 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup cooked mashed sweet potato (or canned pumpkin)
1/4 cup honey
1 large egg
1 1/2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted and cooled (olive oil also works well)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 cup powdered sugar with 1 TBS vanilla                                                                                               1/2 cup coconut flakes

INSTRUCTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a donut pan with nonstick cooking spray.
In a large bowl, whisk together gluten free all purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger and salt; set aside.  In a separate bowl, mix together the sweet potato (or pumpkin), honey, egg, coconut oil and vanilla extract until smooth and creamy. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and mix until just combined. Avoid overmixing here as it can make the donuts tough instead of light and fluffy. Spoon the batter into the donut pan, filling almost to the top.  Bake for 13 – 16 minutes or until cake tester comes out clean. Turn the donuts onto a wire rack to cool completely.  Once donuts are cooled, mix together the powdered sugar and vanilla until smooth.  Dip each donut in the icing then immediately dip into the coconut flakes, then transfer to a wire rack. Repeat with remaining donuts.

You can skip the icing and coconut flakes however the baked donuts are just not that pretty on the up side so they kinda needed something to spruce them up.

Homer Simpson votes YES for these healthy living donuts!

mmmmm Healthy Living Baked Gluten Free and Dairy Free Do’h nuts

 

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

mmmmm Healthy Living Baked Gluten Free and Dairy Free Do’h nuts
74619three-simple-salmon-recipes-worthy-of-the-kitchen-table https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/corks-and-forks/three-simple-salmon-recipes-worthy-of-the-kitchen-table/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/02/DSC00016-1024x904-521x460.jpg
Three simple salmon recipes worthy of the kitchen table

Smoked paprika grilled salmon paired with a 2011 Tarì Irpinio Aglianico is unconventional but an admirable Northwest twist. Viki Eierdam

In 2016 an unfortunate statistic was reported; for the first time in history Americans spent more money eating out than they did on groceries. Unfortunate for a multitude of reasons, one being that the expansion of the American mid-section is largely attributed to meals prepared outside the home. Google it, I don’t make this stuff up.

I love a meal out as much as the next person but cooking doesn’t have to be complicated, folks. To prove it, here are three variations of salmon paired with three different wines (two super foods joining forces to return dinnertime to the kitchen).

Wine: 2011 Tarì Irpinio Aglianico (Taurasi)

Some wine writers are more traditional, some are a little edgy. Pairing aglianico with salmon is certainly unconventional but the smokiness imparted from grilling and the smoky and floral notes of the paprika make an atypical suggestion an intriguing combination. Racy acidity and bracing tannins are calmed in older vintages and a little breathing time before drinking. My Texas friends would say aglianico pairs better with brisket but this Northwest twist is admirable.

Smoked Paprika Grilled Salmon

¼ C orange juice

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 tsp thyme leaves, divided

1 ¼ lb salmon fillets

1 Tbsp brown sugar

1 Tbsp smoked paprika

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp grated orange peel

½ tsp sea salt

Mix juice, 2 Tbsp oil and 1 tsp of thyme in 9”x13” glass baking dish. Add salmon, turn to coat. Cover. Refrigerate 30 minutes. Mix sugar, remaining spices and orange peel. Remove salmon from marinade and dispose of marinade. Rub top of salmon evenly with spice mixture and place on preheated, generously oiled grill for about six minutes on each side. Serves 4-6.

Three simple salmon recipes worthy of the kitchen table

Photo error: Pair Mustard-Crusted Salmon with Pinot Gris for best match. Viki Eierdam

Wine: 2015 Kudos Pinot Gris (Willamette Valley)

The creamy, slightly zesty notes of the mustard sauce mingle nicely with the rich texture of this white. Welcomes with stone fruit to mandarin orange on the palate and plenty of acid follow through to keep it lively.

Mustard Crusted Salmon

1 1/4 lb salmon fillets

¼ tsp salt

Freshly ground pepper to taste

¼ C low-fat yogurt (or sour cream)

2 Tbsp Dijon mustard

2 tsp lemon juice

Place salmon, skin-side down in lightly oiled 9”x15” glass baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Combine yogurt, mustard and lemon juice in a small bowl. Spread evenly over salmon. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

Wine: 2011 Leone D’Oro Chianti Classico Riserva (Chianti)

Made predominantly from sangiovese grapes, this is on the dry side with black cherry and tobacco notes. The fattiness from the pecans and salmon match the acidity of this wine while the seasonings play with the spiciness of the Chianti. Oak aging brings out a hint of nuttiness on the finish.

Three simple salmon recipes worthy of the kitchen table

Photo error: Pair Pecan Crusted Salmon with Chianti for best flavor match. Viki Eierdam

Pecan Crusted Salmon

1 1/4 lb salmon fillets

4 Tbsp pecan meal

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/8 tsp cayenne pepper

¼ tsp lemon pepper

¼ tsp garlic powder

¼ tsp Johnny’s seasoning salt

To make pecan meal, process pecans in a blender on low. Store unused pecan meal in an airtight container in the refrigerator. Mix pecan meal, olive oil and four seasonings in a small bowl.  Place salmon, skin-side down in a lightly oiled 9”x 15” glass baking dish. Coat the top of the salmon fillet with pecan mixture. Bake in a preheated 400 degree oven for 20 minutes. Serves 4-6.

 

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Three simple salmon recipes worthy of the kitchen table
96349burnt-bridge-featured-wine-at-the-grant-house-wine-dinner-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/corks-and-forks/burnt-bridge-featured-wine-at-the-grant-house-wine-dinner-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Burnt-Bridge1-600x450.jpg
Burnt Bridge featured wine at The Grant House wine dinner

Photo provided

Did you crash and burn this Valentine’s Day? Here’s your chance for a do-over…

 Burnt Bridge featured wine at The Grant House wine dinner

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Burnt Bridge featured wine at The Grant House wine dinner
99737new-hat-or-old-tricks-portland-timbers-2017-preview-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/new-hat-or-old-tricks-portland-timbers-2017-preview-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Caleb-Porter-459x460.jpg

Last years’ end state was horrible; the Portland Timbers, returning MLS Champions, missed the playoffs.  Not good; especially when 60% of  the teams in your Conference make the playoffs.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Clearly changes needed to be made.

Notable midfield additions include David Guzman, Sebastian Blanco, and the return of Dairon Asprilla.

On the defensive side, where the Timbers had their biggest weakness, new faces are more scarce.

Gbenga Arokoyo, who saw no appreciable time last year, was expected to start at right center-back.

Roy Miller and Lawrence Olum have also been signed.  Miller is not yet available while Olum appears to hold the center-back spot until Miller shows value or another new signing occurs.

It is rumored that Banana Yaya may be added soon – he’s a center-back (with two caps for Cameroon) who has played 69 games in the last two years for Plantanias (Greece); that volume of games played should indicate he’s a starter who’s offered consistency and quality.

So… changes have been made – but signing a player is just the first step…

READ HERE for a track record of previous Portland Timbers signings:  Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano.

As follow up to the first step here’s my list of “next steps” (of equal importance) I sense/submit need to happen (on the pitch) to reduce goals against this year:

David Guzman needs to show better than Jack Jewsbury or Ben Zemanski – in pre-season – I would offer he has.  Some wonder if Ben Zemanski remains with the squad this year; I do too.

Liam Ridgewell needs to pull his socks up and LEAD by example.

The days of cynical fouls (anywhere) on the pitch must be stopped.  There are worthy fouls, like the one he had the other night to stop play while Fenando Adi was down on the pitch, and then there are just plain cynical, stupid fouls, that are more about ‘men behaving badly’ than anything else… more leadership and less ‘men behaving badly’…

Diego Chara needs to follow the leadership example expected of Liam Ridgewell; limit his misplaced, men behaving badly fouls, and show aggression where timely – not untimely.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Vytas needs to continue to show abilities in playing a shut-down fullback role so sorely missed with the departure of a (then) VERY under-rated Jorge Villafana.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

With another year under his belt Alvas Powell not only needs to continue offering grist and speed on the right (improve his outlook as a shutdown fullback) but he also needs to show better positional play and (wait for it) try to stay on his feet more.  The more sliding tackles you make the more often you’re out of position to begin with.  Fewer sliding tackles would be a great individual statistic to track for Alvas.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Caleb needs to show a bit more patience with the younger players and give them opportunities to fail.

It’s failure – and learning from failure – that makes players better.  If a player DOESN’T learn from failure, then move ‘em… and make room for the next man up.

Here’s my list of younger players who should get more minutes…  with hindsight  being 20-20 I’m sure Caleb would have played more younger players last year if he’d known the Timbers were going to yield 53 goals against AND still have a reasonable shot at the playoffs…

In the interim (while Clarke grows and the Timbers perhaps sign Banana Yoyo – great name!) Lawrence Olum needs to offer better defensive play than Jermaine Taylor or Stephen Taylor… Is it cynical to offer that Olum already shows greater lateral speed than either one of those guys?

Part of better defending includes improved attacking. 

Jorge Villafana added great positional awareness and penetrating skills when in attack – Vytas and Alvas need to show the same grist in being able to play both sides of the ball – while thinking defense first.  That’s a hard order to follow – but if David Guzman adds value as a true #6 then those two SHOULD be able to push a tad bit higher up the pitch.

Is Sebastian Blanco the answer in lieu of the much maligned Melano?  I think so… Blanco has shown good possession skills, measured awareness and the ability to make space for himself and others WHILE also showing a great 1st touch…  a considerable improvement.

Darlington Nagbe needs to show his “inverted” attacking prowess improves productivity while also showing his improved abilities to play on both sides of the ball.  Caleb and I spoke about Darlington playing inverted over two years ago.  Caleb confirmed with me that both he and Gavin Wilkinson knew this was a productive area for Darlington… what got “in the way” was not having a worthy player to suit up on the right.  With Blanco in the fold that gap should be closed.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Diego Chara needs to push forward a bit more – we’ve seen his penetrating ability in the past, and his speed adds great value as a trailing midfielder.  But what adds more value is seeing Diego slightly higher up the pitch where he can press and use his ball-winning skills to manage the midfield better.  Quicker pressure can lead to turnovers, which can lead to quick counterattacks for the likes of Diego Valeri and Fenando Adi.

Speaking of which; the Maestro is simply one of the best players in MLS.

Most offer Diego Valeri is an attacking midfielder – I’m a bit old-fashioned – for me he’s earned the worthy title of Striker…

There are forwards, there are midfielders, and then there are strikers – Diego is a striker… Diego needs to continue to provide a great first touch, vision, penetrating passes, and striking ability; those four ingredients enhance Portland possession and keep the ball from the opponent.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Diego’s striking partner is Fenando Adi.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Fenando, a forward, is a true #9 striker… (perhaps?) the best in MLS.  Anytime he’s on the pitch this team has a chance, and with his size/strength he also adds great value in defending set-pieces…

If these things occur the Portland Timbers should be better in defending – and hopefully they’ll return to 2013 form where they yielded just 33 goals against…  the last time this team spent a good portion of the game in possession of the ball.

So how about the substitutes this year?  A key part to any team, and a weakness cited by Porter this year, are the next seven off the bench. 

In looking at the most recent pre-season game I think things are taking shape on Porter’s first in (if you will).

We saw Dairon Asprilla replace Sebastian Blanco (helping his missus move to Portland).   It’s great to see Dairon back with Portland.  He’s always added value playing both ways.  And his presence should only serve to keep Sebastian Blanco on his toes.  And with Darlington Nagbe finally getting the national team recognition he deserves it’s likely Dairon gets plenty of minutes this year.New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Next up we saw Darren Mattocks, Victor Arboleda, and Rennico Clarke, followed by Jack Barmby when Diego Valeri took a knock.

I saw value in all those players coming onto the pitch – yes Clarke got a bit cross-wise in defending atop the 18 yard box – but as Porter indicated after the game – he has confidence Rennico will learn from that.  And… the more opportunities he has to learn from failure (early on) the better prepared he’ll be for regular season – if needed.

Darren has been shifted up top – a good thing in my view.  He still can leverage his pace and high pressure abilities – but he won’t have to find himself losing energy in having to play both sides of the ball all game long.

In thinking about the placement of Jack Barmby.  In the few games I’ve seen Jack has taken up the central attacking midfielder position.  I like this – Barmby has shown good awareness, first touch and playing on both sides of the ball.

What sticks out to me the most, however, have been some of his unsuccessful (penetrating passes).  Those passes are the same types of passes we see with Diego Valeri – some don’t find a teammate (usually because the teammate isn’t thinking fast enough) but some do…

It’s those (unsuccessful penetrating) passes that remind me of Diego Valeri.  A good individual statistic this year for Jack Barmby – in showing growth – are the number of unsuccessful penetrating passes…  the more playing time he gets I’d offer, the fewer of those we see as his teammates will begin to expect the unexpected.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview

Barmby – Courtesy of Oregon Live

I’d offer those are the first five players off the bench…  leaving Jeff Attinella (goal keeper) and one additional player.

My preferred choice is Marco Farfan.  I don’t watch training all that often and it’s hard to say whether or not Caleb would go with another central midfielder.  But… in the past Caleb has usually had a fullback on the bench.  I sense that slot is filled by Marco Farfan.

In all, I’d submit that’s a pretty strong first 18.

Who do you think makes the subs bench this year?

Best, Chris

For those who like a bit of nostalgia – here’s what I offered to begin the 2016 season.  Old Hat?  New Tricks?

@chrisgluckpwp

COPYRIGHT: All Rights Reserved.  Trademark PWP

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

New Hat? or Old Tricks? Portland Timbers 2017 Preview
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Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Picpoul blanc, charbono and tannat are featured alongside 100 percent roussanne Comfortage, cinsault Rosé and Thinkers—a red blend of petite sirah and tinta cão, proving the varietal diversity of Texas Hill Country wines. Viki Eierdam

Living in the northwest surrounded by so many terrific wine regions, it can be easy to forget the world is filled with exceptional wines and even varietals yet to be discovered. On its own, the United States provides fun and exciting excuses to venture out in search of the great grapes of the globe.

Everything’s big in Texas and their wine scene is no exception. In fact, the Lone Star state boasts the second largest AVA in America. Texas Hill Country was my destination of choice back in January and it was clear early on that, yes, there is award-winning wine worthy of the voyage.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Flat Creek Estate winemaker, Tim Drake, hails from Federal Way, Washington. He came to the Hill Country to dabble in different winemaking techniques including aging pinot grigio and viogner in Russian oak barrels. Dan Eierdam

A bit off the beaten path lies Flat Creek Estate. As such, there is on-site lodging and dining and events scheduled throughout the year to make the effort worth every patron’s while. Interestingly, winemaker Tim Drake hails from Federal Way, Washington. He came to the Hill Country to dabble in different varietals and winemaking techniques. Aging pinot grigio and viogner in Russian oak barrels is imparting a subdued spice that is turning heads.

“I always felt the viogniers from Washington were nice but had a hole in the mid-palate. We fill the hole in down here in Texas,” Drake said.

In fact, Pedernales Cellars (another Texas Hill Country winery) walked away with a Grand Gold at the 2013 Lyon International Wine Competition for their 2012 Viognier; the only U.S. viognier to earn such an honor. Their compadres, Flat Creek Estate and Becker Vineyards, also earned medals for the same varietal.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

The patio of Hye Meadow Winery overlooks a stunning oak grove that can be enjoyed much of the year thanks to the temperate Texas climate. Dan Eierdam

On Hwy 290—dubbed the Wine Road which leads into quaint and friendly Fredericksburg—wine seekers will find an unassuming building containing Hye Meadow Winery. Step inside to savor the stunning oak grove that it overlooks. Chief grape stomper, Mike Batek, exudes true southern hospitality as he pours crisp Trebbiano, unfiltered Rosato, a gamay-style Dolcetto, The Full Monte—a 100 percent montepulciano with vanilla and dark cherry to plum notes—and a spicy Aglianico with gripping tannins.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Located in the heart of Fredericksburg is Lost Draw Cellars, co-owned by a fourth generation peanut and cotton farmer. Dan Eierdam

Located in the heart of German-centric Fredericksburg, visitors will find Lost Draw Cellars. One of their Rhône-style whites not only sports a unique name but a unique grape in its blend. Gemutlichkeit, translated loosely, means ‘come together and share good cheer.’ According to tasting room lead, CJ Evans, possibly only 100 acres of picpoul blanc are grown in the U.S., 5 of which are found in Hill Country.

A short drive out of town is worth the effort to experience the wines of Bending Branch. Their lineup includes 100 percent picpoul blanc displaying green apple and racy acidity, charbono with smoky big fruit and chewy tannins and tannat with a chunky nose that finishes smooth. As with the other wineries, warmer weather tempts visitors to linger in the outdoor patio spaces.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Proudly waving the Texas flag, Pedernales garnered a Grand Gold for their 2012 Viognier at the 2013 Lyon International Wine Competition. Dan Eierdam

After tasting the delicate tropical fruit notes of their 2015 Albariño and light citrus of the 2015 Vermentino, the 2015 Viognier Reserve continues to prove why Pedernales Cellars was the Grand Gold winner in 2012. Oaked for 15 months, soft white blossoms are followed by toast and dairy characteristics and a melt-in-your-mouth, decadent quality.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Surprisingly, port-style wines are quite popular in Texas Hill Country including this Messina Hof 2015 Estate Black Label made with Lenoir. Coconut and chocolate-covered cherry notes follow with a velvety mouth coating and distinct toast from the French oak aging. Dan Eierdam

Grand in scale and production, Messina Hof could be mistaken for a tourist destination but they cater to the aficionado, as well. In fact, owner Paul Mitchel Bonarrigo, is so serious about wine and educating the consumer that he’s invested in WSET (Wine & Spirit Education Trust) certification courses for all his tasting room employees and their level of expertise is refreshing. Messina Hof is proud to be the most awarded winery in Texas.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country

Owner of Spicewood Vineyards and Elway, Ron Yates also possesses a law degree and owns a music company. Here, Elway is on squirrel and deer patrol to protect the 32 estate acres including a rare four acres of sauvignon blanc. Dan

Heading back toward Dallas just off US-281, travelers are in for a treat at Spicewood Vineyards. Owned by Ron Yates (who also possesses a law degree and owns a music company), Spicewood boasts 32 acres of vines and something I was particular delighted to find—four acres of sauvignon blanc, which is rare for the area. Bright acid, lemon/lime, citrus, a slight herbaciousness with grassy notes; it was all there and so easy to imagine as my go-to wine for lazy Texas days.

With over 350 wineries spread throughout eight different AVAs, there’s a lot of ground to cover in Texas. From more familiar varietals such as cabernet sauvignon, merlot and tempranillo to regionally-specific ones like lenoir, blanc du bois, picpoul blanc and tannat, a growing wine scene is just one more excuse to visit the Lone Star state.

Need more? Check out The Treaty House—a craft cocktail cigar bar with a focus on premier wines; The Club at Baron’s Creekside—an indoor/outdoor wine bar with a decidedly European flair thanks to owner, Daniel Meyer who hails from Switzerland; The Cabernet Grill—a wine-centric restaurant located inside the unique lodging compound of Cotton Gin Village; and the Lincoln Street Wine and Cigar Bar, a perfect spot for nibbles, a night cap, live music and a cellar full of wines by the glass (or bottle).

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

 

 

 

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Wine & Travel: Texas Hill Country
96364tickets-still-available-for-oregon-chardonnay-celebration-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/corks-and-forks/tickets-still-available-for-oregon-chardonnay-celebration-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/12/Oregon-Chardonnay-wines-1024x576-600x337.jpg
Tickets still available for Oregon Chardonnay Celebration

At the 5th Annual Oregon Chardonnay Celebration, winemakers and serious consumers came together to analyze five different chardonnay styles all sourced from Durant Vineyards. Viki Eierdam

Tickets are still available for the 2017 Oregon Chardonnay Celebration. Held at the luxurious Allison Inn & Spa in Newberg, Oregon, the 6th Annual event promises to be even more consumer-focused than last year.

The in-depth seminar, held from 1-3 p.m. will be led by Food & Wine magazine’s executive wine editor, Ray Isle. The expert panel consists of Luisa Ponzi from Ponzi Wines, Bob Morous of Phelps Creek Vineyards, Maggie Harrison of Antica Terra, Bryan Wilson from DANCIN Vineyards and Ken Pahlow of Walter Scott.

Attendees are invited to follow along as these chardonnay authorities quip and enlighten us about bringing the reputation of this noble grape back through a reverence of the unique terroir found throughout Oregon. From the Chehalem Mountains to the Columbia Gorge, Eola-Amity and the Rogue AVAs (American Viticultural Area), the soils and microclimates impart from subtle to distinct flavor profiles. Regardless of different winemaking styles, the agreed result is a spectrum from lean, crisp wine with high acidity that makes a refreshing accompaniment to seafood in its youth to wines with some age that show creamier textures and a beautiful round mouth-feel to pair with heavier sauces.

Tickets still available for Oregon Chardonnay Celebration

Held at the Allison Inn & Spa, the Oregon Chardonnay Celebration Grand Tasting is an opportunity for consumers to sample exquisite examples from over 40 Oregon wineries. Viki Eierdam

After this virtual vineyard tour, apply what you’ve learned as you taste over 40 exquisitely-produced Oregon chardonnays at the Grand Tasting from 3-5:30 p.m. Combine your ticket to attend both events or, if time is tight, purchase the Grand Tasting ticket only.

If you’re a wine drinker who swears “I do not like Chardonnay,” this is the event for you. Oregon winemakers will make you a convert and you’ll forget the overly-oaked California style from the days of old in no time.

To make the most of your time in the Valley, why not book a night at The Allison Inn & Spa? Special rates are available for Oregon Chardonnay Celebration guests but you must call ahead to reserve (no special rates with on-line bookings).

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

 

 

 

 

 

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Tickets still available for Oregon Chardonnay Celebration
74492n-mississippi-restaurant-features-italian-inspired-wine-dinner https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/corks-and-forks/n-mississippi-restaurant-features-italian-inspired-wine-dinner/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/02/Quaintrelle-306x460.jpg

N. Mississippi restaurant features Italian-inspired wine dinnerQUAINTRELLE HOSTS WINEMAKER DINNER WITH DARRYL JOANNIDES OF VIOLA WINE CELLARS

Four-course family-style dinner with wine pairings, $75

February 14, 2017 – Portland, OR – Quaintrelle will host a February winemaker dinner on Wednesday, February 22 with Darryl Joannides of Viola Wine Cellars.

Join sommelier Matt Hansel and chef de cuisine Bill Wallender for a four-course family-style dinner. The seasonal menu will be paired with Italian-inspired natural wines from Viola Wine Cellars. Dinner begins at 6:30 p.m. and tickets are $75, including gratuity. For reservations, please call Quaintrelle at 503-200-5787 or purchase tickets online.

Viola Wine Cellars selections include:

2016 Viola Ramato of Pinot Grigio

2015 Viola Bianco d’Allegre (Sauvignon Blanc, Moscato, Pinot Grigio)

2015 Viola Dolcetto d’Allegre

2015 Viola “Dugger Creek Vineyard” Sangiovese

Darryl Joannides has spent the past 20 years immersed in Italian food and wines. Darryl’s first Italian-inspired business was as chef/owner of Assaggio in the Sellwood neighborhood from 1995-2005. Viola Wine Cellars was created in 2002 during harvest when Darryl worked as an intern for Andrew Rich Vintner during the inaugural year of the Carlton Winemaker’s Studio. Viola became a full-time venture in 2012 and today production is located in his garage in NW Portland. The majority of the vineyards used to produce Viola’s wines are located in the Columbia Gorge appellation.

Upcoming winemaker dinners will feature Brianne Day of Day Wines on April 12 and Pam Walden from Willful Wine Company on May 17.

About Quaintrelle: Located in Portland’s bustling N. Mississippi neighborhood, Quaintrelle serves Pacific Northwest inspired cuisine made with passion and intention and works with a range of purveyors to ensure the best seasonally available local ingredients. The restaurant is located at 3936 N. Mississippi Ave. Reservations may be made through OpenTable, or by calling the restaurant at (503) 200-5787 or online at www.quaintrelle.co.

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

N. Mississippi restaurant features Italian-inspired wine dinner
74421local-vintners-featuring-port-style-wines-for-valentines-weekend https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/corks-and-forks/local-vintners-featuring-port-style-wines-for-valentines-weekend/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/02/English-Estate-1024x704-600x412.jpg
Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

English Estate Winery carries a large line of fortified ‘nectars’—dessert wines made with their own pinot noir brandy distilled by Clear Creek Distillery. Viki Eierdam

Valentine’s weekend is upon us and, with that, wineries will be hosting their annual Chocolate & Wine Pairing festivities from SW Washington to the Yakima Valley, Southern Oregon and beyond.

In honor of the occasion, I tasted several of the port-style treats being crafted by vintners throughout Clark County. Be sure to pick up a bottle or two to enjoy at home with your sweetheart. Keep in mind all prices are for 375 ml size.

English Estate Sweet Ruby Red Pinot Noir Nectar

Only slightly less ABV than traditional port, this is the truest port-style wine offered by English. Made from their own Pinot Noir brandy distilled by Clear Creek Distillery and estate Pinot Noir, showing considerable toast from aged oak barrels and succulent cherry notes. 17.5% ABV, $28.

Other offerings:

Raspberry Delight—When the freezer broke one day, threatening the estate raspberries that Gail English had harvested for canning, Carl Sr. quickly found a way to preserve the just-picked freshness. He nailed it! Excellent for sparkling spritzers or as a sauce over cheesecake. 17% ABV, $49.

Sugar Plum—At the heart of this nectar with baking spice on the palate are the juicy plums found on the homestead. 17% ABV, $39.

Sweet Autumn Gold—A combination of estate pinot noir juice and their own pinot noir brandy, light oak lends coconut to the finish. Versatile paired with blue cheese or crème brûlée.  16.5%, $28.

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

Not only does it hit the palate just right, the label of the Gougér Cellars Mine, Mine Mine took an International Double Gold Medal for Design at the 2010 San Francisco International Wine Competition. Viki Eierdam

Gougér Cellars Mine, Mine, Mine

Sweet enough to be paired with desserts but not so much that it can’t be enjoyed alone, aged brandy is employed to add complexity to this blend of syrah, zinfandel merlot and muscat of Alexandria (an ancient vine with an impressive lineage). 18% ABV, $22.

Mine, Mine, Mine Chocolate—This wine captures the essence of chocolate in a bottle with a lush weight that romances the palate. Popular for pairing with high-end chocolates. 18% ABV, $22.

 

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

Hints of white blossom from apple to honeysuckle draw you into Koi Pond Cellars Elle’s Crème Brûlée. Photo provided.

Koi Pond Cellars Elle’s Crème Brûlée

Hints of white blossom from apple to honeysuckle draw you in. Hot on the front with hazelnut and a bit of coffee mid palate with a caramel finish and whisper of chocolate, this white port-style wine delivers something from beginning to end. Warm and soothing. 16% ABV, $35

 

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

Moulton Falls Winery collaborated with Yacolt Valley Vineyard to create this port-style dessert wine. Viki Eierdam

Moulton Falls Winery NV Yacolt Valley Vineyard Port-Style Dessert Wine

Made from deep, rich Red Mountain syrah and fortified with Yacolt Valley Vineyard Pinot Noir, then distilled to brandy locally at Double V Distillery. This syrah brings out a deep cherry flavor reminiscent of candied cherries followed by a silky, dark fruit finish. 19.5% ABV, $28

 

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

The complexity of Daybreak Cellars Tempranillo Dessert Wine is a result of a blend of four beautiful vintages. Viki Eierdam

Rezabek Vineyards Daybreak Cellars Tempranillo Dessert Wine 

With a port-range ABV and grape composition including tempranillo (aka tinta roriz), touriga nacional and a scant amount of tinta cão, this may be the closest port-style wine being made in Clark County. Baking spice aromas follow with big juicy cherry notes on the palate, a swirl of chocolate and coconut notes on the finish. 19.5% ABV, $18

 

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend

Rusty Grape Vineyards 2010 Vino de Ciocolotto is the perfect pairing of wine and chocolate. Viki Eierdam

Rusty Grape Vineyards 2010 Vino de Ciocolotto

This syrah-based treat is the perfect pairing of wine and chocolate. Retaining its higher tannin quality, the warm nose teases your palate with notes of cocoa nib and brandy while the mouth feel is full and velvety. Pair with dried fruits like figs, plums and apricots or a nut cake.18% ABV, $32

Other notable dessert-style wines:

Bethany Vineyards

Emanar Cellars

Heisen House Vineyards

Olequa Cellars

Pomeroy Cellars

Three Brothers Winery 

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Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Local vintners featuring port-style wines for Valentine’s Weekend
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NW Wineries make Wine Spectator cover storyHave you caught the January/February issue of Wine Spectator yet? Two Oregon wineries—Ayoub and Bethel Heights—and two Washington Wineries—Novelty Hill/Januik and Sparkman Cellars—are featured in the cover story: 30 Wineries to Discover.

The wineries are noted for consistently delivering high-quality wines. Ayoub crafts eight small-production wines that I can say from personal experience deliver all the power, elegance and depth we’ve come to expect from the Willamette Valley.

NW Wineries make Wine Spectator cover story

Mo Ayoub pouring at the recent Pinot in the City in Dallas, TX. Dan Eierdam

It’s all in the family at Bethel Heights where cousins, Ben and Mimi Casteel, are carrying on the first generation’s legacy. Slightly more fruit-forward than Burgundian pinot noirs, their offerings deliver consistent layers to ponder.

Sourcing from Red Mountain, Wahluke Slope and even more affordable releases throughout the Columbia Valley, Mike Januik took a wealth of knowledge with him when he left Chateau Ste. Michelle nearly two decades ago. Now crafting wines for Novelty Hill and his own label, Januik, here is a man who has certainly hit his stride.

NW Wineries make Wine Spectator cover story

Photo supplied

An $18 bottle of riesling from an esteemed producer is nearly unheard of in this day and age. Along with other bright whites, Sparkman Cellars sources quality fruit from top-rated vineyards throughout Washington State to grace their firm yet approachable reds.

Read all about these NW Wineries to Discover in the latest issue of Wine Spectator, on newsstands now.

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.

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

NW Wineries make Wine Spectator cover story
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Gary Gouger with hie new tank

Gougér Cellars of Ridgefield is the first winery in Clark County to have a high pressure tank made specifically for producing sparkling wines. The tank was custom made in Italy and took over 6 months to receive. The tank will enable Gouger Cellars to expand their sparkling wine offerings which already include a Sparkling Rose and Sparkling Pinot Noir.

Gougér Cellars was established in 2009 and produces premium international awarded wines from grapes sourced from two states. Winemaker, Gary Gougér, enologist (winemaker) graduated from the University of Adelaide, Australia, and is known for sparkling and bold red wines such as Zinfandel, Syrah, Petite Sirah, Malbec, Cabernet Sauvignon, Merlot and Sparkling Rosé and Sparkling Pinot Noir.

 

Gougér Cellars is at 26505 NE 10th in Ridgefield.

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Clark College hosts Food Summit this FridayA daylong discussion about the region’s food ecosystem and the college’s role in its future 

VANCOUVER, Wash. — Clark College will be hosting “Growing Our Future” on Friday, February 10, to explore issues within the local food system and possibilities for new curriculum at the college to support this region’s food-producing industries.

The daylong event, which is made possible with support from the Clark County Food System Council, will feature speakers from local businesses and organizations like Heathen Brewing, Lapellah, Ecotrust, and the Washington State Department of Agriculture, as well as Clark College faculty. Together, attendees will explore concepts like the future of farming and the challenges of trying to use local ingredients in commercial enterprises. In between workshops and speakers, participants will enjoy a “locavore lunch” and “talking and tasting café.”

“Our goal in hosting this event is twofold,” said Vice President of Instruction Dr. Tim Cook. “First, we want to provide an opportunity for our growing community of food providers to discuss the issues confronting their industry right now. Second, the college wants to investigate the ways we can help support that industry, whether it’s by providing specialized training or potentially even creating a new Ecology and Agronomy program.”

The event, which runs from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., will be held at Clark College at Columbia Tech Center, 18700 Mill Plain Blvd. Driving directions and parking maps are available here. Tickets are $10 and can be purchased, cash only, at the door. For more details about the event, click this link. 

About Clark College

Located in Vancouver’s Central Park and serving up to 13,000 students per quarter, Clark College is Washington State’s second-largest single-campus, for-credit community college. The college currently offers classes at two satellite locations: one on the Washington State University Vancouver campus and one in the Columbia Tech Center in East Vancouver. Additionally, its Economic & Community Development program is housed in the Columbia Bank building in downtown Vancouver.

Disclaimer: This is a reprint of Clark College’s press release

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Clark College hosts Food Summit this Friday
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Burnt Bridge Cellars rolls out Thursday Happy Hour

Photo provided

Burnt Bridge Cellars, Vancouver’s only urban winery, rolled out their first Thursday Happy Hour back on January 26.

You asked and they answered. In response to numerous requests, Burnt Bridge will now be open from 4-9 p.m. every Thursday and extend discounted glass pours, to boot.

Opening in November of 2010, Burnt Bridge started with Saturday and Sunday hours. Friday evening hours were added in 2015. Coupled with the talents of Chef Kim Mahan from Class Cooking (located next door), Burnt Bridge is always offering something new and exciting for its growing fan base including Blind Tasting events, food and wine pairings and scheduled live music.

Burnt Bridge Cellars rolls out Thursday Happy Hour

Photo provided

When not showcasing sumptuous nibbles designed to pair with their deep and elegant offerings, visitors can order a calzone or pizza from Vancouver Pizza Company to be delivered to the tasting room.

Make plans to join the team at Burnt Bridge Cellars soon and support their new Thursday hours.

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Burnt Bridge Cellars rolls out Thursday Happy Hour
96930reunited-and-it-feels-so-good-black-coffee-and-delish-dairy-free-creamer-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/reunited-and-it-feels-so-good-black-coffee-and-delish-dairy-free-creamer-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_7015-1024x742-600x434.jpg

Many years ago when I transitioned to dairy free living, I sadly gave up my coffee creamer.  Having served in the U.S. Marine Corps it should have been an easy transition back to black coffee (lol!) but it wasn’t.

Over time, I got used to a new way of dairy free healthy living.  If the coffee place was cool and it wasn’t too busy I’d be brave to order a cubano espresso (where the barista adds a 1/2 packet of raw sugar on top of the ground coffee in the portofilter).  Super yummy!  But most times, if the place was jammed I’d order just a plain americano with no room.  Black coffee became my norm – but I still missed my creamer from time to time.

I have experimented with many dairy free milk alternatives when I owned and operated an Airstream Cafe which served up small batch artisan drinks, eats and treats.  (I was so ahead of my time!!…). Here’s what I found using cappuccinos as the benchmark:

Almond Milk

Soy Milk – Comparable to dairy in every way especially the microfoam department.  Pretty tasty. If you’re soy free – nevermind. It is commonplace to see this in most coffee places but quickly being replaced by almond milk.

Hemp Milk has a nutty light consistency.  It steams up nicely but loses it’s texture super fast. I don’t really see this at most coffee houses.

Coconut milk has a super water consistency very hard to make long lasting dreamy microfoam.  Hard to make microfoam.

It’s nice to have a splurge coffee out in town but who can afford it these days?!  $3.00+ for a latte.  I save that for a special occasions.  As far as what I use at home… again I mostly drink black good quality micro roasted coffee.

Then I saw this product!  I was walking through New Seasons Market Fishers Landing just this past weekend and this beauty Califia Farms DAIRY FREE BETTER HALF UNSWEETENED COCONUT CREAM & ALMOND MILK caught my eye in the dairy aisle.  It is the first creamer in along time that spoke to me – into the cart it went to give it a try! I just love New Season’s for all the wonderful food sensitive products they offer!

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD – Black Coffee and Delish Dairy Free Creamer Ingredients:  Almond milk, coconut cream, natural flavors, calcium carbonate, sunflower lecithin, sea salt, potassium citrate, locust bean gum, gellan gum.

Nutrition Facts:  Only 15 calories per 2 TBS.  Total fat 1.5 g.  Sodium 30 mg.  Sugars 0.
REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD – Black Coffee and Delish Dairy Free Creamer

Nutritionist Denise Hays Review:

Sated Sensitive Denise Hays Review:  Nice taste.  Nice texture.  No bitter aftertaste.  Yes ~ it does smell like coconut.  It was on special at New Season’s –  priced (I recall) at either $3.99 or $4.99 for the pint carton.  That’s 16 servings at $4.99 which equates to $0.31 cents per cup of coffee.  On their website the 16.9 fl oz product is listed at $8.99.  Wowza!  I would definitely purchase again as a nice treat for my black coffee every once in a while.
REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD – Black Coffee and Delish Dairy Free Creamer

If you give this product a try let me know what your thoughts are!


#dairyfree #dairyfreelife #dairyfreeliving #glutenfreedairyfree #godairyfree #sodeliciousdairyfree #glutenanddairyfree #dairyfreelunch #dairyfreeproducts #dairyfreenom #dairyfree4good #becausesomeladiesareglutendairyfree #dairyfreediet #dairyfreefood #dairyfreeeaster #dairyfreedelicious #healthyliving #satedsensitive #foodsensitivities #foodallergies #foodallergy #readthelabel #labeling #nutrition #coconutcream #almondmilk #califiafarms

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

REUNITED AND IT FEELS SO GOOD – Black Coffee and Delish Dairy Free Creamer
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Clark County transplant managing balancing act with wine and family

At Portland’s SE Wine Collective, Pam Walden crafts her Willful label employing naked fermentation to bring out the truest sense of the vineyard and vintage. Photo provided

After years of following, Pam Walden, owner/winemaker of Willful Wine Company, is leading and her graceful confidence is contagious.

A relative newcomer to Vancouver, Washington, Clark County wasn’t specifically on her radar. When I asked her how she ended up on the North Bank, her response was honest and unapologetic.

“Some guy,” she laughed. “I ended up in Nepal because of a guy. I ended up in winemaking because of a guy. It’s as good of a reason as any.”

Clark County transplant managing balancing act with wine and family

With her tenacious nature, Northwest vintner Pam Walden embodies the name of her wine label—Willful Wine Company. Photo provided

This simple philosophy translates to her winemaking style. At Portland’s SE Wine Collective, she crafts her Willful label employing naked fermentation (not adding yeast) to bring out the truest sense of the vineyard and vintage. Her efforts to make her own way are being noticed. Prince of Pinot gave her 2014 Willful Winemaker Cuvée Pinot Noir 92 points and Wine Enthusiast came through at 90. This 100 percent Pommard clone wine captures what Walden strives for in pinot noir.

“Pinot noir is often described as being a woman. It should be more elegant and feminine not chunky and monstrous. I’ll leave that for cab; be as big as you want. A winemaker should play to a grape’s sense,” Walden said. “I want something that’s interesting that I can think about that’s lush and sexy and stuff.”

For this single mother of two, winemaking wasn’t in her game plan until that guy came along. After their amicable split in 2009 and his subsequent death in 2013, Walden went through some soul searching to come to where she is now.

With her engaging English accent (born and raised in Leicester, England), she explained “I don’t think I would have taken on the challenge to make wine and take over the vineyard. It’s easy to sort of rise to the occasion and make it work but at some point you get over that and think ‘Is this mine? Is this something I really want to do?’ as opposed to just reacting to circumstances.”

Clark County transplant managing balancing act with wine and family

In 2013 Pam Walden sold her 17 acre vineyard site in Dundee and now crafts her Willful Wine label out of SE Wine Collective and Jezebel from Eugene Wine Cellars. Photo provided

Fortunately for her growing fan base, she embraced her situation and embodies the name of her wine label. Her early years in the winemaking industry with then-husband, Aron Hess, helped her gain an appreciation for his favoring of Pommard and employment of pre-fermentation cold soaking to extract fine grain tannins. She has since arrived at her own style which is a balance of ageability and a wine that is pleasurable to drink upon release.

Walden has also simplified her home life in an effort to maintain as much balance with it as she does with her wines. Shortly after Hess’s death, she sold their 17 acre site in Dundee and is content with her current 4,500 case production which includes her second label, Jezebel—an easy-going and fruit forward line using grapes sourced from both Southern Oregon and the Willamette Valley. This set up affords her the time to homeschool her 10 and 13 year-old sons, Cato and Samson.

“My priority really is my kids. While I’d like to have my own winery space, I like the flexibility to be with my kids. My dad was the same. He had his own business and was there for us. I wanted to give my kids the same; that kind of drives most of my decisions.”

**Follow Corks & Forks by clicking the ‘Follow’ button or follow Corks & Forks on Facebook, Twitter @WACorksandForks or Instagram Viki@WACorksandForks.

 

 

 

Viki

I am a Clark County native. I am Level 2 WSET (wine and spirit education trust)-certified and enjoy pairing wine with my passion for travel and fondness of food. My most prized possessions are the memories of places I've been with my husband, the chance encounters we've been blessed to have along the way and my carry-on bag. I can often be seen around town and in tasting rooms with our two beautiful, double-Merle Australian shepherds, Challenge and Baby Girl.

Clark County transplant managing balancing act with wine and family
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It’s TEA time ~ Herbal Tea Healthy Living Benefits For centuries, people in every culture have used herbs and spices to enhance the taste of food and drink as well as to support, protect and heal their bodies. Passed from generation to generation, the wealth of information about the healing powers of herbs and spices for our physical, mental, emotional, social, and spiritual selves continues to hold true today. One way to enjoy the health benefits of herbs and spices is by drinking herbal tea. Herbal teas or tisane (pronounced “tea-ZAHN) is an infusion of herbs, spices, leaves, flowers, fruits, berries, seeds, bark or roots. The plant constituents from this infusion is extracted in hot water and then enjoyed as a beverage either hot or cold. In drinking well-steeped herbal tea, we receive all the plant’s benefits to help heal and protect our bodies in an easily digestible form. What are some of the health benefits of drinking herbal tea?

It’s TEA time ~ Herbal Tea Healthy Living Benefits

314 NE 314th Ave Battle Ground WA

Did you know there is a wonderful bulk herbs, teas and tinctures place in Battle Ground called the BG Apothecary located at 314 NE 1st Ave, Battle Ground, WA 98604.  BG Apothecary stocks so many wonderful proprietary house blend herbal teas. A few of our offerings include:

With well over 1,000 herbal tea recipes, Diana would be happy to help blend a special offering just for you. Just last week I helped mix up a small batch of Nerves tea with passion flower, skullcap, chamomile, lavender plus a few other goodies.  Sure could use some of that with all the wonderful exciting weather! It’s TEA time ~ Herbal Tea Healthy Living Benefits Sated Sensitive Denise Hays recommends enjoying the health benefits of herbal tea by incorporating these delicious beverages into your diet on a more regular basis. Moderation is key with any food or drink. So go ahead ~ brew up some delightful herbal tea today. There are so many BG Apothecary herbal tea blends to chose from – my favorite is a special one Diana made up for me it’s a blend of Immuni-Tea with just the right amount of rosemary for that cognitive pick me up! I’m onsite at BG Apothecary most Thursdays from 1:15 to 4:30 – come on in I’d love to meet you! Let’s talk about healthy living, nutrition, yoga, wellness or ? Have a great day!  Namaste,  Denise It’s TEA time ~ Herbal Tea Healthy Living Benefits

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

It’s TEA time ~ Herbal Tea Healthy Living Benefits
73911how-many-in-clark-county-come-from-countries-on-banned-list https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/how-many-in-clark-county-come-from-countries-on-banned-list/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/01/sevenbannednations-560x460.png
How many in Clark County come from countries on Trump’s list?

Source: JayCoop, Commons, Wikimedia.

Many airports remained embroiled in protests today after President Donald Trump on Friday issued a temporary order to turn away travelers from seven Muslim-majority countries. That list includes: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somalia, Sudan and Libya.

How many people in Clark County were born in those seven countries? The answer is close to 500 but there’s a couple of caveats. First, the data is from the U.S. Census Bureau’s American Community Survey’s 5-year estimates and, as with any survey based on sample sizes, there’s what we call margin for error. And second, the ACS data doesn’t drill down far enough in this county to get numbers for some countries.

But here is what we know. According to the 2015 ACS, an estimated 423 from Iran, 11 from Iraq, 65 from Syria, 0 from Yemen and Somalia and 12 from Sudan. Libya is not on the list but the data does show 16 from other North Africa, including Libya, Tunisia and Algeria and possibly others (I did not see a list of those countries in Northern Africa but took an educated guess based on geography).

Now, let’s talk about that margin of error, which is kind of big for these estimates. For example, the margin of error on people here from Iran is +/- 193 of the total estimated 423, so there could be as little as 230 here from Iran or as high as 616. I’ll let you decide what to believe and at the same time, here’s the margin of error on the other 6 countries: Iraq (+/-17), Syria (+/-64), Yemen (+/-28), Somalia (+/-28) and Other Northern Africa (+/-17).

Here’s how that stacks up with 2010 ACS data: about 391 from Iran (+/-211), 37 from Iraq (+/-39), 8 from Syria (+/-12), 0 from Yemen (+/-123), 0 from Sudan (+/-123), 132 from Other Eastern Africa which would include Somalia (+/-89) and 27 from Other Northern Africa which would include Libya (+/-44).

If we assume the margin of error is nonexistent, it appears the Iranian population here is the largest of the seven banned nationalities and it has slighly increased, and the number of Iraqis in this county has nearly doubled.

How does that stack up against the foreign-born population here? ACS data from 2015 shows that about 44,711 people in this county are foreign-born, or about 10 percent of the total estimated population of 444,506. Of those, an estimated 21,735 or 48.6 percent are not U.S. citizens.

Interestingly, it appears in Clark County at least that more foreign-born residents are becoming naturalized citizens. ACS data in 2010 shows that about 10 percent of the population was foreign-born but about 23,130 foreign-born people in Clark County or about 55 percent were not U.S. citizens while about 18,830 or 45 percent were naturalized citizens.

Go back farther to 2000 and census data shows about an estimated 29,357 of the county’s 345,238 residents or 8.5 percent were foreign-born. Of those, about 10,146 or 34.6 percent were naturalized citizens while 19,211 or 65.4 percent were not citizens.

In 2015, the bulk of the foreign-born naturalized citizens came from Asia (10,340 or 45 percent) and Europe (8,016 or 34.8 percent). Of those who were not citizens, an estimated 9,066 or 41.7 percent came from Latin America, 6,136 or 28.2 percent from Europe and 4,510 or 20.7 percent from Asia.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

How many in Clark County come from countries on Trump’s list?
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The snow storm that hit Tuesday evening was the largest we’ve had in several years.   It left a foot of snow on the ground in the Ridgefield area, closed schools and public offices, and with the continued cold will likely last until midweek next week.

The photo above is of a robin eating fruits from a tree on Pioneer Street.  These fruits have been available for several months and are only now being eaten.  It suggests that they are only being eaten because the birds have little choice.

It’s the same thing with berries on holly trees.  During prolonged periods of cold with snow on the ground some holly bushes in Ridgefield have been stripped of their berries.  The fruits may not have the nutritional value that more available foods may have.

Fruits remaining on trees can ferment after the first frost and become toxic.   Deep snow means a challenge to wildlife that cannot forage for food on the ground.  Robins eat fruit but also worms, insects, and spiders. Robins don’t feed from bird feeders but will take food scattered on the ground.   The Audubon society recommends putting out foods such as chopped apples, grapes, and raisins.  They will take meal worms that can be purchased in pet stores as well.

Since the deep snow and cold are going to last for a time, it makes sense to help wildlife by putting out food for them.  Scott and Kathy Hughes have food for birds and squirrels at the hardware store and Petco has mealworms.  Robins and other birds need a water source to drink and bathe so if it’s not too cold a birdbath can provide water.  An upside down garbage can lid filled with water works as temporary birdbath.

73722a-refreshed-healthy-living-path-for-2017 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/a-refreshed-healthy-living-path-for-2017/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/01/happynewyearveggies-350x189-300x162.jpg
A Refreshed Healthy Living Path for 2017

Happy 2017 – celebrating with vegetables and fruits for a refreshed new year

FROM THE KITCHEN OF SATED SENSITIVE DENISE HAYS

With the first few days of 2017 under our belts and the unusual weather pattern of more snow and ice…It’s that time of year when we typically go inward to assess last years performance – and chart a refreshed healthy living path for the new year.

Looking back over last year, using the measures of very good, good, and fair – what grade would you give yourself for achieving your health goals in 2016? Using the table below select the most relevant grade. Be honest with yourself. Whatever report card you give yourself try to do it from a loving place without judgment. It’s just a starting point to explore what behaviors worked and what didn’t work for you last year.

Very Good Most of the time I consume healthy foods & exercise frequently
Good Often I consume healthy foods and sometimes I exercise
Fair Some of the time I consume healthy foods and I exercise when it suits me

Whether you gave yourself very good, good or fair rating – guess what? 2017 you can refine or make changes with a refreshed healthy living path going forward. YOU GOT THIS!

Check back here at the beginning of each month, I will recommend a practical step for you to consider implementing in your life for a healthier you. Follow these steps each month and by the end of 2017 you’ll be well on your way to a healthier you.

First Steps to a healthy January:  Bump up your daily water intake to six to eight 8 oz of water per day. Yup that’s 48 to 64 oz of water a day.

Frequently asked questions:

1)    May I include coffee and tea? Absolutely!  Caffeinated beverage are made primarily of water so it’s okay to include these in your daily requirement however try to limit to 2 glasses a day of your overall daily water intake. Plus 4+ cups of coffee per day is not really a good thing – can make you very jittery and anxious.

2)    I’m not a fan of straight water - may I include lemon? Sure!  Water and lemon is a great refreshing combo. Another way to add flavoring is to stop on in to BG Apothecary (located at 314 NE 1st Ave, Battle Ground, WA) for a special tincture. I personally use one – I add a dropper full of a special mix of sweet fennel and peppermint – it boosts the flavor of water and it helps reduce gas.

3)    Do I need to start drinking 64 oz right away? No – just add one additional 8 oz glass of water a day per week until you get to 6 – 8 cups a day.

Why do we need to pay attention to hydration? Water is an essential component to lubricating our joints, keeping our skin supple, helping to eliminate waste and helping to reduce caloric intake while increasing our fullness after a meal. If we are dehydrated we have less blood in our bodies, forcing the heart to pump harder to deliver oxygen cells to our muscles. Increased water intake reduces dizziness, clumsiness, irritability and headaches too. So drink up!

As we walk our refreshed path to healthy together – I’m starting to hum a familiar Lesley Gore “It’s my party” song… only with new words. It’s my healthy party… I can try if I want to… try if I want to …. Try if I want to!

Need an in person pick me up – no problem – I am onsite most Thursdays starting at 1 PM at BG Apothecary located at 314 NE 1st Ave, Battle Ground, WA for a visit.  I would be happy to chat with you about your 2017 healthier you goals and any holistic healing, nutrition, fitness or wellness topics of your choice.

Check out BG Apothecary at www.bgapothecary.com

Be well!  Hope to see you soon!

Denise Hays

www.satedsensitive.com

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

A Refreshed Healthy Living Path for 2017
99749gluck-making-the-most-of-the-much-maligned-melano-9 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/gluck-making-the-most-of-the-much-maligned-melano-9/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Isolated-Lucas-Melano-1024x858-548x460.jpg

For most, the hot topic/question for the Timbers is… What to do about Luca?  

For me, it’s certainly a short-term concern, but I’d submit there’s a longer term question that still needs to be answered that far outweighs what to do about Luca.

To explain, if you will.

The Timbers have seen the trees through the weeds and first asked themselves this offseason:  Was the poor performance – for the whole team – a cause or effect of something more pear-shaped?

Gluck – Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano

Gluck – Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano

In summary, give or take, the Timbers have had roughly 90 player acquisitions with just ten showing great consistency of purpose and what I’d offer is a willingness to bleed Timber-Green.

Statistically speaking, that’s just over 10% success in seeing previous player scouting and recruitment activities over the last four years.

Meaning, for me, the most pressing question is:  Have the Timbers made a good decision by hiring Ned Grabavoy as the Director of Scouting and Recruitment?

That offered…  Back to square one:  Making the most of the much maligned Melano and looking to answer the question – should the Timbers retain the services of Lucas Melano?

Team results – the bottom line on how success or failure is measured:

Individual statistical assessment – a supporting tool, when weighted properly, in player scouting and recruitment:

Individual Observation – a critical assessment tool in player scouting and recruitment:

Porter indicated the club is in the market for wingers that “help us execute our style of play. We want to press and if the wingers don’t press then it doesn’t work.” In the same interview with Paul Tenorio, Porter indicates the club is still evaluating whether F Lucas Melano is a long-term fit.

Gluck – Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano

Hmmm…

So what’s the skinny on how Lucas Melano will “help us execute our style of play…”?

Lucas Melano needs to improve his first touch.  Porter likes to see his team move the ball quickly, especially during a counter-attack.  And if precision in ball movement is needed so to is a great first touch.  Until he improves his first touch I don’t see Melano helping his team execute Porter’s style of play.

Furthermore, Lucas needs to up his mentality on the pitch.  The idea that someone can be observed, and labeled, as a ball-watcher (who appears disengaged) usually means that player doesn’t have the right mentality to succeed.  When looking at that first list of players I offered earlier – all of them have a great mentality… in the words of a friend of mine – they look to bleed for the organization; Lucas doesn’t.

So what about a tactical shift to try and use Lucas a different way on the pitch?  Perhaps move him up above Diego Valeri – a false 10 if you will?

A shift in tactical team alignment might work but is the juice worth the squeeze?

Tactically the Timbers could shift and play a more narrow formation – say a Diamond 4-4-2.  They certainly have the players for a formation like that.  There’d be Adi up top – with Lucas playing off Adi.

At the head of the diamond you’d have Diego Valeri while David Guzman would play the base of the diamond.  To the left – playing narrow – would be Darlington Nagbe, and to the right, also playing narrow, would be Diego Chara.

With a formation like this your width comes from the fullbacks while Melano’s main tactics would include running lateral to the back-four, dropping deeper into the midfield as a connector, while purposefully trying to make and create space for himself and others across the width of the pitch.

The challenge here, however, remains the same.  To play a false 10 a player needs to have a great first touch – and – they also need to be 100% engaged (both on and off the ball) in order to maximize team opportunities.

If Lucas Melano isn’t in a position to improve his first touch, nor does he show a capacity for a stronger mentality on the pitch, then all Porter has done is shifted his problem from the wings to the middle.

Is the writing already on the wall?

In an article on Dec. 27, Goal.com’s Ives Galarcep reported that the Timbers are in the market for a Designated Player winger to replace Lucas Melano, who is drawing the interest of clubs in his native Argentina.

One source tells Goal USA that the Timbers are in the process of trying to sign a designated player to play as a wing midfielder, an addition that would help offset the expected departure of Argentine midfielder Lucas Melano, who the Timbers are preparing to unload after a disappointing two seasons in Portland. Multiple Argentinean clubs in the market for Melano’s services.

In that same article, news was offered that Rodney Wallace may be returning to the Timbers.  Here’s a direct quote on that topic as well:

Another player who could make his way to the Timbers is former longtime Portland midfielder Rodney Wallace. A key figure on the Timbers’ MLS Cup-winning team in 2015, Wallace is currently playing for Brazilian side Sport Club do Recife. The Costa Rican international told Goal USA last month that he would be open to a return to the Timbers, though he remains under contract in Brazil and would have to resolve that in order to pave the way for a return to the Timbers.

In conclusion:

The Portland Timbers need players and a system to compliment Diego Valeri, not Lucas Melano.

Gluck – Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano

And while the speed Lucas offers, adds value, I’d submit there’s too many to-do’s for Lucas to continue playing in Portland.  The bigger question, however, still remains.  Can the Portland Timbers improve their overall player scouting and recruitment enough to where they don’t find themselves in a position like this next year?

What are your thoughts?

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT – All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Gluck – Making the Most of the Much Maligned Melano
73616a-look-at-our-most-popular-facebook-posts https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/a-look-at-our-most-popular-facebook-posts/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Screen-Shot-2017-01-04-at-3.05.59-PM-450x460.png

Every year the media trots out Top 10 and Best of lists as the year draws to a close and we are not stranger to this trend. Earlier this week, we provided a list of the top 10 local stories of 2016 selected by the newsroom and by the readers, as well as the 10 stories on columbian.com with the most pageviews and a list of our favorite photos chosen by the photo staff.

But just in case that’s not enough for you, I thought I’d dig back through our Facebook data to pull out a list of our 10 most popular Facebook posts, so here goes:

1) A family returns Hunter, an adopted dog, to the Humane Society so the animal can go home to his owner, firefighter William Jones. This story went viral, gaining coverage as far away as Europe. It  was also the second most viewed story on columbian.com with 79,270 pageviews. According to Facebook, the total reach of this story exceeded that of any story we’ve ever shared on social media with about 523,313 people reportedly seeing this post in their feeds. (Below we’ll simply add the total reach to the end of each item.)

2) Mathew Rios administers CPR and saves a woman’s life at Costco: 131,599.

3) Evergreen Public Schools announces it’s changing the start time for high schoolers next year: 118,138.

4) PeaceHealth uses music in neonatal care to help infants with feeding and pain management: 95,945.

5) Live video the morning of Bernie Sanders’ visit to Vancouver: 95,491.

6) The Ilani casino plans to hold a job fair and hire up to 1,000 people: 88,805.

7) Value Village will close its doors in November: 86,297.

8) Vancouver get its own Hopworks: 82,598.

9) We publish our annual map showing where to see homes lit up with holiday lights: 80,369.

10) The body of a naked man is found early one morning inside a Chinese restaurant: 74,391. (This story was the 4th most viewed story on columbian.com with 42,074 pageviews.)

 

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

A look at our most popular Facebook posts
72674gluck-predicting-team-standings-in-professional-soccer https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/gluck-predicting-team-standings-in-professional-soccer/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/12/PWP-LOGO-PREDICTABILITY-600x458.jpg

CAN IT BE DONE?

Over the last four years I’ve conducted research on various professional soccer leagues and competitions.  To include Major League Soccer, the English, German, and Spanish Premier Leagues, as well as the UEFA Champions League and the Men’s World Cup of 2014.

Here’s my latest analyses on how the Possession with Purpose Index can be used to predict which teams will make the playoffs, qualify for the UEFA Champions League, or make the semi-finals of the World Cup..

Before beginning here’s a rerun on a few important items of interest about Possession with Purpose:

Intent:  Develop a simplified, strategic set of performance indicators to better understand the outcome of a game based upon primary inputs.

End State:

Key events to date:

Major League Soccer 2013 – The Maiden Year for PWP:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

English Premier League 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Germany Premier League 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Spanish Premier League 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

UEFA Champions League 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Men’s World Cup 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Side note about the Men’s World Cup:

Major League Soccer 2014:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Major League Soccer 2015:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Major League Soccer 2016:

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer

Closing Thoughts:

Best, Chris

You can follow me on twitter @Chrisgluckpwp.

COPYRIGHT – All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Gluck – Predicting Team Standings in Professional Soccer
101094chili-and-cornbread-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/chili-and-cornbread-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0362-1024x682-600x399.jpg

Chili and “Cornbread”

My Grandmother is from the south and has always made a mean cornbread. The best thing ever is to crumble it up in a big bowl of chili, so tasty. These days I try to avoid regular chili, the beans aren’t paleo and regular cornbread is full of non-paleo ingredients. I modified some different versions of paleo chili I found and came up with a version I really liked. The beans have been replaced with veggies and I think you could really get creative with the vegetables you use here. I thought carrots were a bit odd in chili but it turns out they worked!

Chili and “Cornbread”

The best thing however is the “cornbread” recipe I found. Yes I used quotations because there’s not a bit of corn in this bread, but for me it hit the spot. The key is almond flour which has a similar course texture to cornmeal. The original recipe (found here) used more honey than I can handle so I scaled back on it and added a little sweetener. If you have no problems with the added sugar, just use the 1/3 cup of raw honey originally called for.

Chili and “Cornbread”

I think this is a great comfort food meal for a chilly (ha ha get it?) fall day. Hope you enjoy!

Paleo Chili

Ingredients

½ lb. ground beef

16 oz. beef broth

1 small onion diced

1 zucchini diced

1 cup diced carrots

1 tsp minced garlic

1 can Rotel (diced tomatoes and green chili)

3 Tbsp. tomato paste

1- 2 Tbsp. chili powder (add more for a spicier chili)

1 tsp cumin

1 – 2 Tbsp. avocado or coconut oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

In a medium sized pot cook onions in oil over medium high heat until tender. Add beef and cook until browned. At this point you can drain some of the fat (confession I didn’t, don’t judge me, fat is flavor). Add beef broth, carrots and onions. Bring to a boil then turn to low and simmer until veggies are tender. Mix in the rest of the ingredients and stir well, leaving it to simmer for another 20 – 30 mins.

Paleo “cornbread”

Ingredients

1 ½ cups almond flour

½ tsp baking soda

½ tsp salt

½ Tbsp artificial sweetener

1 Tbsp honey

4 eggs

Directions

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Mix well, add to a greased 8×8 pan or a small round pan. Bake at 350° for 25 mins or until a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Should be a little golden brown on the top.

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Chili and “Cornbread”
101100avocado-egg-salad-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/avocado-egg-salad-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0340-1024x682-600x399.jpg

Avocado Egg Salad

I thought I’d bring you the thing I’ve been eating the most lately and enjoying so much! Thinking back on those church pot-luck days as a kid had me remembering how someone always brought an assortment of little sandwiches cut into triangles. My favorites were the cream cheese and pineapple, tuna salad, and of course egg salad. Fast forward to today, I don’t eat the traditional sandwich that much anymore but I wanted something reminiscent of those yummy little guys, so this version of egg salad was born.

I had some hard boiled eggs on hand but I try to avoid mayo these days, at least the store bought kind. There are Paleo mayo’s out there but I have yet to try them. Maybe I’ll throw together a homemade version of that for another day. Any-who I was thinking how the creaminess from an avocado would be a pretty good mayo substitute and it was de-lish! I added a few more ingredients to give it that egg salad-y flavor I remember and it was perfect and satisfying. This also couldn’t be easier and takes minutes to whip up if you’ve already got your eggs boiled. You might like this neat way to “hard-boil” eggs in the oven too.

I ate my creation in lettuce cups but I have also eaten it right out of the bowl. Hope it takes you back as well and I hope you enjoy!

Avocado Egg Salad

Avocado Egg Salad

Ingredients:

1 medium ripe avocado

2 hard boiled eggs

1-2 tsp yellow mustard

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

Dice eggs and avocado then mash together in a bowl with a fork. Add salt, pepper and mustard. Mix well and enjoy!

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Avocado Egg Salad
72053how-clark-county-voted-for-president https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/how-clark-county-voted-for-president/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/11/prez-map-2016-382x460.png

Clark County’s Elections Office is still counting ballots but the vast majority have been tallied, so far giving Democrat Hillary Clinton a slight edge over Republican President-elect Donald Trump, 46.1% to 44.3% as of Wednesday night.

Below you can see maps showing how the county’s precincts voted and how each of the state’s 39 counties voted (with data from the Washington State Secretary of State’s office), and you can see Clark County and the state mirror the rest of the country with pockets of urban blues surrounded by suburban pinks and rural reds.

In the county, Vancouver, Camas, Ridgefield and Woodland are strong or leaning Democrat, while the rest of the county leans or is staunchly Republican. It’s easy to see how the state’s 49th Legislative District keeps electing Democrats while the 17th and 18th elect Republicans.

At the state level, you can see strong support for Trump in more rural counties such as Lincoln County near Spokane where 72% voted for the Republican billionaire. That support flips to Clinton, of course, in the more densely populated urban counties along the Puget Sound, especially King County where 73.6% voted for the former Secretary of State and U.S. Senator.

For more election results, visit our Election 2016 page. We will be updating the local results as more information becomes available.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

How Clark County voted for president
82549can-a-democrat-win-the-3rd-district-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/can-a-democrat-win-the-3rd-district-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/3rddistrict-537x460.jpg

In recent years, Republican U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler hasn’t had too much trouble dispatching her opponents to keep her seat in the 3rd Congressional District, but this year she faces state Rep. Jim Moeller, a Democrat who’s built up some name recognition serving the 49th Legislative District.

Can a Democrat win the 3rd District?

Congresswoman Jaime Herrera Beutler and Democratic challenger state Rep. Jim Moeller of the 49th District squared off in a debate at the Oak Tree Restaurant in Woodland Tuesday afternoon. State Rep. Jim Moeller, D-Vancouver, left, and U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas, square off Tuesday afternoon during a debate in Woodland. Moeller is challenging Herrera Beutler for her 3rd Congressional District seat. (Roger Werth/The Daily News)

That name recognition is something her previous two challengers lacked, but does Moeller have a chance of winning on Tuesday?

“Not a bit,” says Mike Gaston, the former executive director of the local GOP.

When redistricting occurred in 2010, Gaston points out that the political landscape changed dramatically in the 3rd District as the heavily-Democratic portion of Thurston County was removed from the district while adding predominantly Republican Klickitat County.

Dan Ogden, a longtime local resident who has served as chairman of the Clark County Democratic Party, agreed that the Democratic base took a hit after redistricting.

“I think Jaime is going to win,” Ogden said. Former 3rd District Representative and Democrat “Brian Baird used to carry it, but he still had Olympia in the 3rd District those days.”

The effects of redistricting can be seen in the election results the past three Congressional elections. In the 2010 election, Democrat Denny Heck took over for Baird and squared off against Herrera Beutler, receiving 35,677 votes from Thurston County compared to 25,878 for Herrera Beutler but that wasn’t enough to offset Herrera Beutler’s 15,000-vote margin in Clark County and another 10,000 in heavily Republican Lewis County.

Those margins grew even larger in Clark and Lewis counties in 2012 and 2014 but was that because the Democratic candidates didn’t have the name recognition of someone like Heck, or was it a further shifting of the electorate to the right? One thing is certain: voter turnout didn’t seem to help because Democrat Jon Haugen had a much larger turnout in 2012, a presidential election year, but received 40.6% of the county’s vote. In 2014, Democrat Bob Dingenthal also received 40.6% of the county’s vote.

On top of redistricting, the 3rd District’s most populated county has shifted. Jim Moore, a political science professor from Pacific University, says Clark County’s demographics began shifting in the 1980s and ’90s making it more of a Republican-leaning county. That shift culiminated in 1994 with the election of former U.S. Congresswoman Linda Smith to the 3rd District over Democrat Jolene Unsoeld.

That shift has left a Democratic stronghold, the state’s 49th Legislative District that Moeller serves, surrounded by the largely Republican-leaning 17th and heavily Republican 18th districts. To take the 3rd District, Moeller will need to pull votes from those outlying districts or neighboring counties.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Can a Democrat win the 3rd District?
101105coconut-curry-chicken-and-vegetable-soup-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/coconut-curry-chicken-and-vegetable-soup-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0215-1024x682-600x399.jpg

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Doesn’t that title just say it all? Yum in a bowl happened at my house tonight. I knew it would be a soup making week when it started out with a sick hubby and then kid. It quickly moved on to a sick me and since this soup is one of my favorite “under the weather” go-to’s, I knew I had to make it.

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup

This soup was brought to you my by new favorite little kitchen helper…The Instant Pot! This amazing pressure cooker / slow cooker combo is sweeping the food world. Mine is on permanent loan from my mother-in-law. We share joint custody, she gets it every other weekend or when she wants to make rice. So glad she encouraged me to try it out and gives me free use of hers! The Instant Pot makes all sorts of dishes and in a lot less time than a traditional slow cooker. I’ll now end my commercial and get to the soup.

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup

You can really do whatever you want with this soup. I even made it with frozen chicken breasts which I cooked in 10 mins in the Instant Pot. You can throw in whatever vegetables suit your fancy and spice it up or down. Mine has a healthy squirt of Sriracha (Rooster Sauce) but you can leave it out and add some to just the bowl of the spice lovers in your house after the fact. You can also add a store bought curry sauce to this but if you want to be careful about the ingredients you can just stick to adding curry powder like I did.

It was also not thick enough for me so I used an immersion blender for an easy thickener. If you’re using full-fat coconut milk that will help too. I used a few cups of a coconut milk drink because the full-fat coconut milk upsets my tummy, unfortunately.

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup

No matter the version you make, this is sure to be a winner and chase away any crud lingering in your sinuses (you’re welcome for that mental picture). Happy souping!

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup

Ingredients

2 – 32 oz cartons chicken broth

3 frozen chicken breasts or 6 tenderloins

2 cups coconut milk (I used a coconut milk drink from a carton, can also use 1 can full-fat coconut milk)

1-2 broccoli crowns chopped

½ head cauliflower chopped

2 cups of carrots chopped

1 lb green beans trimmed and chopped into about 1” pcs

1-2 cups sliced mushrooms (I used mini-portobellos)

1 large zucchini chopped

3-4 stalks green onions chopped

2 Tbsp ginger paste (you can find it in the produce section of the grocery store)

1/2 Tbsp curry powder

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp chopped garlic

2 Tbsp Sriracha sauce

Salt to taste

Directions

Add chicken breasts to Instant Pot, pour chicken broth over just to cover and sprinkle the garlic powder over the top. Put lid on pot and making sure the valve is not on vent, set to “manual” for 10 mins. If not using an Instant Pot, you can cook covered on the stove top at medium high heat for about 20 mins or until the chicken is cooked. If using Instant Pot, quick vent once time is up. Remove chicken, shred and add back to pot. Add veggies on top and then the rest of the broth. Add curry powder, ginger, chopped garlic and salt to taste. Mix well, add unvented lid back and cook again on “manual” for another 20 mins. If using stove top cook cover for 45 mins to an hour until veggies are tender. If using Instant Pot, quick vent once time is up. At this time you can add your coconut milk, Sriracha and green onions. This is the point also at which I used my immersion blender to thicken. Some Paleo friendly thickeners include arrowroot powder or tapioca starch. I would Google the best way to use these thickeners if you’re so inclined before just dumping them in. At this point you can spice it up more and even garnish with more green onions. Enjoy!

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Coconut Curry Chicken and Vegetable Soup
82553most-counties-see-growth-in-median-income-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/most-counties-see-growth-in-median-income-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2016-09-20-at-2.47.24-PM-381x460.png

Median household income rose in Clark County last year as it did in many counties across the country, something reporter Patty Hastings wrote about last week on columbian.com. Here in this county, the median household income rose by about 4.1% from 2014 to 2015 and 26.4% from 2005 to 2015. As regional economist Scott Bailey noted in the story, though, some of the gain has been offset by the rising cost of living.

Also, while much of the country seems to be enjoying the perks of an improved economy, there were some counties that did see a decline. Below you can use the interactive map to see which counties saw median household income grow or decline over the past year and the past 10 years. You won’t see every county shown because the ACS only applies to counties with more than 60,000 people.

In the Pacific Northwest, Spokane and Clallam counties saw the biggest drops over the past year, declining by 3.4% and 3.3% respectively. On the flipside, the counties with the largest increases were Cowlitz and Chelan counties at 18.3% and 13.4%.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Most counties see growth in median income
101112paleo-pumpkin-bread-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/paleo-pumpkin-bread-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/IMG_0196-1024x682-600x399.jpg

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

It’s that time of year again! Pumpkin spice everything! While I’ve seen some of you poke fun at how this time of year suddenly turns everything into a pumpkin spice-o-rama, I happen to love fall and all it’s pumpkin-spiciness. Also nothing screams fall more than a good old pumpkin bread recipe.

Today I bring to you a yummy paleo-fied pumpkin bread that smelled sooo good coming out of the oven. It contains 5 different spices!

This was also a good excuse to start pulling out the fall decorations (yummy candles here I come).

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Brought to you from the blog The Barefoot Kitchen, this recipe is gluten-free, using almond flour as the base. I also cut down the amount of honey and added some sugar-substitute as I’m always striving to keep my blood-sugar even.

The original blog warns you that the spice mix is strong and you can cut it down to suit your taste. Call me a Spice Girl (go Ginger Spice!) because I loved the mix, but I can see how it would be too strong for some. This also came out a little flat for me (keeping it real here), so I think next time I’d make it in 2 mini loaf pans.

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Hope this makes for a perfect fall kick off! Now if only Starbucks would offer a sugar-free, dairy-free pumpkin spice latte I’d be all set!

Paleo Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients

Dry ingredients

- 1 C. almond flour

-1/2 tsp baking soda

-1/4 tsp salt

-2 Tbsp ground cinnamon

-2 tsp ground nutmeg

-1 tsp ground cloves

-1 tsp ground ginger

-1 tsp ground allspice

Wet ingredients

-3 eggs

-2-3 Tbsp honey (1 used 1 Tbsp and 2 of a sugar substitute)

-½ C. pumpkin puree

-1 Tbsp vanilla extract

Directions

Mix together the dry ingredients then in a separate bowl, mix together the wet ingredients. Add the dry to the wet until well incorporated. Add to a greased loaf pan or 2 mini greased loaf pans. Bake at 350° for 40-45 mins. Enjoy!

 

 

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Paleo Pumpkin Bread
82556what-we-do-for-work-in-clark-county-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/what-we-do-for-work-in-clark-county-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2016-09-09-at-1.58.54-PM.png

They say we don’t talk to our neighbors any more but let’s pretend we do, and we know what they do for a living. But do you ever wonder whether what all of those other people in your neighborhood do? Well, we’ve got a couple of maps that might help.

Below you can see two maps that let you drill down and see the percentage of people working different types of jobs by census tract.

The first map provides a look at the bigger sectors: management, natural resources, production, sales and office and service jobs. You can see pockets where the percentage of people in some areas is higher and some lower, i.e., there appears to be more people in management living in east Vancouver and in Camas while the natural resources jobs appear to be, well, up north and to the east where you find more resources. A larger percentage of the service sector appears to live in central Vancouver and near the mall.

The second map drills down further, offering a look at some subsectors such as agriculture, arts and entertainment, construction, education, finance, retail, transportation, wholesale and more.

Obviously, census tracts are pretty big, or can be big and can contain more than one neighborhood, so this doesn’t exactly tell you what everyone in your neighborhood does for a living. But it’s about as close as we can get and still retain some sense of accuracy, though the Census Bureau cautions that even at the tract level all of this data is generated from sampling and has a margin of error. In other words, take it all with a grain of salt.

Still, even though Labor Day came and went on Monday, these maps offer a glimpse into what we do for work in Clark County. See any surprises?

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

What we do for work in Clark County
95842chocolate-banana-brownie-bites-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/chocolate-banana-brownie-bites-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/100_7187-1024x769-600x450.jpg

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites

Mmmmm chocolate. I bet you didn’t know you could have something this yummy and still consider it healthy huh? I recently discovered these little gems over at one of my Paleo heroes blog The Paleo Parents. These mini brownie bites really satisfy the need for a treat when everyone else is having something yummy and you’re feeling left out.

If you’re also wondering why you see so many of my posts featuring banana, I have to say they are one versatile fruit. I know they can be a bit on the starchy side and some people avoid them because of this however, since I avoid so many other starches, bananas are A-OK in my book. For more Paleo banana recipes see here and here.

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites

I keep these in the fridge after a day, and eat them cold or warmed up a bit in the microwave, either way they are delicious. I tweaked this a bit from the original and made it very low sugar by using a sugar substitute, but you can replace that with maple syrup if you don’t mind the extra sugar. This originally called for paleo-friendly chocolate chips but I left them out as they are a bit pricey. I think nuts would be another great add in as well.

I bought a mini muffin tin specifically for this recipe and I love it so much. If you don’t have one what are you waiting for? Go get one…now… I’ll wait.

That’s better. Here’s the recipe, enjoy!

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites

Ingredients

2 mashed bananas

5 eggs

¾ cup coconut oil melted

1 cup almond flour

½ cup cocoa powder

½ granulated sugar substitute or ½ cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp. vanilla

Directions

Pre-heat oven to 350°. Mash bananas with a fork until smooth (or use an electric mixer). Mix in eggs, coconut oil, vanilla and sweetener (or maple syrup if using) until well blended. In a separate bowl combine almond flour and cocoa powder then add to wet ingredients and mix until just combined. Using a small ice cream scoop divide mix into a 24 cup mini muffin tin (or two 12 cup tins). I have found that with all the coconut oil they probably don’t need to be greased but I do it anyway. Bake for 10 mins. Yum yum!

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Chocolate Banana Brownie Bites
96709im-back-sorta-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/im-back-sorta-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/Carol-600x455.jpg

Howdy Clark County Fair Fans!!

I trust you all have been joining me in the annual countdown to the BEST FAIR ON THE PLANET!! We’re down to mere hours now for Friday’s opening and the free pancake breakfast sponsored by Fred Meyer.  WHOO HOO!

(Get your tickets ASAP at the Customer Service desk of any county Fred Meyer if you want free flapjacks AND free entry to the Fair on Friday morning!)

If you’ve followed along here the past few years, you know that I’ve had an absolute blast-and-a-half sharing the Fair with you.  The animals, the events in the Grandstands, the Clark County Equestrian Fair Court, the 4-H exhibits, the milkshakes and homemade pie.  All of the stuff that makes the Clark County Fair ours.

So I am sad to say that for various reasons, including recovering from a recent ACL surgery (beware of stepping on large sticks, people.  Trust me on this.), I am unfortunately going to bow out of blogging for the Columbian this year.

I can’t tell you how grateful I am for the opportunity the newspaper has given me the past several years to bring my version of The Fair to you.  They graciously let me run with it and run I did.  A sincere and heartfelt thank you to them… and to you for joining me.

I will still be attending The Fair this year but probably going it at a little more slowly.  I’ll be playing around with a new Instagram account so feel free to follow me at “its_the_fair”  It won’t be nearly as detailed or as frequent an account as all things Fair as you’ve found here, but it will give me something to do as I give my knee a rest.

Thank you all again for coming along for the Fair Ride these past few years!  Hope to see you around the Fairgrounds!

I’m back!  Sorta.

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

I’m back!  Sorta.
95847cauliflower-fried-rice-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/cauliflower-fried-rice-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/100_7177-1024x769-600x450.jpg

Cauliflower Fried Rice

I’ve been meaning to bring this one to you for a while. Rice is one of those carb-filled items that I most miss, so finding this alternative made me want to do the dance of joy. I also have to confess that I cooked this yesterday and the whole batch is already gone (no judging).

This recipe has now been made easier by my friends over at Trader Joes. I promise they’re not paying me to write this, but I was so excited to see they sell already “riced”  cauliflower in the fresh and frozen section. The biggest thing that kept me from making this more often was the time it took and the mess it made chopping cauliflower in the food processor.

Cauliflower Fried Rice

With several steps eliminated, I was eager to finally bring you this recipe. Cauliflower rice can be used in many dishes, I’ve used it before in a paleo-friendly gumbo and it was perfect. My next plan is to work on a version of Spanish rice, my most favorite rice dish.

For now enjoy this by itself, with a stir-fry or whatever else you can think of. I made a “rice” bowl and added this Kalua pork recipe I made a few days ago and my favorite roast candy broccoli dish. It was serious yum time.

The other great thing is you can make this how you like, leave out the veggies or egg, add more veggies, or you could even add chicken or shrimp for a one pot meal. Yum with a capital Y!

Hope you put your own spin on this and tell me how it turned out!

Cauliflower Fried Rice

Ingredients

1 bag frozen riced cauliflower or 1 small to medium head of cauliflower chopped into florets and run through a food processor until it resembles grains of rice

1 cup of frozen peas and carrots (add any other veggies you’d like)

2-3 Tbsp avocado oil (sesame would also kick up the asian-y flavor)

4 Tbsp soy sauce

1-2 Tbsp coconut aminos (optional, this is a paleo alternative to soy sauce, can use alone if you want to skip the soy all together)

3 eggs (more or less to your liking)

Directions

Heat the oil in a pan on medium heat and add the cauliflower. Cook until tender, about 5 minutes (may take a bit longer if using frozen). Add frozen peas and carrots, I used a little water in the pan to help steam them and then let it cook off. Add soy sauce and coconut aminos and stir well (add more or less to taste). Beat eggs in a small bowl, move “rice” to one side of the pan, add eggs and scramble, then incorporate them back into the rice mix once cooked. Enjoy!

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Cauliflower Fried Rice
95853pizza-muffins-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/pizza-muffins-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/100_7138-1024x769-600x450.jpg

Pizza “Muffins”

Mmmm pizza (insert voice of Homer Simpson here). If you’re eating Paleo, or practicing any kind of fairly healthy lifestyle, pizza is usually off the menu. I know there are a lot of alternative pizza crusts out there but in the words of Marvin Gaye: “Ain’t nothing like the real thing”. So sometimes you have the real thing as a treat and other times you make something like these ah-mazing pizza egg muffins.

Pizza “Muffins”

Originally found over at my latest Paleo blog crush The Paleo Parents (check ‘em out!) these are pretty simple to make and truly tasty. The proof is in the fact that I’ve already inhaled 3 while I’ve been typing. I think I even fooled my brain to think I was eating cheese somewhere in there. Also a yummy addition if you eat dairy and are just low-carbin’ it.

Pizza “Muffins”

I also love that you can add whatever toppings you’d like. Next time I will use those mushrooms before I forget they’re at the back of the fridge and let them go bad (true story). I think I’ll also add sausage.

Try them out today and let me know what you think and what toppings you used.

P.S. Both kids liked it (Mom win!).

Pizza “Muffins”

Ingredients:

1 small red onion, chopped

1-2 Tbsp. coconut oil or avocado oil (my 2 favorites)

2 Tbsp. tomato paste

1 can diced tomato (I recommend the petite diced)

1 cup chopped pepperoni (I actually used more)

10 eggs

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp salt

Dash of pepper

Add any other pizza-like spices you prefer

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325°. Over medium high heat, sauté onions in oil until soft. Add tomato paste and stir together. Drain canned tomatoes and add to mix along with chopped pepperoni. In a separate bowl beat together eggs and spices. Line a muffin tin with liners and fill each cup with about a tablespoon of the tomato mixture. Top with eggs mixture until about ¾ full. Bake for 25-30 mins. Great to heat up later in the week for a quick breakfast. Enjoy!

 

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Pizza “Muffins”
99768defense-first-timbers-to-ride-the-rapids-9 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/defense-first-timbers-to-ride-the-rapids-9/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Darlington-Nagbe-459x460.jpg

Portland Timbers travel to Colorado for the first time this year and the challenge for both teams is finding the right balance between attacking and defending.

In their last league home game the Timbers struggled in the first half – not unlike their US Open Cup match as well.

If not for an untimely hand-ball by David Horst and a really terrible PK call against the Dynamo goal keeper it’s likely the Timbers come away with a single point… to be sure they were fortunate as the two goals against in the first half were pretty much to standard given their entire defensive unit this year.

So when getting ready for Colorado it’s quite hard to figure who starts and who doesn’t.  

Does Taylor Peay start at right back?

He probably should given his higher passing accuracy and what appears to be better, heads-up, defensive positioning but in all likelihood Caleb Porter goes with Alvis Powell.

If you’re a Rapids supporter that’s probably a good thing – nearly 60% of all Dynamo attacking pressure came down Powell’s wing.  And when looking at this diagram below we see Colorado is balanced in penetration (touches) but weighs more towards the left side when taking (shots).

Defense First ?  Timbers to Ride the Rapids?

In my pre-match scouting report on Houston they weren’t balanced in penetration – nearly 40% of their penetration was down the right side – yet against Portland – Wade Barrett had his team push left… big time!  It’s likely Colorado will do the same.  MLS teams are pretty good at pressing the weak points an opponent has in defending as those players are more likely to make mistakes.

So if you’re a Timbers supporter hopefully the midfielders will add support for Powell.  I figure Diego Chara and Ben Zemanski in a double pivot as the first recourse should be for Portland to get at least one point.

In thinking about the left fullback.

I’m hopeful Zarek Valentin gets the call but Porter has gone with Jermaine Taylor before.  It was Taylor and Powell who paired up during that two-goal outburst by Houston last weekend…  And given the stingy defense of Colorado it’d be a nightmare for Portland to go a goal down in the first ten minutes.

However viewed the fullbacks do not man the wings alone – it’s likely both Chara and Zemanski start in a double pivot as Porter is going to want to give his team a chance to get at least one point.

And with the double pivot that doesn’t mean Darlington Nagbe, Diego Valeri, and Lucas Melano won’t have defensive responsibilities – they will and Melano cannot afford to ball-watch this game.

Here’s the same diagram offering up information on the Timbers attack:

Defense First ?  Timbers to Ride the Rapids?

Probably a tad more balanced in attacking touches than Colorado – but the same lean towards taking shots from the left sides appears for Portland as well.

Of note – while Portland has played somewhat more direct this year there average number of long passes (per game) is about 10-15 fewer than Colorado – from a tactical viewpoint that probably translates to slightly more MF play between Valeri, Nagbe, (Chara and Zemanski).

It doesn’t mean both teams won’t try to stretch the defensive back-four with long balls – but given Powell’s tendency to push higher up the pitch Nat Borchers might be really busy this game.

A key indicator on the attacking scheme will be to watch how deep and how quickly the fullbacks for Portland push forward – the less tendency to push forward the more likely Porter is thinking defense first.

So how do the fullbacks work in Colorado?  I asked Chris Brown, to share his thoughts with me on Friday:

Colorado’s fullbacks have been key in shutting down attacking threats, getting narrow when they need to crowd the box but also making smart decisions to step out when they have adequate cover from midfielders Michael Azira and Sam Cronin.

Marc Burch is the first choice left back for the Rapids and Mekeil Williams usually plays at right back. When the cover is there they step out and close down attackers, preventing crosses from coming into the box but also positioning themselves to try and limit the danger from the other teams fullbacks overlapping.

Colorado plays defense first, so the midfield is always there in support, clogging channels and disrupting the attack.

Time and time again Colorado’s opponents have been able to get to the top of the 18 yard box but met with Cronin and Azira, ahead of a narrow back four, have to slow down their attack and pass sideways. If given time to set the defense up in its proper shape, Colorado extremely difficult to break down.

In closing:
Colorado team defensive performance this year as been first class – they are second best across MLS in limiting quality attacking by their opponent.  On the other hand – Portland is the highest quality attacking team in MLS this year.  Below is a diagram intended to show three things:
  1. Dark red bar – Colorado opponent’s average percentages in six categories,
  2. Dark green bar – Portland’s average percentages in six categories, and
  3. What gaps exist between each of those six categories.

Defense First ?  Timbers to Ride the Rapids?

In other words:

CRFC opponents average possession percentage is 51% while PTFC, in attack, averages 49% possession.

CRFC opponents average 75% passing accuracy while PTFC average 78% passing accuracy.

CRFC opponents and PTFC penetration averages are the same.

CRFC opponents and PTFC shots taken per completed penetrating pass averages are near the same.

CRFC opponents are far less successful in converting shots taken to shots on goal – and shots on goal to goals scored.

It should be a classic battle of a potent attacking team against a potent defending team.

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT, All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Defense First ?  Timbers to Ride the Rapids?
82559three-ways-to-look-at-i-5-bridge-crashes-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/three-ways-to-look-at-i-5-bridge-crashes-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/bridge-chart-fea-img.png

What’s the worst day and time to cross the I-5 bridge?

Reporter Dameon Pesanti, who covers transportation for The Columbian, wanted to know so earlier this spring he set out to find the answer, obtaining data from the Washington and Oregon State Departments of Transportation. Both agencies provided us with five years worth of data from 2009 to 2014 (WSDOT even had 2015 but ODOT’s still processing last year’s data so we filtered that out).

The answer is 3 pm on a Friday, though Saturday is equally as bad. Overall, though, Friday is the worst day of the week for fender benders on the bridge with 157 to Saturday’s 145. You can see this information and much more, including a map of the 800-plus accidents, in our data visualization below.

But what about other days of the week? Is 3 pm the witching hour every day? And do these trends hold steady year after year or do things fluctuate from year to year? Tne answers: No and yes. On Tuesdays, the worst time of day is 4 pm, just as rush hour is really ramping up. On Wednesdays, it’s even later at 5 pm. But don’t just take our word for it, you can slice and dice the data yourself with the visualization above, or this one below.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Three ways to look at I-5 bridge crashes
95859bacon-guacamole-sliders-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/bacon-guacamole-sliders-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/100_7100-1024x769-600x450.jpg

Bacon Guacamole Sliders

After tooling around the Paleoverse today, I felt like making something for all the carnivores out there. However I have to admit something to said carnivores…I’m not a big bacon fan. I know, I know, it’s famous as a low carb staple, but I can usually take it or leave it. However, there is something about delicious, delicious pork that really makes for a yummy, satisfying dish and also helps me not miss the bun and cheese here at all. There is much debate whether bacon is truly Paleo due to the preservatives and nitrates. (More on cured meats here.) I chose an uncured, high quality bacon for this dish.

Bacon Guacamole Sliders

But don’t even get my started on avocado…avocado and I are BFF’s from way back.

Bacon Guacamole Sliders

And avocado shines nowhere better than in guacamole.

I also love the combo of ground beef and ground pork for the sliders. They are the perfect size and can be made easily into a lettuce wrap. I’m also planning on having some left over burgers with a fried egg on top. Talk about yum-tastic. Hope you enjoy!

Bacon Guacamole Sliders

Ingredients

Burgers

1 lb. ground beef

1lb. ground pork

8-10 slices of bacon, cooked and drained

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. dehydrated onion

1-2 tsp minced garlic

1 tsp onion powder

Salt and pepper to taste

Guacamole

2 large ripe avocados, flesh scooped out and diced

Juice from half a lemon

Dash or two of onion powder and salt

2 Tbsp. of your favorite salsa (or more!)

Directions

  Combine ground beef and pork with the eggs and spices. Shape into palm sized slider patties. (This amount made 12 for me). Grill until cooked through (recommended temp of 160°). For guacamole, mash avocado with a fork and stir in remaining ingredients. To assemble sliders serve on a bed of romaine lettuce or in lettuce wraps topped with the guacamole and bacon. Traditional burger fixings of tomato, onion and pickle, would also be delicious. Enjoy!

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Bacon Guacamole Sliders
101028its-been-real-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/its-been-real-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/blazer-banter-logo-1024x746-600x437.png

My time at The Columbian is coming to a close but I know we were always meant to be, even if our moment together was fleeting. Life is like that.

A Tom Vogt article from The Columbian about my family cheering on the Venezuelan basketball team in the 1992 Tournament of the Americas hung in my bedroom since I could remember. Vogt, one of the OG’s who was covering the Blazers at the time, wrote about my loud obnoxious family and when I came in for an interview, I told him I’d had his byline by me since I was a boy. A headline about “latin-flavored hoops,” became something of a mission statement in my own life and it led my to the start of my career. That the Venezuelan basketball team is going back to the Olympics this year for the first time since ’92 and that I am leaving at the same time makes me feel as though I closed the loop.

I will no longer be working and/or posting things here. The Columbian is eliminating its original Blazers coverage and the blog will exist but it will mostly be idle. I will no longer be using the legendary @BlazerBanter twitter handle.  It was a fun three seasons covering the team for the paper, which included the two most successful seasons since 2000.

I was told of my future last Wednesday and Friday, June 17, is my last day at The Columbian. I have the ominous distinction of being the last Blazers beat writer at The Columbian. It was an honor to follow in the footsteps great reporters like Candace Buckner, Matt Calkins, Brian Smith, Kenny Vance and Tom Vogt, just to name a few. When I first learned the news, I was blindsided and crushed. But as time has passed, I’m truly looking forward to what comes next. The warmth I’ve received from friends, colleagues and readers has truly made me realize how lucky I am.

This is my farewell to you all, at least in this space. I’ll keep firing off tweets (@Erik_Gundersen). The Bulls vs. Blazers NBA Podcast with my buddy Sean Highkin will live on. You should also leave us a 5-star review on iTunes. And I’m sure when I get the urge, I’ll write some Blazers/NBA thoughts somewhere.

This blog had very little on it when I came to the position and I’d like to thank my bosses, specifically Micah Rice, for giving me a shot and letting me make this blog whatever I wanted to make it. I had never filed on deadline and early on, it showed. I can’t thank our great sports staff enough for giving me room to grow.

There are lots of other good people that lost their jobs and I know that I only contributed a small drop in the bucket compared to the others who are leaving the paper. I’m just glad that I got to be a part of it.

I had no idea what I was doing at first. Then things like “The Scouting Report” were born, we blogged even the smallest piece of news and we even broke some too. Big news, even, all of which, I proudly stand by.

My hope was to bring a broader view of the league to this blog, to help people understand the Blazers in the context of the NBA ecosystem. I never wanted to be just some guy who only watched other teams when they played the Blazers. I’m not exactly sure if I did that, but I definitely tried.

I love the NBA, I always have (okay this is a lie, the Jail Blazers almost drove it out of me but Boris Diaw’s 05-06 season brought me back) and I always will. I carry a Drazen Petrovic rookie card in my car as protection. It’s not an exaggeration to say basketball is my religion.

Journalism is the business we’ve chosen (shout-out to Hyman Roth) and it’s a cutthroat one. I’m so thankful for getting the experience at The Columbian and to the Trail Blazers before that for letting me in the door. I’m thankful that the paper took a chance on someone who had only one season of NBA work under their belt but had a passion and truly cared about the game.

It was a pleasure getting to write here and blabber on about basketball. I’ll miss a lot of things and honestly, there will be plenty of things that I won’t miss. I’m hopeful that I will land on my feet soon. I’m hopeful that all of us who were laid-off will.

Un abrazo,

 

Erik Alexander García Gundersen

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

It’s been real
101032blazers-hire-espn-radios-kevin-calabro-as-television-play-by-play-announcer-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/blazers-hire-espn-radios-kevin-calabro-as-television-play-by-play-announcer-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/225859scr_2a92c786e3a50491-518x400.jpg

Via ESPN MediaZone

The rumors have been confirmed: the Portland Trail Blazers are bringing in the NBA’s national radio voice into the both for all 82 games next season. Kevin Calabro is the new Blazers play-by-play man for the foreseeable future. Calabro, who was the Seattle Supersonics play-by-play man for 21 seasons until the team moved to Oklahoma City, has been the lead voice of ESPN Radio’s NBA coverage.

Calabro hasn’t taken an NBA team job since 2008 but has been a prominent broadcast voice on ESPN Radio, NBATV, TNT and the Pac-12 Networks.

He told Casey Holdahl of TrailBlazers.com why he didn’t take a gig outside of the Northwest.

“Since the Sonics left in ’08 I’ve always entertained the thought of being with a club, had a couple of opportunities, but the time was never right with the family because my kids were in school at the time,” said Calabro. “I just did not want to live apart from my family after putting in 21 years in the league, just didn’t feel like moving away was something that I wanted to do. Over the last couple of years I actually entertained the thought of, if there ever was an opportunity available anywhere in the league I definitely would be interested. Unfortunately, there just weren’t any opportunities.”

The team is weary of the Seattle connection, given Paul Allen and Vulcan Inc.’s Seattle roots. DirecTV-owned ROOT Sports, who broadcasts the Seattle Mariners and Portland Timbers, is based out of Seattle. However, it does not appear that the Calabro hiring has anything to do with that. He has worked for pretty much every network, which most broadcasters do. This was about bringing in one of the best in the business.

According to Holdahl, McGowan approached Calabro as he called games during Portland’s series against the Golden State Warriors.

“Many people in our organization have admired Kevin through his work with the Sonics and ESPN, so we reached out to gauge interest and begin conversations during our playoff series with the Golden State Warriors,” said McGowan. “After several long conversations we determined there was mutual interest and were able to work towards a deal that was just finalized.

The decision to remove Mike Barrett and Mike Rice from their posts, as well as radio analyst Antonio Harvey, was one that did not go down easy.

You may not know Calabro if you aren’t a die-hard NBA fan who occasionally listens to basketball on the radio. However, his voice will soon become a familiar one in the city and his talent has landed him the call for the NBA Finals for the last few seasons.

If you want to get a taste of Calabro, tune your radio to 1080 AM The Fan on Sunday night when he calls Game 7 of The Finals with Hubie Brown.

No word yet on who may join him in the booth for the broadcast but they have already locked in their play-by-play man for the future.

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Blazers hire ESPN Radio’s Kevin Calabro as television play-by-play announcer
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In perhaps their best team performance all year the Portland Timbers defeated the San Jose Earthquakes, in the fourth round of the US Open Cup, at Providence Park last night 2 – nil.

I don’t offer that lightly – the Timbers have struggled on both sides of the ball this year – not only in finishing chances but in denying chances.  As evidence - their lack of clean sheets on the back-end and a rather low number of goals scored per shots taken on the front end.

If this game shows the tenor of things to come for Portland this year the rest of Major League Soccer needs to take notice!

In particular – many times we hear that a player is a great defender because they have higher than average numbers of tackles – this couldn’t be further from the truth.

A solid defender is a person who shuts down penetration and forces the opponent to move the ball elsewhere.  Jorge Villafana was superb in doing that last year and Zarek Valentin stepped in last night and did the same.

Rarely did you see him have to tackle or leave his feet -  if memory serves I don’t recall him doing that once last night.  And I can only recall Taylor Peay doing it once himself.

When you want to give yourself a solid chance at a clean sheet you need your fullbacks to shut down the wings and force the opponent to play in low-percentage crosses.  A good indicator to support that theory is the high level of clearances last night with a high level of crosses.

Depth:

Amobi Okugo:  With the acquisition of Amobi Okugo the Timbers have shored up what I thought was a waning center-back weakness with the departure of Norberto Paparatto.  Okugo impressed me when I saw him play for Philadelphia Union, a few years ago, and that positive impression remains.  A solid defender who knows his positional role and how to support others around him.  A great awareness to be sure.

Taylor Peay:  As referenced earlier Taylor, like last year, continues to progress.  He’s shown well against the likes of Graham Zusi and others last year and apart from one instance against Shea Salinas – one of the quicker players on San Jose – he showed well again last night.

Jack Barmby:  Jack Barmby has shown good pace and quick feet since joining the Timbers – others, like Lucas Melano, have shown the same.  The difference, in my view, is that Barmby actually understood and understands how his positional play impacts and influences the play and space generated for others.  In addition, his first touch is far better.

Many may view my opinion about Lucas Melano as a personal affront - it’s not.

The youthful Lucas shows great strength in spreading the defenders wider with  his speed.  But with his considerably higher salary, and slow development of a good first touch (at least on turf), his continued role is tenable as a starter.  So the sooner Barmby matures on the pitch the better.

Others may disagree, but in my view, there is no room in MLS for highly paid players who don’t provide specific, attributable, results relative to team success on a consistent basis.

Bottom line is Lucas Melano hasn’t shown consistent value given his salary.  Perhaps a return to South America does suit Lucas better?

Tenor of tactics:

In thinking about gravitational pull – this is all about playing without the ball as much as playing with the ball.  Nearly 95% of the game a player plays without the ball.  Last night, for me, was a great example on how effective the entire team was in playing without the ball.

I think much of that has to do with what Caleb Porter touched on in his post game presser – the tenor of the Timbers attack has moved on this year.

With always trying to play a 4-3-3 Timbers players movement without the ball became predictable – if you don’t know what I mean just watch Columbus Crew.  Meaning, as advocated very early this year – the Timbers needed to move on and develop more flexible ways to attack.

Note the increased level of passing these last few games and the interaction/rotation of players within the attacking half.  All of this is to the good and should be fair warning to scouts tracking the Timbers that their penetration schemes are diverse and more dangerous – less predictable!

Improvement on the pitch:

Jack McInerney:  When I first watched Jack McInerney I didn’t think he showed a lot of grist in applying pressure or shifting about to create openings elsewhere on the pitch.  I won’t say that now – in the last few games his rotational play and finishing has been superb.  His improvement on the pitch simply makes other players more effective.  I wonder how well he’d work with Fenando Adi in a two-striker format for 75+ minutes?

The basic/bucket 4-4-2 can be quite boring at times but when it comes down to it – it’s probably one of the most fundamentally sound formations in soccer.  The greater your team is in executing the 4-4-2 (with all its nuances) the more effective other formations become.

Dairon Asprilla:   As for Dairon Asprilla – from day one he’s impressed me with his first touch and ability to play all sides of the pitch while also understanding his positional role relative to his teammates.  My concern has been his chippy mentality – like we witnessed two weeks ago.  But I don’t think it’s that chippy-ness, on the pitch, that got in his way of minutes earlier this year.

I think it’s his chippy-ness in seeing a teammate, like Lucas Melano, getting more minutes when Dairon has strong feelings/emotions that his performance on the pitch was just as good – if not better – than Melano’s.  That (might?) sound a bit dubious but players can be quite sensitive at times – especially when you need an ego to play.

A Head coach never wants a player who doesn’t show passion – the challenge for the players and team leadership is moderating that passion when not selected… his performance last night was strong – very strong – it’s good to see Dairon do well – I think he will have a key role in this team being successful this year.

And if Lucas Melano can keep things more simple and just rely on his instincts, and a better first touch, I’m sure he can add greater value too.  But if you’re going to maximize flexibility in attack it’s likely we won’t see Dairon Asprilla and Lucas Melano on the pitch at the same time… especially if Jack Barmby and Darren Mattocks improve.

Moving forward:

Nineteen games remain – max points equals 57 – an unlikely target but I’d bet every game the Timbers play will begin with the intent to get three points.

Flexibility and shifting players (in-game) to maximize different ways and means to penetrate, create, and score goals is critical – but not as critical as holding the opponent scoreless.  The defensive side of this team has not been good so far – it NEEDS to improve.

One game is not a trend, but this latest litmus test shows that fullbacks on the Timbers are getting better at locking down the wing penetration – can they sustain that lock down?

The weekend game against Real Salt Lake is the next test – can they continue?

Best, Chris

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Timbers Shake Quakes Again!
101036blazers-overhaul-broadcast-crew-mike-barrett-antonio-harvey-and-mike-rice-out-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/blazers-overhaul-broadcast-crew-mike-barrett-antonio-harvey-and-mike-rice-out-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/B7XPz1bCMAA_RHQ-1.jpg

Mike Barrett (left) and Mike Rice (right) will not be back with the Blazers photo via @PinwheelEmpire on twitter

The Portland Trail Blazers’ broadcast crew is undergoing a major overhaul and several faces who were synonymous with the organization will no longer be there.

The team announced Wednesday that television duo Mike Rice and Mike Barrett, as well as radio analyst Antonio Harvey will not be with the team next season. A national search to replace Barrett and Rice has already begun. Radio voice Brian Wheeler will be back for his 19th season, doing a Vin Scully-style solo broadcast on the radio.

“After reviewing our entire broadcast operation over the past couple of seasons, I felt it was a good time for us to transition into a new direction,” McGowan said in a press release. “I would like to thank our broadcasters for their years of dedicated service to our organization and wish them nothing but success in their future endeavors. Going forward, we will focus our efforts on a national search to fill our open TV broadcast positions, with the number one goal of bringing in top-notch talent that our fans will be excited to watch during Trail Blazers broadcasts.”

The Blazers 10-year deal with Comcast Sportsnet Northwest is up after next season and both sides have been in negotiations since the new year. The Blazers and Comcast have butted heads in the past over who would get revenue from streaming games, which has caused Blazers fans who pay cable subscriptions to continue living in 2006, with no streaming option the past two seasons. Joe Freeman of The Oregonian got the scoop that Comcast offered the Blazers a deal but that the Blazers are listening to other offers and must decide on a new partner before July 1.

From Freeman

Comcast, which leans on the Blazers as its flagship partner in the region, submitted a new contract offer earlier this year during an exclusive negotiating window. But the Blazers — long frustrated by Comcast’s lack of distribution — have been fielding offers from other potential partners for weeks and it’s possible they will move in another broadcast direction. For nearly a decade, Blazers games have been unavailable to satellite television subscribers because of national distribution disagreements between Comcast and DirecTV/Dish, leaving a large percentage of Blazers’ fans in the crosshairs of a corporate kerfuffle.

DirecTV owned ROOT Sports broadcasts the Portland Timbers and the Seattle Mariners. As Freeman also noted, they could also go a non-traditional route with their broadcast. The Blazers often feel the pressure for living up to their “Trail Blazers” brand and a streaming broadcast option would set a precedent in the league. Here’s what McGowan told me when it came to carriage of Blazers broadcast earlier this year.

“It’s super important,” McGowan said of carriage on other providers. “Unfortunately we don’t control it which is a tough thing. There’s only a few companies that carry regional sports networks. You have to create a deal and a partnership with those companies. It’s definitely a factor. It’s on our mind. It’s our end goal. It’s one of those things that we understand our fans want our games as widely distributed as possible.”

Comcast Sportsnet Northwest’s positioning is also precarious with regards to the Blazers. According to sources, the network’s future could be in jeopardy if the Blazers don’t renew their contract with them.

All the best to Mike, Mike and Tone who were nothing but gracious to a young reporter trying to break into the game.

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Blazers overhaul broadcast crew: Mike Barrett, Antonio Harvey and Mike Rice out
75226bulls-vs-blazers-nba-podcast-is-kevin-love-a-tj-maxx-player-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/bulls-vs-blazers-nba-podcast-is-kevin-love-a-tj-maxx-player-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/04/NBA-Finals-Cavaliers-_acco-356x460.jpg

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

The NBA Finals live to see another day. LeBron James and Kyrie Irving both scored 41 points and King James added 16 rebounds and seven assists to boot. SOMEBODY CALL STEPHEN A!!!!! LeBron would have had a triple-double had budding TJ Maxx Player Kevin Love been able to knock down a shot. Where are we with Love after he signed a max deal last summer? Can he be revived as a max player, or his he destined to join Harrison Barnes as a TJ Maxx guy?

Speaking of Harrison Barnes, the Iowa Mafia that runs the Chicago Bulls is apparently being offered Minnesota’s No. 5 pick in the upcoming draft in hopes of reuniting Jimmy Butler with new Timberwolves head coach and President Tom Thibodeau. Sean was front and center for the last years of the Thibs era in Chicago and tells us why the Bulls front-office pettiness isn’t going to let that happen.

After talking about the Finals and how amazing LeBron and Kyrie were, we also went into a brief discussion on the Blazers offseason. Love was long viewed as an upgrade for the Blazers. Now? I think they are better off with Aminu at power forward and (insert center here).

Crazy how far we’ve come. What do you think?

 

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Bulls vs. Blazers NBA Podcast: Is Kevin Love a TJ Maxx player?
75230dame-dolla-shook-ones-pt-ii-freestyle-feat-v-i-p-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/dame-dolla-shook-ones-pt-ii-freestyle-feat-v-i-p-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/04/adidas-Damian-Lillard-Take-on-Summer-Tour-in-Tokyo-Japan-2-1024x682-600x399.jpg

photo via adidas

It’s a Monday and it’s the summer, which can only mean one thing on this blog: Damian Lillard dropping new music. His latest #MusicMonday release is a freestyle over Mobb Deep’s classic “Shook Ones Pt. II.” featuring V.I.P.Lillard is in Taipei as part of his adidas “Take on Summer” tour but he continues bringing the heat.

Lillard has already released three original tracks and a couple of more tracks for Spalding. We are all still waiting on the album. TMZ reported a few weeks ago that Lillard’s skills behind the mic are getting attention from the music industry. He’s also been tweeting about Chance The Rapper, which I’m hoping results in a collaboration.

Anything involving “Shook Ones Pt. II” is a win in my book. Lillard could have said nothing and I would have enjoyed it.  I’ve already listened to the original “Shook Ones Pt. II” five times since listening to the Dame version. Never forget that “Shook Ones” is also responsible for the greatest commercial in NBA history.

Lillard’s time in Asia has also given him space to set off some very fire tweets. He also took time during his trip to announce that he is releasing an updated version of his PDX Carpet sneakers, which are a favorite of Blazers coach Terry Stotts.

I won’t be able to bring you the updates on Dame’s music beyond this week. However, as I’m sure you already know, you can follow all of Dame’s music drops by following him on SoundCloud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Dame DOLLA: Shook Ones Pt. II Freestyle feat. V.I.P.
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(AP Photo/Ron Schwane)

This is the last week that I will writing on this blog, as you may have heard. However, The Network will live on beyond the confines of this space. The people need the content. The Real Lakers of Los Angeles are out here making waves and the Golden State Warriors, their parents and spouses, are engaged in an all-out verbal assault on LeBron James.

Draymond Green is suspended for Monday night’s Game 5 (6 p.m. PDT on ABC) after being assessed a flagrant 1 after hitting James below the belt, which gives him the requisite points for a suspension. He dug his own grave on this one and it gives the Cavaliers a chance to keep their season alive. Kevin Love, your time is now or never.

We discussed the impact of the Green suspension and the many ways we are hoping Green documents his suspension. If Snapchat isn’t paying Draymond to put together a story from his suite at tonight’s Oakland A’s game, then maybe it’s not really worth $20 billion. Just give him enough to cover a potential fine.

The Real Lakers of Los Angeles were also forced to issue a press release stating that Magic Johnson is no longer officially part of the Lakers. They’re clearly guarding against tampering charges for when they sign Meyers Leonard to the max.

We’ll have another episode after Game 5.

 

 

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Bulls vs. Blazers NBA Podcast: The High Road
75238trail-mix-lillard-tours-china-sabonis-story-gets-a-reboot-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/trail-mix-lillard-tours-china-sabonis-story-gets-a-reboot-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/04/adidas-Damian-Lillard-TOS-Beijing-2-1024x681-600x399.jpg

Photo via adidas

Damian Lillard is always a busy man. Not a month after playing his final playoff game, he’s been touring in China with adidas. Here you can see him coaching up some young Chinese hoopers as part of the adidas “Take On Summer” tour. Brand aware as always, Lillard is rocking his PDX Carpet D Lillard 2′s while coaching up the kids in China.

Trail Mix: Lillard tours China, Sabonis story gets a reboot

Damian Lillard coaching in the PDX Carpet D Lillard 2′s.

Dane Carbaugh did a review of florist edition of his signature shoe for Blazersedge. I don’t think anybody does product reviews on shoes quite like Dane. Check it out.

Earlier this week, it was announced that Golden State’s Stephen Curry would not participate in this summer’s Olympic games in Rio. This of course improves Lillard’s chances of joining the team. But is that a good thing? Eric Griffith explored that issue for Blazersedge. Given Coach K’s affinity for Kyrie Irving, moving Steph effing Curry off the ball, it’s probably safe to say Dame won’t be a featured player if he does go.

The Portland Trail Blazers have produced a series of podcasts on key figures and moments in Blazers history. Earlier this week, they did an excellent 33-minute podcast on how Arvydas Sabonis came to America and the Blazers. Sabonis was arguably the best player in the World before he came to the NBA but he spent most of his prime in Europe because Cold War. Michael Lewellen and Kris Koivisto did a very good podcast if you want to learn more about that story. The god Bill Schonley, who saw it all unfold, tells some great stories and they even got the GM at the time, Bucky Buckwalter, on the record.

Bill Simmons included “Sabonis coming over to the NBA in his prime” as one of the greatest “What if’s?” in NBA history. The Blazers were a perennial playoff team with excellent guards and wings. While Kevin Duckworth and Buck Williams were solid players, it’s impossible not to imagine Drexler, Porter, Kersey and Robinson circling around an offensive fulcrum in Sabonis. To me, this might be a bigger franchise what-if than missing out on Michael Jordan.

 

 

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Trail Mix: Lillard tours China, Sabonis story gets a reboot
75243trail-mix-lillards-usa-basketball-chances-get-a-boost-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/trail-mix-lillards-usa-basketball-chances-get-a-boost-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Testing-Lollard-Baske_acco.jpg

(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez, File)

The odds that the new Dame DOLLA album will include some samba beats just got better. It looks like Portland Trail Blazers guard Damian Lillard will be spending some time in Brazil this summer, now that Golden State’s Stephen Curry will not participate in the upcoming 2016 Olympics.

Curry suffered a knee injury in the playoffs, which he is citing as the main reason for his absence in the upcoming Olympics.

Via Marcus Thompson of the Bay Area News Group

“After a great deal of internal thought and several discussions with my family, the Warriors and my representatives, I’ve elected to withdraw my name from the list of eligible players on Team USA’s preliminary roster for the 2016 Summer Games in Brazil. I recently informed Jerry Colangelo of this decision.”

Thompson also wrote that several other potential Team USA players, including another competitor at the point guard spot in Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook, could stay home to avoid the Zika virus. Westbrook, Cleveland’s LeBron James and Golden State’s Andre Iguodala may not be in Rio.

Over 200 health care professionals have signed a petition to the World Health Organization to either relocate or postpone the games in Rio. According to Thompson’s report, players are already being advised to sleep in malaria nets to avoid catching the virus.

If Westbrook does stay that will leave him, 2014 Team USA member and Coack K favorite Kyrie Irving, Lillard and Memphis’ Mike Conley vying for three point guards spots. They could carry more than three point guards in theory, but they only took three to the 2014 World Cup (Irving, Curry, Derrick Rose). Washington’s John Wall is recovering from knee surgery and has been removed from the player pool.

No matter how it goes, at least Lillard will have a friend close by. Blazers guard CJ McCollum is officially part of the USA Select Team, which will scrimmage against the Olympic team, as of Tuesday.

Here’s the group that will make up the USA Select Team, which will be coached by San Antonio’s Gregg Popovich.

Selected for the 2016 USA Basketball Select squad were: Malcolm Brogdon (University of Virginia); Devin Booker (Phoenix Suns); Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (Detroit Pistons); Willie Cauley-Stein (Sacramento Kings); Kris Dunn  (Providence College); Aaron Gordon (Orlando Magic); Jerami Grant (Philadelphia 76ers); Gary Harris (Denver Nuggets); Rodney Hood (Utah Jazz); Brandon Ingram (Duke University);Brice Johnson (University of North Carolina), Stanley Johnson (Detroit Pistons); Zach LaVine (Minnesota Timberwolves); CJ McCollum (Portland Trail Blazers); Doug McDermott (Chicago Bulls); Emmanuel Mudiay (Denver Nuggets); Jahlil Okafor (Philadelphia 76ers); Jabari Parker (Milwaukee Bucks); Julius Randle (Los Angeles Lakers); D’Angelo Russell (Los Angeles Lakers); Marcus Smart (Boston Celtics);Myles Turner (Indiana Pacers); Denzel Valentine (Michigan State University); Justise Winslow (Miami Heat) and Cody Zeller (Charlotte Hornets).

While McCollum will just be scrimmaging against the Olympic team, he is now in the USA Basketball pipeline. Although he won’t be able to make the Olympic team this season, this gives him a chance to be considered for future teams.

Finally, Dame DOLLA released another new song yesterday as part of his Music Monday releases titled “Isley.

Lillard was also named the “Male Professional Athlete of the Year” at Monday night’s Oregon Sports Awards.

Blazers head coach Terry Stotts was a guest on Tuesday’s Chris Mannix Vertical Podcast. You can listen here.

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Trail Mix: Lillard’s USA Basketball chances get a boost
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(AP Photo/Marcio Jose Sanchez)

As weird as it may seem, we are now less than a month away from a pivotal time for the Portland Trail Blazers. Free agency begins July 1 and before that we have the NBA draft, where the Blazers could potentially sneak into the draft, although they currently don’t own a draft pick.

Their offseason has suddenly become one of the league’s most intriguing and I went on Real GM Radio with Danny Leroux to talk about everything the Blazers may or may not do this offseason.

If the plug-in for BlogTalkRadio doesn’t want to cooperate, you can follow the link to the website here. You can also listen to the podcast by subscribing to it on iTunes.

You can follow Danny and all of his work on twitter by following @DannyLeroux.

And we are planning on having a new Bulls vs. Blazers in the next day, where we will talk to Sean Highkin, who will give us a report from Cleveland about what’s going on in the Finals.

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Podcast: RealGM Radio Blazers offseason preview with Danny Leroux
95865spaghetti-squash-carbonara-11 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/paleomama/spaghetti-squash-carbonara-11/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/100_7080-1024x769-600x450.jpg

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Ok can I just make a confession here? Remember when I mentioned that paleo allows for an 80/20 way of eating where you’re eating paleo 80% of the time? Well lately friends I’ve kind of had this flipped and was not going to even mention it to you thinking I could pull the wool over your eyes. But as I’ve said before, over here at Paleo Mama we’re all about keeping it real and I think we can all say we’ve been there sometimes with bad eating habits. What’s important is that we get back on that wagon or horse or insert your favorite old-timey mode of transportation here. Well this dish is me getting back on the paleo horse. And now back to our regularly scheduled recipe

Here’s one I’ve been wanting to make for a while. It features once again the favorite paleo pasta substitute spaghetti squash. We’ve been down this road before regarding my love of this happy yellow squash, more on it here.

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

I had seen some recipes for spaghetti alla carbonara and figure it would translate well into a squash dish. What really yums up this one is the bacon and onions combined with the creaminess of the egg mixture. (Inspiration from Paleo Grubs one of my favorite paleo blogs).

I’m usually a microwaver of the squash for convenience sake but this time I decided to use Martha Stewart’s method of roasting and it came out perfectly done.

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

In fact, the squash I used was so huge only half this amount went into the recipe. Also a word to the wise drain your noodles once you scrape them out. I did not and ended up with a lot of moisture in the finished dish I had to drain later.

Hope you enjoy the tastiness!

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara

Ingredients:

1 small to medium spaghetti squash cooked or roasted with flesh scooped out

5 pcs bacon

½ onion diced

1 tsp chopped garlic

2 eggs

¼ C. almond or coconut milk

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

While squash is baking, fry the bacon, crumble, set aside, and reserve about half of the grease. In a small bowl mix the eggs with the milk adding salt and pepper to taste. Cook onions in the grease on medium high heat, when almost done add the garlic and cook until fragrant (don’t let the garlic burn). Add the squash into the pan with the onions and garlic and stir to coat. Lower heat to low and slowly drizzle the egg mixture over the squash stirring to coat. Cook until you no longer see raw egg. This should make a creamy coating for the noodles and not look like scrambled eggs. Serve and enjoy!

 

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Spaghetti Squash Carbonara
82102let-the-race-begin-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/let-the-race-begin-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

Tim Probst, who is running to replace Sen. Don Benton in Olympia, filed his personal financial statement late.
And the Washington State Republican Party noticed.
“Why is partisan Democrat Tim Probst trying to hide his six-figure government paycheck from the voters?” said WSRP Chair Susan Hutchison in a press release. “State law requires candidates to disclose their financial affairs to avoid conflicts of interest. What else is Tim Probst trying to hide?”
Marsha Manning, the treasurer with the Probst campaign, did respond to the public disclosure commission complaint.
“This was an oversight on the part of the campaign as the original filing for this campaign began in 2013,” Manning wrote. “Mr. Probst did complete the (financial statement or F1) on May 11, 2016.”
It is currently on file with the public disclosure commission and available for the public to see.
Officially, Probst’s campaign responded in-kind with, “Tim is running a positive campaign and is focusing on important issues like equal pay for women, re-building the middle class and getting big money out of politics.”
Nick Ande, who is running Probst’s campaign, added it’s an attack in the hopes of distorting Probst’s record.
“It’s the same playbook Don Benton used to win by (76) votes four years ago,” Ande wrote.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

82104jhb-keeps-quiet-on-trump-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/jhb-keeps-quiet-on-trump-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

House Speaker Paul Ryan said on Thursday he will vote for the GOP presumptive nominee Donald Trump.

Previously, Ryan said he was “not ready” to back Trump, but reversed course writing in an editorial that “on the issues that make up (the Republican) agenda, we have more common ground than disagreement.”

I wondered if this would bring the rest of the Republican party around, including U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Camas.

I wasn’t the only one.

The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee quickly fired off an email, saying Herrera Beutler has followed Ryan’s talking points to delay endorsing Trump.

“Now that Ryan has ended his charade, we can only expect that Herrera Beutler … will also stop playing word games and endorse Trump’s toxic campaign, to which they are already inseparably tied,” Barb Solish of the DCCC wrote in an email.

Not so soon.

I asked Herrera Beutler’s campaign and they responded saying she had “nothing new” to add.

The last time she spoke to The Columbian at the end of April she said she wasn’t sure “the right person for the job” of U.S. President was running.

Herrera Beutler initially endorsed Marco Rubio.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

75251trail-mix-blazers-rise-in-espns-future-power-rankings-3 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/blazer-banter/trail-mix-blazers-rise-in-espns-future-power-rankings-3/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Trail-Blazers-Kings-B_acco-6.jpg

(AP Photo/Rich Pedroncelli)

We are a mere handful of hours away from Game 1 of the NBA Finals as the Golden State Warriors and Cleveland Cavaliers will battle for the second season in a row. Stephen Curry and the 73-win Warriors go up against LeBron James, trying to get one for #TheLand. My podcast co-host Sean Highkin and I have a Finals preview that we recorded after the Warriors punched their ticket to the dance.

Now that we have our homegrown Finals content up front, let’s get to what you came here for: a collection of all the important stuff written on your Blazers this week.

We begin with ESPN’s Future Power Rankings, compiled by insiders Kevin Pelton and Chad Ford. As expected, the Blazers made a considerable jump after a second round appearance and battle against the Warriors.

From Pelton 

While we were relatively optimistic about the Trail Blazers in September, they’ve still tied for the largest jump since then. Portland moved back into the top 10 after not only defying expectations by making the playoffs but winning a series (albeit aided by the Clippers’ injuries) and competing with the Warriors in the second round.

Now, the Blazers have the opportunity to clear max space while retaining their young core, led by the dynamic backcourt of Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum. That’s possible because GM Neil Olshey locked up young free agents Al-Farouq Aminu and Ed Davis to contracts that look like enormous bargains.

The Blazers’ future is bright. However, success in the NBA is rarely cheap, this past season being an exception. Danny Leroux penned a detailed piece for The Sporting News on how the success of the Blazers could and probably will affect their cap sheet.  The Blazers are expected to swing big in free agency with the ability clear max cap space, but what Leroux nails is that keeping their own free agents will likely cost a pretty penny.

ESPN showcased the Blazers later on in the week when they released their “Famous 100,” a ranking of the 100 most famous athletes, based on an algorithm which includes salary, endorsements, social media following and Google search popularity.  Portland’s Damian Lillard clocked in at 45, just behind Blake Griffin (43) but ahead of fashion icon and elite guard Russell Westbrook (48).

The Blazers success has also earned them a guest appearance in the latest “Game of Zones,” which is Bleacher Report’s amazing NBA-themed “Game of Thrones” parody.

In actual important news that greatly affects the team but doesn’t really draw a lot of attention, the Blazers finalized their coaching staff on Wednesday. As part of the finalized coaching staff, assistant coach Dale Osbourne was promoted to the front of the bench and advance scout John McCollugh was added to the staff. Sought after assistant Nate Tibbetts, who interviewed for the Memphis head coaching job and the lead assistant job with the Warriors will stay, as well as David Vanterpool, the longest-tenured assistant on the staff along with Osbourne. Jim Moran, who was added to the staff last season to help coach the big men, will be back for his second season.

More snacks

 

 

 

Erik Gundersen

Erik Gundersen is the Trail Blazers beat reporter for The Columbian. He's a graduate of the Allen School of Journalism and Communication at the University of Oregon in addition earning a degree in Spanish. He's covered the NBA for four seasons. You can also occasionally find his work on ESPN.com's NBA section for their TrueCities series. He also fist-bumped with Kanye West once. Follow @BlazerBanter on twitter for more Blazers and NBA news.

Trail Mix: Blazers rise in ESPN’s future power rankings
82106clinton-wins-wa-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/clinton-wins-wa-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

Hillary Clinton won the Washington state primary on Tuesday.

Bernie Sanders overwhelmingly won the Washington state caucuses.

The results from the Democratic primary will largely be ignored, but they could provoke a change in the system.

As Melissa Santos with the News Tribune wrote, “almost three times as many Democrats had voted in the primary as participated in Democrats’ March 26 precinct caucuses.”

And that could mean Democrats change the way their primary system in the future.

State Sen. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, told Santos “caucuses have a romantic image and play a meaningful role in terms of activism and energy, but that a primary is more Democratic and reflective of the broader values of the population.”

But others have pointed out that Sanders’ supporters knew their vote wouldn’t count for much in the primary.

In 2018 or 2019, the Washington State Democratic Central Committee plans to vote on whether to rely on the presidential primary or caucus system to allocate its delegates.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

82108your-vote-counts-well-kind-of-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/your-vote-counts-well-kind-of-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/john-oliver-600x400.jpg

Every election season, there are those people who don’t bother to vote.

They forget. They’re not inspired. They feel like their vote doesn’t matter.

For once, they might have a point.

Tonight is Washington state’s primary. The GOP presumptive nominee is Donald Trump, although Ted Cruz, Ben Carson and John Kasich remain on the ballot. And the Democrats will largely ignore the primary results.

“So you know your awful friend who says he doesn’t vote because he feels like his vote doesn’t count?” John Oliver, the comedian and host of Last Week Tonight on HBO said. “If he’s a Washington Democrat participating in the primary, he’s right. He’s still awful, but he is right.”

Technically Oliver is right.

Check out his video:


Democrats allocate their delegates according to results of precinct caucuses, which were held March 26. Bernie Sanders was the clear winner.

But this is still a chance for Democrats to let their voice be heard. There was a lot of upset people after the caucuses. This is an opportunity for voters to show whether the caucuses align with the state’s Democratic voters.

“This is a good way to let every voter participate,” said Cathie Garber. “At a caucus there is usually 5 percent of eligible voters. If you look at turnout for a regular election, there is a big difference.

Republicans will allocate all 44 delegates to their national convention based on the primary results.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

Your vote counts … well, kind of
82111goodspace-guy-for-governor-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/goodspace-guy-for-governor-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

Sam Kim, Clark County’s chief information officer, generated a buzz this week when the lifelong Republican filed to run as an “independent Democrat.”

It was unusual that he was switching parties.

But also, what is an independent Democrat?

And he wasn’t the only one.

Tim Probst, who is vying for Sen. Benton’s seat, and Kathy Gillespie, who is running for the 18th Legislative District, also filed as independent Democrats.

“For Tim, he’s always been very independent minded and bucked his party in a lot of trends and very consistent with the independent nature of the district,” said Nick Ande, Probst’s campaign manager.

A candidate, it turns out, can state any party they would like, using 16 characters.

“Party preference is entirely the candidate’s decision,” Cathie Garber, with the Clark County Election Division.

And they can also write any name, which is evident by Kathleen “Grandma Warrior” Arthur who is running for the 3rd Congressional District and Goodspaceguy, a Republican, is running for governor.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

82113building-bridges-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/building-bridges-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/inslee-1024x758-600x444.jpg

Gov. Jay Inslee visited Vancouver’s future waterfront park on Wednesday and called it a center of economic expansion that will benefit the entire state.

As Inslee walked along the river, the Interstate-5 bridge loomed in the background.

Inslee said if he’s re-elected he will once again try to gain momentum for replacing the aging bridge.

In the previous two legislative sessions, some Southwest Washington lawmakers tried to create momentum to form a coalition of lawmakers from both sides of the river to revive discussions of a crossing over the Columbia River. The efforts failed.

It’s a project of importance to the entire state, Inslee said on Wednesday, not only Clark County.

Sen. Don Benton, R-Vancouver, a fierce opponent of the defunct Columbia River Crossing project, has announced he isn’t seeking re-election.

When Inslee was asked whether it might be easier to gain consensus with Benton retiring, the governor replied, “markedly.”

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

Building bridges
82562clark-is-5th-fastest-growing-county-in-last-5-years-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/clark-is-5th-fastest-growing-county-in-last-5-years-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2016-05-20-at-12.02.27-PM-1024x961-490x460.png

Clark County’s population grew by 8 percent based on 5-year population estimates released by the U.S. Census Bureau on Thursday, May 19, 2016, making the county the fifth fastest-growing in the state. The four faster growing counties include Franklin, King, Benton and Snohomish.

If you look at just the past year, though, Clark grew by 2 percent, tying it with Benton as the 3rd fastest growing county.

Where is Clark County’s growth coming from? Some of it is what the Census Bureau calls “natural increase,” meaning births minus deaths. The rest is from migration, both domestic and international. Clark County grew by about 34,132 in total population the past five years. Of that about 12,149 came from within the county as a natural increase and about 21,085 stemmed from migration. And of those who’ve migrated here most have come from within the U.S., about 18,194, while about 2,891 came from abroad.

Use the map below to further explore the data.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Clark is 5th fastest growing county in last 5 years
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Banana Pancakes

As you may have guessed, I heart bananas. I also heart pancakes but they don’t heart me back so here is a healthier, yet still tasty version. Also I don’t love just any bananas. I love those brown, almost black, mushy ones that you’re thinking ‘maybe I should just throw away’. Wait! Don’t toss them! Those brown beauties are just waiting to be mashed into a recipe like this one or these pancakes. I’m always on the look out for the discounted brown bananas in the grocery store to grab up for just such a recipe.

Banana Pancakes

This recipe comes from StayFitMom and is a great gluten free option as well. I first tried banana pancakes without the coconut flour but those are very hard to flip. The coconut flour in these adds just enough body to increase their flipability exponentially (I just graduated from college hence the fancy shmancy words).

Banana Pancakes

And since breakfast for dinner is pretty popular around here (no Mommy guilt over it either) this is a great option for any time of the day.

Banana Pancakes

I upped the cinnamon when I made them but you could even leave it out. A word to the wise however, don’t be lazy like me and think you can just eyeball the vanilla and then dump two big “glugs” into the bowl making for a very vanilla-ish batter. Seriously learn from me kids, don’t try it at home. Use those pretty measuring spoons people.

Banana Pancakes

Banana Pancakes

Ingredients

1 ripe banana

2 eggs

1 Tbsp. coconut flour

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp vanilla

Directions

Mash banana. Mix in eggs, coconut flour, cinnamon and vanilla. Heat a large pan with coconut oil or another healthy oil of your choice. Drop batter into pan making small to medium pancakes. This yielded about 6 medium pancakes for me. Flip after 2-3 minutes. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Sandy Carpenter

Busy working Mom of two and wife of one. Trying to eat healthier so I feel better and convincing my family to do the same!

Banana Pancakes
82565take-a-look-at-who-benefitted-from-countys-fee-waivers-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/take-a-look-at-who-benefitted-from-countys-fee-waivers-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2016-05-16-at-1.54.09-PM-1024x938-502x460.png

The jury is still out on whether Clark County has seen a flood of new jobs resulting from a decision in 2013 to waive traffic impact and application fees for all nonresidential development in unincorporated areas.

The county has experienced job growth, including a 3.9% jump last month that outpaced national, state and regional numbers. Proponents of the fee waivers have said it’s proof they’re working, but skeptics remain. If you read reporter Kaitlin Gillespie’s recent story on at the fee waivers, you’ll see there are many perspectives on the issue.

In the meantime, we’ve taken data obtained from the county by Gillespie to create a map below showing where the 300-plus applicants for fee waivers are located. You can filter your view of the map by the total fees waived and the projected new jobs each applicant is expecting to create. Each dot on the map is color-coded by the fees waived and the size of each dot varies according to the projected jobs for that applicant. The larger the dot, the more jobs. Take a look and see who’s benefitted so far from the waivers.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Take a look at who benefitted from county’s fee waivers
82116threats-of-apples-flying-again-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/threats-of-apples-flying-again-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

When apple prices drop, the employees at the Vancouver Education Association know to prepare themselves.

Chicken wire is already around all the windows. Crates are in front of the chicken wire, placed at a 45-degree angle, so when the apple comes flying through the air they hit the crate and bounce away from the building.

The apples have broken windows. They’ve clogged the drain. They’ve caused thousands of dollars of damage.

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray is campaigning for her fifth term in Congress and once again, some of her opponents have encouraged throwing apples on the rooftops of her supporters. But this election cycle, the reports of people receiving letters are seemingly more frequent.

Several individuals have reported receiving a note, signed “Titania” that warns people apples might be thrown on their roofs.

“Dear reader of this note,” it says. “We have been throwing (apples on) rooftops of supporters of Patty Murray, usually just before dawn. Because some people have windows up there where the roof is, we’ve broken a few of them; but please understand that this is happening by accident. It is sometimes difficult to see in the predawn murkiness and we thought about apologizing for the damage. But in the spirit of Murray and Obama, we are not apologizing; like them we have no intention of fixing anything.”

There haven’t been any reports of someone actually throwing the apples, or breaking personal property, to The Columbian until now.

Rick Wilson, with the VEA, said the apple-throwing has been steady at the education association’s offices. A man on a bike, with long, red hair, stands across the street and chucks the apples, Wilson said.

Wilson noted the association supports candidates on both sides of the aisle.

“The last major election we had signs for both Republicans and Democrats,” he said.

In previous years, similar letters have circulated about Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore.

Rotten tomatoes caused a stir in Vancouver when they were left in President Barack Obama supporters’ yards.

In the last year, Wilson said, the apple thrower has been outside the office windows 30 to 40 times.

“He’s been an incredible nuisance to us,” Wilson said. “He’s damaged property and caused significant issues.”

Kim Kapp, with the Vancouver Police Department, said officials from the department have chatted with the city’s attorney’s office and there’s not a lot they can do.

“They are not considered threats under criminal harassment laws because there is no threat to hurt anybody and it’s difficult to prove a crime like trespass or vandalism, because there’s no suspect information,” Kapp said.

 

 

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

82568homes-just-keep-getting-bigger-and-biggerer-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/digital-desk/homes-just-keep-getting-bigger-and-biggerer-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/12/Screen-Shot-2016-05-11-at-4.22.44-PM-1024x943-499x460.png

Owning a home has long been considered by many people to be a key piece of attaining the so-called American dream.

It appears that now that also means having about 600 square feet per person. As business editor Gordon Oliver reported last Sunday, American families have steadily gotten smaller since the 1970s but homes have gotten bigger. With that in mind, we took a look at three different homes from three distinct eras which you can read about in Oliver’s story and see firsthand in this video by digital producer Ariane Kunze.

You can also see where the larger homes have been built over the years in Clark County with this visualization below that we constructed using 2015 data from the Clark County Assessor’s office.

In the past 40 years, homes in Clark County have grown from an average of 1,545 square feet in the 1970s to an average of 2,372 square feet in the last 5 years, a 53.5% increase. If the trend holds for the next decade or two, that number could reasonably be expected to jump to 2,700 square feet or more. The percentage of homes being built in this county that are 3,000 square feet or larger in the past 5 years is nearly 20%, something you can see in this chart.

Perhaps the only thing holding us back from building homes bigger is economic factors such as the cost of land and building materials as Oliver reports. The economy itself is, of course, also an ever-present looming factor as shown during the early recession of the 1980s and again after the tech and housing bubbles burst.

John Hill

John is the web and photo editor at The Columbian, where he has worked since 1995 in various roles. A journalist for the past 25 years, he's a fan of good storytelling, data, graphics and still likes to read an actual newspaper. Twitter: @hilljohng

Homes just keep getting bigger and biggerer
83437single-mother-of-seven-adopted-children-finds-balance-in-schoolkidsfarm-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/single-mother-of-seven-adopted-children-finds-balance-in-schoolkidsfarm-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/01/107976-moms-day-feature_01-600x429.jpg

“I think we can all do things. Sometimes fear holds us back. Maybe when people read this story, they’ll think: If she can do that, we can adopt a kid and give them a life.”~Julia Griffith

Some members of the Griffith family take advantage of warm spring weather as they sit down to a homecooked meal Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. Pictured are Jennica Griffith, 12, clockwise from front left, Mirlie Griffith, 18, mom Julia Griffith, Silas Griffith, 16, and Samson Griffith, 15. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Julia Griffith, from left, shares a laugh and a hug with her daughter, Mirlie, 18, as Samson, 15, and Jennica, 12, are seen in the background Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Julia Griffith feeds some of her feathered friends before the family sits down to dinner Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Julia Griffith joins hands with her daughter, Mirlie, 18, on Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Mirlie Griffith, 18, pauses to look over family photos while enjoying a sunny evening on the farm Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Samson Griffith, 15, from left, his brother, Silas, 16, and his sister, Mirlie, 18, watch as Silas’ shot goes into the hoop Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Jennica Griffith, 12, from left, greets some of the family’s animals as her mom, Julia, checks the temperature of her brother, Samson, 15, after he complained of feeling under the weather Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Silas Griffith, 16, left, and his sister, Mirlie, 18, share a sweet moment with the family Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Single Mother of Seven Adopted Children Finds Balance in School/Kids/Farm

Members of the Griffith family pose for a family picture Thursday evening, April 21, 2016 in Ridgefield. Pictured are Jennica Griffith, 12, Samson Griffith, 15, mom Julia Griffith, Mirlie Griffith, 18, and Silas Griffith, 16. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

99777portland-slow-out-of-the-gate-again-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/portland-slow-out-of-the-gate-again-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Caleb-Porter-459x460.jpg

When week three of Major League Soccer closed the Portland Timbers were 14th worst in overall team performance – that has changed – but not for the better!

Portland are now 16th worst in overall team performance – taking into account how well (and how well their opponent’s) possess, pass, penetrate, create, and score goals.

I’ll speak more a bit later about the Timbers – for now here’s some thoughts about the rest of the league first.

Portland slow out of the gate again!

And to clarify – my power rankings are purely objective – no fancy opinions – no feelings – no indirect or direct influence by one person over another – it’s clinical, objective, published in Europe, and presented at the 2014 World Conference on Science and Soccer.

Bottom line here – there is no subjectivity and how a team finished last year has absolutely no bearing on where that team started and ranks this year.

Some thoughts about the teams after week ten:

The CPWP Index – two views…

Portland slow out of the gate again!

Portland slow out of the gate again!

Over the remainder of the year I’m going to offer up four teams who fit these categories the best:

And to follow that some additional insight for your consideration (the way to really see why you can’t simply look at attacking or defending statistics separately – you must look at them together)

Portland slow out of the gate again!

The diagram above shows Attacking PWP only – this is strictly the statistical roll up of each teams attacking team performance.  Note the four blue bars – these are the top three teams in each conference.  Now my observations relative to what the Index shows:

Here’s the Defending PWP Index – same approach applies here – this is a statistical roll up of each teams defending team performance ((i.e. how well the opponents’ combined attacking PWP data goes against their defenders); again the top three teams in each conference are shown with blue bars:

Portland slow out of the gate again!

A dash of statistics and then my closing on the Timbers:

So what ails the Timbers?  

Best, Chris

Copyright, All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Portland slow out of the gate again!
82118socialist-pizza-8 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/socialist-pizza-8/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

The Clark County Democrats’ 2016 convention last week was chaotic and lasted hours.
The event was scheduled to end by 5 p.m. but ran past 9 p.m.

As Stevie Mathieu reported, it started with a “burst of enthusiasm” but turned to “crankiness for many participants.”

Throughout the state of Washington and surely other states, Democratic caucuses blew past deadlines.

It appears Bernie Sanders’ supporters figured out sometimes people need more than a revolution.

They need pizza.

Enter, socialist pizza!

A Facebook group called just that “socialist pizza” sends pizza to sustain supporters through the night. It’s a smart move to make sure Sanders’ supporters stick it out.

After the caucus, one supporter wrote on the group’s Facebook wall, “Your pizzas were worth it!” and added that Sanders’ earned overwhelming support in Clark County.

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

82120apple-threats-missing-their-target-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/politics/political-beat/apple-threats-missing-their-target-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/Lauren_Dake_110_1-150x150.jpg

Democratic Sen. Patty Murray is campaigning for her fifth term in Congress and, once again, the apple throwers are ready.

It’s not the first time some of Murray’s opponents have encouraged throwing apples on rooftops of her supporters. But this time, they seem to be missing their target.

“I’m a registered Republican,” said Lisa Schmidt, who lives in the 49th Legislative District, and received one of the letters.

The note, once again signed from Titania and handwritten using bubbly letters, appeared a couple of weeks ago.

It’s the same notes that has surfaced in some of Murray’s previous elections.

“Dear reader of this note,” it says, “We have been throwing rooftops of supporters of Patty Murray, usually just before dawn. Because some people have windows up there where the roof is, we’ve broken a few of them; but please understand that this is happening by accident. It is sometimes difficult to see in the predawn murkiness and we thought about apologizing for the damage. But in the spirit of Murray and Obama, we are not apologizing; like them we have no intention of fixing anything.”

The letter circulated in 2015 encouraging people to throw apples started out with: “Some of us wish for our purses not to be emptied nor to see our dictionary become skinnier to please their ears … In the neighborhood if someone pulls the clothes off of your clothes line, then you have a license to pull the clothes off their line. That is how things have always worked in neighborhoods.”

In previous years, similar letters have circulated about Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon.

And rotten tomatoes have caused a stir in Vancouver when they were left in President Barack Obama supporters’ yards.

Although The Columbian has heard from a half dozen people who have received a similar letter, we haven’t actually heard of anyone who found apples on their roof or who has had a broken window.

Most of the people who have received the note mentioned they are Republicans.

“I took it as a threat,” Schmidt said. “Everyone who works in politics I talked to said it was threatening, it’s threatening our property and Republicans take property matters very seriously.”

Lauren Dake

Lauren Dake covers politics for The Columbian. You can reach her at 360-735-4534 or lauren.dake@columbian.com. Follow her on Twitter .

99785dealing-without-darlington-11 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/dealing-without-darlington-11/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Darlington-Nagbe-459x460.jpg

There’s no question the pain of losing Darlington Nagbe, for us supporters, is nowhere near the physical pain Nagbe experienced as a result of that brutal tackle by Nigel de Jong!

How do they do that?

Motivation:

Tactics:

Strategy:

Defending:

All to play for:

#RCTID

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT, All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Dealing without Darlington
82273thompson-metal-fab-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/thompson-metal-fab-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/454412-jobs_05-600x400.jpg

“I think things are fine. A lot of fabricators are busy,” said Michael Moore, business development manager for Thompson Metal Fab. “Commercial, industrial and residential construction means masons, carpenters and fabricators are doing really well.”

Employee John Laughter takes measurements on a pipe Friday morning, March 25, 2016 at Thompson Metal Fab. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Thompson Metal Fab

Production journeyman Andrey Nikiforov, center, lends a hand while joining other welders at work Friday morning, March 25, 2016 at Thompson Metal Fab. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Thompson Metal Fab

Crews work behind the scenes Friday morning, March 25, 2016 at Thompson Metal Fab. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Thompson Metal Fab

Employees George Mason, left, and Mike Marsh look over shop drawings Friday morning, March 25, 2016 at Thompson Metal Fab. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Thompson Metal Fab

A tape measure is seen hanging from the pocket of employee John Laughter on Friday morning, March 25, 2016 at Thompson Metal Fab. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

 

82279the-homeless-artist-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/the-homeless-artist-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/04-07_A1_homeless_artist.1-600x399.jpg

“You just forget yourself for a few minutes. When I get mad, I work. When I get sad, I work.” – Mandi Vee

The Homeless Artist

The Homeless Artist

Entering the downtown Vancouver Community Library, on any given day, you might notice one of the tables covered in a purple velvet cloth belonging to Mandi Vee. There’s not enough room to make jewelry in the broken-down van where she sleeps each night with her husband, K.C. Vee. At the library, she can spread out a bit, get something to drink and charge her cellphone.

Vee said she’s long struggled to hold down a regular job; her part-time job at Michaels craft store in Jantzen Beach is her longest stint yet. She’s been homeless off and on for most of her adult life.

Vee and Ruth Shafer, program services manager at the library, are working together to host an art gallery featuring the works of homeless artists. The two are trying to get more momentum around the idea and are accepting submissions from anybody who’s homeless or has experienced homelessness.

Click for full story

99788portland-timbers-is-it-too-early-to-worry-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/portland-timbers/portland-timbers-is-it-too-early-to-worry-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/Portland-Timbers-MLS-Champions-2015-1024x576-600x337.jpg Portland Timbers MLS Champions 2015

Some pundits have offered that it’s probably to early to worry; I completely disagree.

At no point in the last four years of tracking possession with purpose have the Timbers been so low on this Index:

Some may scoff at the reference to my Index, so early in the season, but in my most recent MLS PWP Power Rankings I show that:

 Translating back, for me, that it’s not too early to worry.

So in venting my own frustration, after the first four games, here’s my bottom line up front:

  1. The Timbers have not had great success in scoring goals, and
  2. The Timbers have not had great success in preventing goals from being scored against them.

So what’s the next steps?  In no particular order here are my expectations as a supporter:

In closing:

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT, All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Portland Timbers – Is it too early to worry?
99792us-mens-national-team-mauls-the-minnow-guatemala-4-nil-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/us-mens-national-team-mauls-the-minnow-guatemala-4-nil-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/us-soccer-crest-2016-600x300.jpeg

This should have been the repeat headline from last week – and thankfully the last week headline wasn’t a repeat this week!

I’ll be the first (probably 100th though) person to congratulate the players on their performance yesterday – well done lads!

Now the grist – with the caveat “I’m still frustrated”!  US Men’s National Team Mauls the Minnow Guatemala 4-nil

It’s my view there’s a critical failure in US Soccer when the Head Coach can get the tactics and player selections and what positions they play that wrong in a game.

When it comes to head to head matches, where the tactics and selections are limited in their adjustment given three substitutions (unlike in an away and home leg setup) I wonder how much confidence there is in the ability of our head coach to get it right the first time?

For me, this 4-nil win is NOT a ‘bye’ for Jurgen Klinsmann!

So – next up statistics; shame on me!

I usually hold true to the form that individual statistics, even when added up – on their own – don’t tell a reasonable story about the game.

Proof is the pudding when viewing my last article and my references to crosses should make my point.

Like last game, the US offered up a number of crosses this game – none of them – I repeat none of them were successful in open play.  Yes the USMNT won 4-nil.

What can we take away from this?

I’d offer two things:

  1. It’s a slap on the wrist, to me, for falling into the statistics trap without the full context, and
  2. It’s another way to reinforce that the general tactical approach, the players selected, and what positions they played were completely pear-shaped in game 1 last week!

I’ve learned my lesson – has Jurgen Klinsmann learned his?

In closing:

Since I was pretty harsh in my previous article, about the leadership of Jurgen Klinsmann, it’s only fair I offer who I feel or think (without seeing these guys train on a regular basis) who should suit up for the USMNT.  

This isn’t about me being right or wrong – it’s about me offering up, my views, so others can throw sticks and stones at me.  :)

Bottom line at the bottom.

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT, All Rights Reserved  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

US Men’s National Team Mauls the Minnow Guatemala 4-nil
8228336-portraits-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/36-portraits-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/871177_paintings_401-600x390.jpg

“I just want each painting to say something. Even though it is a portrait, can they see the joy in these womens’ faces?” – Hilarie Couture

36 Portraits

Artist Hilarie Couture painted 36 portraits of influential women in Clark County. The portraits will be on display at popular Vancouver locations from May to December.

Click for full story

99796moneyball-2-soccer-statistics-taking-it-to-the-next-level-10 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/moneyball-2-soccer-statistics-taking-it-to-the-next-level-10/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/us-soccer-crest-2016-600x300.jpeg

Probably the biggest leader in soccer analytics (Prozone Sports) have released two products in the last year, or so, that should begin to change the landscape of soccer statistics.

I applaud their actions but I’m still not convinced they scratch the right itch, or least my question; what are the best statistics available to better understand team performance and how individual players influence the outcome of team performance?

Warning – before settling down to read this, get a cup or pint of your favorite beverage.

My reason for wanting to know the answer to this question is three fold:

  1. The first is knowing, or having a better idea, of what information I would like, as a senior leader/owner, to best understand my teams’ performance relative to my opponents/competitors.
  2. The second is knowing, or having a better idea, on what types of players I would need to buy/sell in order to improve my team.
  3. The third is knowing, or having a better idea, on what the true value of a player is when looking to negotiate a contract.

Before digging into what might scratch my itch here’s a summary on what Prozone Sports has done of late:

Styles of play (Possession) = (tactical profiling).   Dr. Hector Ruiz and Prozone Sports have identified eight styles of play (what I almost call eight styles of possession).  They are:

Each of these styles of play have definitions and video examples on what they mean and how they are calculated.  It’s a great presentation and opens the eyes on many different ways we can view the game.

Now my own thoughts on Tactical Profiling:

Game Intelligence; A product developed by Prozone Sports that is similar to what has been offered in the NBA (gravity).  They have identified eight of them; here they are with their brief definitions provided by Prozone Sports:

Now my own thoughts on Game Intelligence:

In short, this product is an attempt to address the weaknesses in current statistics – there isn’t a great way to measure the un-measurable. In particular the unmeasured statistics on the defensive side of the pitch.

Like Tactical Profiling I believe Prozone Sports have taken a great leap forward in doing this; but it still lacks.

A good example on why it lacks is the statistic called “Player Attraction”.

In conclusion:

So what’s next?

I think the number of styles of play/possession by Prozone are excessive. Its’ simpler than that. For me there are only two styles of play (possession). They are:

What does Possession with the intent to possess mean?

What does Possession Penetration into the Attacking Final Third mean?

Back to my original question:  

What are the best statistics available to better understand team performance and how individual players influence the outcome of team performance?

For me, the first statistics to help answer this question are those used in Composite PWP:  The difference between how the opponent attacks against you and how you attack against the opponent.  With these team statistics being the most important:

Put differently – any or all of those Tactical Profiling or Game Intelligence statistics should be evaluated for how well they correlate (influence) these team statistics.  If there is a strong negative or positive correlation to any of my PWP team performance indicators then they add value.

Next – what current individual statistics, in this list below, show a consistently strong negative or positive correlation to the team statistics above?

In reality – none of them show strong consistency from team to team.  

Here’s a recent example that may better describe what I mean.

In closing – this game is about two teams playing, not one; therefore all relevant team statistics, and subsequent individual player statistics must account for both teams activities, not just one.

Best, Chris

COPYRIGHT – All Rights Reserved.  PWP – Trademark

Chris Gluck

I have been covering the Portland Timbers and Major League Soccer, as a community blogger/analyst for the Columbian Newspaper, since June, 2012. Since then my involvement in soccer analysis has expanded to include participating in the Regional Emmy Award Winning Soccer City PDX TV Show (Comcast Sports Northwest). My unique analytical approach has been published in Europe and presented at the World Conference on Science and Soccer 2014. I also appear regularly as a co-host on Rose City Soccer Show and the Yellowcarded Podcast. You can find my work on PossessionwithPurpose.com, PTFC Collective and Prost Amerika.

Moneyball 2 – Soccer Statistics – Taking it to the next level
96948blog-restart-with-healthy-living-tips-14 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/blog-restart-with-healthy-living-tips-14/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_4279-768x1024-345x460.jpg
Blog RESTART with healthy living tips

Another year older, wiser and happier!

Sated Sensitive back in business after a long hiatus… figuring things out.  I’m now living a fuller life with the integration of more healthy living tips into my daily routine.  Thank you for your patience.

I’m a mid life career changer.  I’ve done a little bit of this and that – US Marines, dot.com’er, wa state employee, small business owner and operator… to parts unknown recently.  For the last year I’ve been off studying Nutritional Therapy at Portland Community College’s Institute for Health Professionals.  

I’m now ready to incorporate what I’ve learned into this blog and explore healthy living tips in and around Clark County and beyond, share some helpful tidbits for living a life with food sensitivities (gluten free, dairy free and soy free)  and just plain food ramblings from this food enthusiast and culinary creative.  Come along for the journey into health and wellness with me.

Blog RESTART with healthy living tips

 

 

 

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

Blog RESTART with healthy living tips
60060forward-past-portland-timbers-2016 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/forward-past-portland-timbers-2016/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/03/TIFO-600x270.jpg Portland Timbers open the season defending their MLS Cup this weekend and I can't even begin to imagine the atmosphere we'll witness. For those local to Portland - what a day this will be! For those watching on national TV - I hope the play-by-play is worthy as the atmosphere is sure to be unlike any other!  The tingles down my spine are already happening and we haven't even heard the national anthem (sung by the Timbers Army at every season home opener) yet! All that said - it's time for one of my favorite words....  grist - let's get to the grist of Timbers as this season begins anew. Defending the Cup! If you listened to our latest Rose City Soccer Show you know the thoughts from Kip Kesgard, Will Conwell, Dan Adams and myself on some of these topics below relative to 2015 and how they fit into success for 2016:
  1. Diego Chara becomes lone CDM & Darlington Nagbe shifts to central midfield.
  2. Timbers find their goal scoring form in the last 10 games.
  3. Timbers consistency in the back four.
  4. Timbers bench/depth.
Here's mine on all four. Darlington Nagbe and Diego Chara play the double pivot in a singular way Diego Chara becomes the lone CDM and Darlington Nagbe shifts to central midfield: If anyone expects Caleb Porter to begin the season abandoning the late season success of this tactical change - fahgetaboutit - not going to happen! But..... I would offer the attacking scheme might not play the same - game in and game out. Here's why. If you watched the last pre-season match, against a VERY MUCH IMPROVED Chicago Fire, you would know the Timbers found it extremely difficult to push down the middle.  The reason for that was down to the opposing Head Coach - Veljko Paunovic. Chicago opened in a 5-3-2 defensive scheme (low block in the middle) that switched to a 3-5-2 in attack.  A reasonable tactical move but not one seen effectively executed in MLS for awhile. So if/when an opponent adjusts their defensive scheme, to clog the middle, the Timbers (both players and coaching staff) NEED to read and make attacking tactical adjustments quicker.  It wasn't until the 2nd half where the Timbers began to deliver more (early) crosses from higher and wider up the pitch. When taking that approach it is believed the early ball will increase the chances of catching the low block (5-3) out of sorts.  When that happens unplanned spaces can open up where subsequent passes (from a strong passing team like the Timbers) can take advantage of that space in order to create better chances in scoring a goal. Bottom line here - a simple transition of Nagbe to the center, with Chara as the single defensive-minded midfielder, is not going to win games just for the sake of winning games.  But... it will force opponents to spend more time developing defensive tactics - and that time working their defense efforts takes time away from them developing more attacking schemes. Timbers find their goal scoring form in the last 10 games: Fernando Adi   For me, this is an effect - and the cause of that effect is the first tactical change.  Therefore I don't see this as a positive outcome, of substance, on its own. Put it this way. If they didn't find their goal scoring form in those last ten games (given the tactical change of moving Nagbe more central) we wouldn't be having this discussion.  Instead - we'd probably be talking more about what additional personnel changes were made to fix the paltry scoring habits we saw earlier last year. I think it's worthy to remember the Portland Timbers were one of the worst goal scoring teams (up until the final ten games) in MLS. I, for one, certainly recall the major topic of discussion last year was their inability to score goals.  And the problem wasn't quantity it was quality.  When Nagbe moved more central that created more space and time elsewhere.  Let's hope that trend continues this year. Finally - the move of Nagbe to the center of the ptich wasn't an independent decision; a good portion of that decision being an option was the development of Diaron Asprilla taking over the right wing. Others may disagree - but if I'd offer if Asprilla isn't ready to take on those right wing duties Caleb Porter really doesn't have any other choice but to leave Darlington Nagbe on the right side. Timbers consistency in the back four: Mr. Consistent Even with all the clean sheets the Timbers had last year I wouldn't offer they were consistent - at least man-for-man across the entire back four. If I had to use the word consistent - the only name that comes to mind (for last year) is Jorge Villafana. Now that's not intended to be harsh - I fully get that the regular back four was strong - with that many clean sheets credit is due - but...  the credit for clean sheets can also go to the Timbers playing two central defending midfielders as well as having a very strong goal keeper - Adam Kwarasey. So, for me, from a team perspective, the consistency wasn't about the back four it was (mostly) about the back seven. In looking at this year - a direct replacement for Jorge Villafana has yet to take shape - and with Jorge gone can the Timbers sustain their low goals against with only one CDM? I don't know - we'll have to wait and see. Timbers bench/depth: Asprilla For me this was the single, most critical, aspect to the success of the Timbers last year. If Dairon Asprilla doesn't develop... If Jack Jewsbury doesn't come in and replace the injured Ben Zemanski and Will Johnson... If Gaston Fernandez and Maxi Urruti don't score some late goals in early games... If Taylor Peay doesn't come in and shut down the likes of Graham Zusi and others... and If Norberto Paparatto doesn't come in and throw a shut-out (Timbers don't lose any games he starts) I don't think the Timbers make the playoffs! Translating the success of last year to this year: Attacking midfielders: Fullbacks: Center-backs: In looking at the CDM's: Wingers, wide-outs, and forwards. Striker. Goal Keepers.   2016 Bench: In closing: As noted after the season last year (Through the Looking Glass - Defending the MLS Cup) moving on and not getting complacent is critical. In listening to some of the interviews Caleb has had this off-season he seems well entrenched in recognizing that. I have confidence he will continue to develop his team in order to get to that point where any one of 18 guys can start and execute his game plans.  But I don't think he's at that point yet. Fixing the bench may not translate to winning the Western Conference - but as we saw last year - you don't need to win the Conference to win the Cup! RCTID!  Kickoff in 43 hours 20 minutes and 10, 9, 8 seconds... Best, Chris 82286garage-sale-man-4 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/garage-sale-man-4/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/985778_2-21_portrait_Dean_Yankee_303-600x418.jpg

“I have two associates, two bachelor’s and a master’s. Now I sell junk. I’ve done a lot of different things in my life.” – Dean Yankee

Garage Sale Man

The sales and salvage side of Yankee’s Custom Farming was born as a garage sale no one else wanted to have. Yankee would take in boats and tractors, fix them up and offer them for sale on his property. Now he cleans out foreclosures and estates and takes in drop-offs of seemingly everything but radioactive waste. It may seem a mess, but Yankee keeps a mental inventory of all the odd parts and furniture and antiques.

“I built big green fences, because Californians don’t like the look of anything obnoxious.” – Dean Yankee

Click for full story.

82289the-animal-rescuer-2 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/the-animal-rescuer-2/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/11/02-21_A1_Portrait_-_Caroline_Reiswig-600x424.jpg

“I realized that everybody can do something. All of us can help. Because if you treat the animal humanely, then you’re naturally going to treat each other better.” – Caroline Reiswig

The Animal Rescuer

Today, Reiswig, a retired corporate manager who has lived in Camas 12 years, pours her energy into animal welfare causes. She’s coordinator of a Larch Corrections Center program in Yacolt that pairs inmates with shelter cats until the cats are ready for adoption. She works with the Animal Society of America and has volunteered for two local shelters. She’s found homes for more than a dozen animals on death row in California shelters. And she’s personally adopted several dogs and cats that had been severely abused and neglected in their former lives.

Click for full story.

 

59914the-fisherman https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/the-fisherman/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/02/686207_Portrait_Outdoors_596-600x399.jpg

“The best day now is a warm day in August. No wind… and we’re trolling for salmon and steelhead. And we catch a couple. And we’re home by noon and have enjoyed the day.” – Larry Snyder

The Fisherman

The Fisherman

Larry Snyder of Vancouver has spent thousands of hours in the past 50 years fishing for salmon in the lower Columbia River and steelhead in its tributaries. The retired schoolteacher has spent thousands more hours as a sport-fishing activist, doing everything from hosting candidate forums to placing coho carcasses as nutrients in local streams.

Click for full story.

59906senior-bowler https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/senior-bowler/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/02/753057-bowling-Portrait_04-600x400.jpg

“My favorite part about bowling is getting strikes.” – John Hallet, 93

Senior Bowler

Senior Bowler

Senior Bowler

John Hallett, 93, who lives in Vancouver, bowls three days a week in different leagues, never missing a day. He was born in Atherton, Australia, in 1922. When he was 18, he enlisted in the Australian Army and spent three years in the Australian Tank Corps before transferring to the Royal Australian Air Force.

Click here for the full story.

59722battle-ground-pottercareen-stoll https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/battle-ground-pottercareen-stoll/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/02/717869-portrait-Careen-Stoll_04-600x406.jpg

“Mostly, I’m just inspired by the natural world…The way tumbled stone feels really good in your hands—that’s what I’m going for.” – Careen Stoll

 

Potter Careen Stoll is pictured with a mug she created Thursday morning, Jan. 7, 2016 at her Battle Ground studio. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Battle Ground Potter

Potter Careen Stoll works on a plate Thursday morning, Jan. 7, 2016 at her Battle Ground studio. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian

Battle Ground Potter

Vegetable fermentation crocks made by potter Careen Stoll are pictured Thursday morning, Jan. 7, 2016 at her Battle Ground studio. (Amanda Cowan/The Columbian)

Careen fell in love with ceramics when she was a little girl. The full time potter now creates tableware for local chefs and restaurant owners.

96713we-have-a-fair-queen-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/we-have-a-fair-queen-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/P1080083-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Last night was a BIG night for Clark County Fair Fans!  Our 2016 Fair Court Queen was crowned!

You might remember that three princesses were selected on the last night of the Fair back in August.  Since then, Mikaela, Shaylee, and Serenity have been keeping very busy learning about how to talk to the media and be in the public eye and be ambassadors for The Best County Fair on the Planet.

Last night, our 2016 Queen was announced as the three probably-nervous-but-totally-holding-it-together young women opened large boxes containing balloons.  As the balloons sprung out of the boxes, it was Serenity Gibbs who was standing behind the box with the royal purple balloon floating above her head.  Hooray Queen Serenity!!

Keep your eyes out in the months ahead for Queen Serenity and her Princess Court all around Clark County and the Portland metro. Parades, community events, farmers markets, rodeos…the girls will be busy getting the word out about the 2016 Clark County Fair.  It starts on Friday, August 5.  Mark your calendars!  Mine has been marked for months.

Just 179 days ’til FAIR!!

We have a Fair Queen!

Princess Shaylee, Queen Serenity, and Princess Mikaela getting introduced to the paparazzi

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

We have a Fair Queen!
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Yeah, we still have 184 days until The Fair but that doesn’t mean important Fair Business isn’t happening.

This Saturday night — February 6 — we will finally find out which of the three Clark County Fair Court Princesses will be our Queen for the 2016 Fair and all the events and excitement leading up to it.   WHOO HOO!

The Coronation will be held in the Big Air Conditioned Building (or, this time of year, Big Heated Building) also known as the Events Center at the Fairgrounds.  Doors open at 5:00pm and the program starts at 6:00pm.  There will be western-style food and music and a silent auction and rumors of a Dessert Dash for all sorts of homemade goodies.  I’m reallly hoping for something of the deep fried variety.

Tickets are $20 at the door but you can save $5 if you buy them beforehand.  Either call the Fair Administrative office at (360) 397-6180 or comment on the Fair Court’s Facebook page and they can hook you up.

Wishing you all good luck, Mikaela, Shaylee, and Serenity!!

Fair Court Queen to be crowned this Saturday!

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Fair Court Queen to be crowned this Saturday!
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Walking into the Commonwealth Cafe is like entering a modern fairy tale. In this fairy tale, you go to Grandma’s house for lunch and two guys have taken over her kitchen. These two guys are Jim Kavanaugh and Reid Ashwill – the owners and sole employees of this fine establishment. The Commonwealth Cafe is located at 31st and Columbia Street in the Carter Park neighborhood. The decor is eclectic. When you walk in, you notice a turntable, a collection of vinyl records (vinyl donations), some ceramic knick knacks and a sign that poses the question What Would John Wayne Do? The menu is comprised of breakfast sandwiches (on house made english muffins) and regular sandwiches — both are served all day.

The owners met as chefs at Lovejoy Bakery in Portland and have differing tastes in food. Jim has a fondness for Western European cuisine. Reid’s interests are Middle Eastern Cuisine, Mediterranean Cuisine, and the American South. This eclectic mix of tastes and interests shows in the menu which has a complexity of flavors put together in a welcoming and familiar format – sandwiches. Jim and Reid are influenced and inspired by the work of other chefs. Their house made English muffin recipe is based on a recipe in David Chang’s Momofuku cookbook. They played with that recipe for a couple of weeks and came up with the English muffins that they bake daily at the Commonwealth Cafe.

Commonwealth Cafe – Giving Us All That Sandwich Love

I went to Commonwealth Cafe with my friend, Nichole. She is the one who told me about it and she has become my trusty companion on my food adventures. We ordered the Commonwealth and the Kentucky Hot Brown. The Commonwealth was amazing. We agreed that we could eat it everyday for the rest of our lives and be happy. It had Commonwealth’s house made tomato jam, wilted greens, an over medium egg, house made maple sausage, and cheddar cheese. The soft, tangy, chewy english muffin was the perfect vehicle for this mix of fresh homemade goodness. The ingredients are sealed to the muffin with a rich, tangy, sweet tomato jam and then everything melds seamlessly together creating a collection of perfect bites of egg, greens, maple sausage, and melted cheese.

Commonwealth Cafe – Giving Us All That Sandwich Love

The Kentucky Hot Brown was equally well-thought out and executed. It is made of thick sliced turkey breast, garlic butter, tomato jam, bacon, bechamel sauce and served on sliced rustic french loaf. The sweet and tangy house made tomato jam mixed with the bechamel sauce creates a creamy, tangy, sweet pillow for the other ingredients to lie in. Like the Commonwealth sandwich, the ingredients in this sandwich fit together in a perfect combination of taste and texture. There are so many good things going on in this sandwich that the bacon plays a supporting role – adding a bit of smoke and crispness but not overshadowing the other ingredients. In each bite, the tomato jam/bechamel sauce, turkey, bacon, garlic butter. Each bite is a bit of heaven. This is the result of house made ingredients carefully portioned and combined.

Commonwealth Cafe – Giving Us All That Sandwich Love

If you have some time on your hands, there are a plethora of good ways to while away an afternoon here. There is an antique pinball machine (Do Not Tilt!) with a cup of nickels thoughtfully placed next to it for your enjoyment, and a chalk board to report your score. There are comic books. There is an area labeled “The Library” filled with all kinds of vintage goodies. My eye was caught by a full set of the Time/Life series How to Cook. When the weather warms up, Jim and Reid are planning on opening up the back patio for some serious grilling. Their overall goal is to make everything in house. They hope to one day make all their own breads. Maybe this modern fairy tale has a happy ending and a fairy godmother will arrive and make all their wishes true. In the meantime, I highly recommend you visit the Commonwealth Cafe.

Commonwealth Cafe is located at 3100 Columbia Street in Vancouver.  They are open Tuesday – Friday 9-6pm, Saturday 10-4, and Sunday 10-3.

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Artists are full of great ideas. It’s sort of what we’re known for. But sometimes an artist’s good idea becomes a generative vision. Local artist and retired teacher Russell Ford has a vision of traveling to Africa this year to teach in a new program for empowering girls through art. No one can explain his vision better than him, and so I am including excerpts from his plan:

“I am a recently retired art teacher with a desire to continue teaching art but with a different goal and in a different part of the world. I think I have found a perfect fit for my skill set in an art school (Wayiwayi Studios) for young adults and children in Zambia, Africa.

This school is unique in that the couple that run it, Lawrence and Agness Yambwe, are both successful artists and they are heavily invested in uplifting the greater community through the creative experience. They share a special interest in improving the lives of African women (and through them, the men), and they have a compelling argument for doing that through their particular connections and unique abilities.

Though Lawrence and Agness have been hard at work developing this school for many years, it has been a dream of theirs that their students would benefit greatly from exposure to cultures outside their own. With this in mind, they have been using some of their meager resources to slowly build a covered space to house a guest artist-in-residence. This year, they were able to put a roof on the building, and though there are no amenities inside yet, they are prepared to accept their first artist-in-residence…me.

Though I am up for a chance to share and do my own art in such a space, I am especially excited to test my skills as an accomplished art teacher (Washington State art teacher of the year) in this special school. I have been an advocate for using art as a cultural bridge for some time and firmly believe that art is a universal language and I relish the chance to give proof to the theory by taking an active part in teaching both the regular classes and with those special students that participate on the weekends.

I have created a window of opportunity to go to teach for the month of April of this year. I have decided that this experience will be most meaningful if I am able to “work” my way to Africa rather than to be funded through others generosity. With that in mind, I have set out to create a body of work that I would love to sell to finance my trip. All proceeds from the sale of these works will finance the trip and my expenses for staying there, and everything extra will go to improve the residence facility with the goal of creating an ongoing program that will be even more inviting for the next resident.”

The upcoming event to sell Ford’s ceramic work and Lawrence Yambwe’s paintings to raise money for the program is at the Aurora Gallery at 1004 Main Street, Vancouver, WA in March 2016. There will be an opening celebration as part of the First Friday Art Walk on March 4th from 5-9pm.

Russell Ford photo courtesy of artist.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Local Artist’s Vision for African Residency
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Poetry is a pure religion for many writers and readers. Poets use images, rhythm, and carefully selected vocabulary words to express ideas that would take other types of writers hundreds or thousands of words to express. It is a spare and disciplined art form, and one that has always inspired me. I respect poets doubly for sharing their creations at open mics. It takes guts.

It’s not surprising that Clark County, home to so many kinds of artists, has three public poetry events monthly. Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic is the very popular creation of Clark County Poet Laureate Christopher Luna. It began in 2004 and goes strongly the second Thursday every month at Angst Gallery on Main Street in Vancouver. The next event is January 14th at 7pm.

Paper Tiger on Grand Boulevard in Vancouver has a poetry night every third Wednesday at 7pm. Their next event is January 20 and will be an homage to William Stafford. I attended their December event this past week and was delighted to see the Luna family reading together, in addition to several other poets. There is certainly a technique when reading poetry, and it’s always fun to watch live poetry performed. The hostess of the event, Joyce Colson, invited me to sign up for a turn at the mic after I sat down with my tea. Maybe someday, but not that night, I thought. The audience was very accepting and encouraging; making reading there something I have now put on my bucket list.

At Barnes and Noble on Fourth Plain in Vancouver on the last Tuesday of the month there is a poetry open mic at 7pm. I haven’t had an opportunity to attend this one, but I’ve heard it mentioned approvingly many times by local writers.

There are as many ways to express the self as there are selves, yet I have a special appreciation for artists who use the medium of poetry, and those who have the courage to share their words. Locally, there are plenty of opportunities to listen and read at open mics and enjoy the camaraderie of live poetry.

The iconic one-pager collages promoting Ghost Town Poetry Open Mics are a fun read in and of themselves.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Poetry Off The Page: Open Mics in Vancouver
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It’s Wednesday morning, it has been raining so much the last few days that I am ready to build an ark and start rounding the animals up two by two. I have been trying to eat healthy and I made some clean eating muffins.

Paper Tiger + Rosycakes = The Perfect BreakfastThey taste as good as they look. I couldn’t even be bothered to open the ziploc bag this morning. I would have my son invite some friends over after school so they can throw them at each other; but, they may break a window or put an eye out. Anyway, I needed something better to eat this morning to lighten up my spirits and take on the day. So, I decided to treat myself to my new favorite breakfast — a cup of house coffee from Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters and a cinnamon roll from Rosycakes Bakery. I first stopped at the bakery.

Paper Tiger + Rosycakes = The Perfect BreakfastRosycakes is a recently-opened bakery located on Grand Avenue and Evergreen. It is owned and run by the Williams family and everything is made fresh, from scratch, everyday. Rosie Williams, the matriarch of the family, started making wedding and birthday cakes in her home in 2012. The business grew and her daughter Kimberly joined her in making the cakes. In 2015, they noticed that a storefront was opened in their neighborhood and they decided to open a storefront bakery. Rosie’s husband, Terry, a recently-retired physician, helps with inventory and running the business. He is often in front by the register, chatting up customers.

Paper Tiger + Rosycakes = The Perfect BreakfastNow that we are in the Christmas season, there are a variety of Christmas cookies – little gingerbread men and women in cute red and white outfits, Santa cookies, and cookies that look like ornaments.  Rosie said that she loves giving the gingerbread people different outfits.  As we were talking, she was putting the final touches on her Star of David cookies for Hanukkah.  Regardless of the season, Rosycakes always seems to have small loaves of homemade breads made of fruit and nuts.  And, there are always their sumptuous cinnamon rolls ($4/roll).  The cinnamon roll is made of a rich pillow of dough wrapped around cinnamon, sugar, and butter.  It is topped with the perfect swipe of cream cheese frosting. The cinnamon rolls are made according to an old family recipe passed on from Rosie’s mother who worked at the capitol building in Salem in the 1950s.  This recipe was used to make cinnamon rolls in the capitol building’s cafeteria.

Next door to Rosycakes is the Paper Tiger.  The Paper Tiger is owned by Sue and Kenny Fletcher.  Kenny roasts all the coffee in house five days a week. The house coffee ($1.50) is rich, balanced, and full-bodied — a batch of it is made in a french press several times a day.  The interior of Paper Tiger is no-nonsense, the floor is a well worn wood and the tables and chairs are sturdy.  It is a small space with a neighborhood feel to it.  The former owner of the Paper Tiger passed over several other potential owners in favor of Kenny; because, he recognized that Kenny was an excellent coffee roaster with a friendly personality.  Everyone that comes in is greeted like a long lost friend.

Paper Tiger + Rosycakes = The Perfect Breakfast

While I was hanging out, a teacher and student from the School for the Blind strolled in to say hi and the teacher grabbed a cup of coffee. Kenny teaches kids from the School for the Blind to roast coffee for their school coffee shop and to raise money for their sports teams. A few other guys stopped by to chat and grab coffee to go. Another woman walked in, sat down, and told Kenny not to bother to get up — she could help herself.

The music you will hear at Paper Tiger will depend on the barista. If you see a tall man, with a shaved head, who looks like he belongs on a motorcycle — that is Kenny. He will be playing something that sounds like there should be a mosh pit — Social Distortion, The Pogues, The Dropkick Murphys, played at a low coffeeshop volume. The music made me miss my well-worn Doc Marten boots that I passed on to my little sister and my restless youth spent loitering around suburban Detroit; so, I was digging it. If you like mellow music, the other baristas play more eclectic and gentler tunes.

The term Paper Tiger means a person or thing that appears threatening but is ineffectual and unable to withstand challenges. I would say that Paper Tiger’s coffee could withstand any coffee challenge. This is coffee you drink black and wish that your mug never runs dry. But, Paper Tiger does sounds cooler than just Tiger or Tiger Tiger.

Rosycakes Bakery is located at 701 Grand Boulevard in Vancouver.  Their hours are Tuesday – Friday from 7:00am – 3:30pm, and Saturday from 8:00 am – 3:00 pm.  Call or email to special order birthday or wedding cakes.

Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters is located at 703 Grand Boulevard in Vancouver.  Their hours are Monday – Friday from 6:30am – 5:00 pm and Saturday and Sunday from 7:30am – 2:00 pm. 

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Arts of Clark County founding member Laurel Whitehurst connected with Winter Hospitality Overflow last year. She offered to visit St. Andrews Church on Gher, where WHO operates during the cold season, once a week and provide arts and crafts for families at the shelter. This year she and a few other volunteers are helping out again, providing paint, markers, paper, stamps, and other art materials and lessons for homeless families.

The project needs more supplies. To donate, drop off new art supplies to Shipyard Millie’s at 100 E 19th ST, Vancouver, WA. Arts of Clark County volunteers will pick them up from there. Thank you!

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Artists Giving Back
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It’s that time of the month again- First Friday Artwalk in the Vancouver Arts District. Local galleries made their lists and checked them twice and hung shows with collectible and gift-able art by a variety of local artists. Joining in the festivities are also businesses like Eric Runyan Jewelers, Boomerang Coffee House, Cellar 55 and the Clark County Historical Museum. The list of participating businesses is so long it’s best to follow this link to the Vancouver Downtown Association’s HOTSHEET to get the complete story.

For those headed out to First Friday with holiday shopping in mind, Gallery 360 and North Bank Artists Gallery have gift-able art shows. Aurora Gallery and Art on the Boulevard always carry inventory of jewelry, ceramics, and other items perfect for thoughtful presents.

Charitable giving is the focus at some businesses, like Above & Below Art Studio which is doing a Toys and Towel Drive, Clark County Food Bank’s presentation of “A Place at the Table” at Loowit Brewing, and Salon Moxi’s annual fundraiser for the Humane Society for SW Washington.

This First Friday has something special for just about everyone. Please join us!

North Bank Artist Chrissie Forbes is showing unique recycled art robots in the front gallery.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

First Friday’s Big Holiday Celebration
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It was a cold and rainy day and I was looking for a warm spot to get a hot bowl of soup and read. I did some research on local cafes and found the website for Latte Da Coffeehouse and Wine Bar. Latte Da is located on east 39th Street near Main Street in a charming mixed business and residential area.

The cafe is an old craftsman home remade into a friendly community meeting place. The first thing you see are trees and a community board framed by hand-painted tiles with fliers tacked on it for art classes, poetry readings, non-profit benefits. The house is divided into a main room and a wine bar in the back. The walls are a warm cream color, there are well worn wood floors, small round tables, and some big comfy armchairs. The owners, Scott and Sarah Flury, lived in the neighborhood for 14 years when they noticed the empty house. Scott left his corporate job to create a gathering place for the neighborhood – a place to sit, relax, and enjoy conversation. He wanted a place for business meetings, events, community gatherings. The events that take place are a mix of the wine tastings, art classes, and community events mostly based on ideas brought to the owners by their customers.

Scott originally envisioned offering coffee, wine, and beer. Latte Da began offering breakfast, lunch, and dinner based on what the customers wanted. Being in an old home, on a cold day, around lunch time made me crave the type of lunch my Mom would make us on a snow day. I chose a bowl of the soup of the day (potato leek) and grilled cheese (sourdough bread with cheddar cheese).

The potato leek soup was luscious and flavorful with tender cubes of potato and flecks of leek. The broth was light with just the right amount of salt. The grilled cheese was made on a spongy sourdough bread with a crisp crust and lightly toasted to melt the medium-sharp cheddar cheese inside it. This was exactly the meal I wanted.

Latte Da reminds me of the early days of the coffeeshop renaissance in the early 1990s. A time when a coffee shop was a cool neighborhood spot with its own vibe and rhythms. Each coffeeshop had a clear sense of place and was stamped with the owner’s quirky personality and the energy and eccentricities of its regulars. It was an innocent time when Starbuck was a character from Moby Dick or Battlestar Gallactica, the words half-cap no whip would draw a blank stare, and tall meant a large drink.

It wasn’t a perfect time; but, it was a perfect time for coffeehouses. Latte Da is a time capsule from that era – there are poetry readings, art classes, community get togethers. There is a box in the front to collect presents for families at the local domestic violence shelter, art work from local artist — Julieth Maya Buri on the walls, and fliers encouraging support of local businesses. This is a warm, comfortable place to curl up with a book and a bowl of soup. It is the ideal place to hibernate for the winter.

Latte da Coffeehouse and Wine Bar is located at 205 East 39th Street in Vancouver.  Their hours are Monday – Friday 6:30 am – 8:00 pm, Saturday 7:00 am – 8:00 pm, and Sunday 7:00 am – 5:00 pm.  Updated hours and information about events can be found on their Facebook page.

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Last week I attended a forum for New Community Visions for the Arts hosted by Americans for the Arts. Those who listen to National Public Radio might recognize Americans for the Arts as donors mentioned between segments. From my assigned reading for the event I learned this organization is over fifty years old and was instrumental in the formation of the National Endowment for the Arts. They are essential in arts advocacy at a regional and national level- their political action committee has 300,000 members and growing.

I participated in one of eight forums held around the country. The events are sort of all-day think tanks with the mission of generating ideas for how arts can grow and develop in our communities over the next decade and more. There were foci on arts and infrastructure, arts and health & wellness, arts in education, and arts and rehabilitation for those who are incarcerated.

The enthusiasm level was high and the conversations never stopped. Attending were executive directors for programs as diverse as prison arts, community theater and even Burning Man. Also participating were many city employees from communities from all over the West Coast. A Public Arts administrator from a mid-sized California city worked with me on a break out session, coming up with ways to improve the quality of arts in hospitals. These city employees were highly professional and inspired, making meaningful contributions to their communities.

What was made crystal clear during these conversations was how the arts can be a lightning rod for healing, prosperity, and social justice. The arts are the creative catalyst that can bring together entire communities, and inspire individuals to find their purposes.

What all the data shows us: communities that engage with the arts in purposeful and organized ways will enjoy successes.

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Organizing the Arts for Successes
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Khao man gai is the Thai version of Hainanese chicken rice.  This steamed chicken and rice dish is extremely popular in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand and Vietnam.  The Thai version, Khao man gai, translates as oiled rice with chicken.  To make this dish, a whole chicken is simmered in water with salt, sugar, garlic, ginger, and pandan leaves.  The jasmine oiled rice accompanying the chicken is made by sauteing the rice with shallots, garlic, ginger, galangal, and pandan leaves in chicken fat then adding broth.  This makes the rice flavorful and gives it its oily texture.  The dish is served with sliced cucumbers, fresh cilantro, and sauce made of soybean paste, soy sauce, garlic, ginger, red eye chillies, and white vinegar.  An excellent primer for making khao man gai is offered by Nong Poonsukwattana of Nong’s Kaho Man Gai in a video I found on her website.  A cup of chicken broth with thickly sliced daikon is served on the side.

Khun Jo’s — Try a Little Tenderness

My first encounter with khao man gai was a lunch I had at Nong’s Khao Man Gai in Portland. When I moved to the area, I began researching food trucks. Nong’s was always listed as the best. I was a bit skeptical. What could be  special about steamed chicken with rice? Finally, my curiosity took over and I headed to Nong’s storefront in Portland. It was amazing — it was one of those meals where I just sit and eat slowly and hope that it never ends.

So, when I noticed that the owners of Ginger Pop were opening a restaurant for khao man gai I was excited. Khun Jo’s has a fresh, modern, clean look to it. The whimsical Khun Jo’s chicken symbol is placed on different parts of the walls. Before reaching the counter there was a nice variety of Khun Jo’s teas and baked goods neatly organized and tastefully packaged.

I ordered at the counter. Khun Jo’s has a short menu —  the main dishes are khao man gai (steamed chicken and rice), khao gai todd (fried chicken and rice), peek gai tod nahm pla (fish sauce marinated fried chicken wings), and khao kamoo (stewed pork leg, egg and rice). Khao is the Thai word for rice; so, there is a clear focus here — chicken or pork and rice. I was a bit tempted by the fried chicken; however, I am always on the lookout for quick, inexpensive, healthy dining. And, I was dying to try their khao man gai. The food was brought to me shortly after I ordered.  It was a chilly day; so, I went for the chicken broth first.

The broth was warm. It had a rich chicken flavor enhanced by a bit of ginger and garlic. The two thick slices of daikon at the bottom of the broth were tender and toothsome. The soup was soothing and revitalizing — the perfect thing to sip on a cold day.

My attention then turned to the khao man gai. It looked a bit mixed up. I am used to neat slices of chicken placed carefully together; but, I don’t mind a messier looking dish if it tastes good. The choices of chicken for khao man gai are white meat, dark meat, or mixed type of chicken. I opted for a mix of white meat and dark meat. Unfortunately, the chicken was overcooked — it was chewy and dry.

The other components of the dish — rice, sauce, garnishes were good. The rice was a good quality jasmine rice perfectly cooked (just the right amount of firmness and tenderness) and seasoned (nice garlic and ginger flavors). The sauce was very good — it had a nice salty and sweet flavor with a good amount of ginger and just a hint of chile. The cilantro was fresh. The cucumber slices had a bit of a funky flavor, lacked a good crunch — they were not very fresh. Despite the fact that the rice, the sauce, the soup, and the fresh cilantro were all good — they could not disguise the fact that the the chicken was overcooked. The dish is topped with crispy, fried chicken skin — this is not a traditional topping. But, who doesn’t like a bit of hot crisp chicken fat? It made me think that maybe I should have ordered the fried chicken.

I really enjoyed being at Khun Jo’s and I would love to be able to get a good khao man gai on this side of the river. If the chicken was moister, I would be at this restaurant all the time.

Khun Jo’s is located at 2100 SE 164th Avenue, Suite A-109 in Vancouver.  Their hours are Monday through Saturday 10:30 am – 8:00 pm.  

 

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Clark County is home to very talented young artists, and singer Jeffrey Graham is one example.  Graham attended the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics, including two years of choir. He also took a few years of piano lessons, and then self-taught guitar. With the goal of making a career in music as a performer, songwriter, or sound engineer, he has a clear vision.

Graham plays gigs all around Vancouver. See him at Woody’s Tacos, on Evergreen and Columbia Street, tomorrow, Friday, Nov. 13th from 5-9pm, or next week on Thursday, Nov. 19th from 5-7pm at North Bank Artists Gallery at 1005 Main Street.

Go to Youtube to see him perform. My favorite of this collection is an excellent rendition of the Petty tune “Free Fallin’”. Or check out his site at jeffreygrahammusic.com.

Photo used with permission of Jeffrey Graham.

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Meet Local Singer/Songwriter Jeffrey Graham
85291how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-10-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/tailgate-talk/how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-10-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rice_Micah-650x650-460x460.jpg

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Lost to Rocky Mountain College 21-13 to fall to 4-5 both overall and in the Frontier Conference.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Beat Simon Fraser 30-24 to improve to 4-5 overall and 2-3 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Had a 95-yard kickoff return for a touchdown and another return for 47 yards. Also caught four passes for 44 yards and had two punt returns for a total of 22 yards.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Had a team-high 12 tackles, including seven solo.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL —Started at center for an offense that gained 342 yards and allowed two sacks.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB —Played in a backup role. Had one solo tackle.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR —Did not play.
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P —Did not play.
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Will likely redshirt.
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.

Citrus College

Last week: Lost to Long Beach 49-28 to fall to 2-7 overall and 1-4 in CCCAA conference play.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB – Had seven tackles including six solo and broke up one pass.
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost to Eastern Oregon 21-10 to fall to 3-7 overall and 3-6 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Played in a backup role and broke up one pass.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Beat College of Idaho 21-10 to improve to 4-6 overall and 4-5 in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Did not play
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Started. Tallied five tackles, including three solo and one for a loss. Also broke up a pass.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play.
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Had one tackle while playing in a backup role.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play.

Eastern Washington

Last week: Lost to Northern Arizona 52-30 to fall to 6-3 overall and 5-1 in the Big Sky.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 438 yards and allowed two sacks.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Played the fourth quarter in relief of struggling starter Jordan West. Completed 8 of 13 passes for 123 yards with no TDs or interceptions.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Feather River College

Last week: Lost to Sacramento 54-17 to fall to 1-8.

Josh Miller, Stevenson, Fr. DE — Stats not available.

Hobart College

Last week: Beat St. Lawrence 19-17 to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Liberty Conference.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K —Kicked off twice. His average of 61 yards per kickoff was the longest of three Hobart kickers who kicked off Saturday.

George Fox

Last week: Lost to Pacific 34-20 to fall to 3-6 overall and 1-5 in Northwest Conference play.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Lost to South Alabama 52-45 to fall to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Had six catches for 70 yards including a long of 25 yards.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to Montana 33-27 in overtime to fall to 2-7 overall and 1-5 in the Big Sky.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost to Lewis and Clark 26-7 to fall to 0-8 overall and 0-6 in the Northwest Conference.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Last week: The No. 2 Wildcats beat Puget Sound 72-3 to improve to 8-0 overall and 6-0 in the Northwest Conference. The Wildcats clinched their seventh consecutive conference title.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Did not play.
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So. DB – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Beat Loras College 31-21 to improve to 4-5 and 2-4 in the Iowa Conference.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Was injured early in the season and will use a medical redshirt.

Montana

Last week: Returned a blocked field goal in overtime to beat Idaho State 33-27. The Grizzlies improved to 5-4 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky Conference.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Started at wide receiver. Had five catches for 46 yards including a long of 18 yards.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Saw significant action in a backup role. He had six tackles including two sacks.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Will likely redshirt.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat No. 1 Southern Oregon 21-17 to improve to 8-1 overall and in Frontier Conference play.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost to Montana Western 52-6 to fall to 0-10 overall and 0-9 in the Frontier Conference.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 21 of 38 passes for 149 yards.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost to UCLA 41-0 to fall to 2-7 overall and 0-6 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Started at left guard for an offense that gained 246 yards and collectively allowed three sacks. Started for the second straight game after starting tackle Sean Harlow was injured, causing a shuffle in the offensive line.

Pacific University

Last week: Beat George Fox 34-20 to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: The No. 10 Vikings lost to Northern Colorado 35-32 to fall to 7-2 overall and 4-2 in the Big Sky.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Played but did not record a tackle.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Started at linebacker but did not record a tackle.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbia River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Lost to Chapman 27-13 to fall to 3-4 and 3-3 in SCIAC play.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Los Medanos 29-28 to improve to 7-3.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Started and had nine tackles, including three solo and one for a loss.

Simon Fraser

Last week: Lost to Central Washington 30-24 to fall to 0-8 overall and 0-5 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Gabe Lopes, Camas, Fr. LB — Played in a backup role and did not have a tackle.

Southern Oregon

Last week: The No. 1 Raiders lost to No. 9 Montana Tech 21-17 to fall to 7-2 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at left guard for an offense that gained 340 yards and collectively allowed one sack.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Will likely redshirt
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt

Washington

Last week: Lost to Utah 34-23 to fall to 4-5 overall and  2-4 in the Pac-12.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played but did not record a stat.

Washington State

Last Week: Beat Arizona State 38-24 to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-2 in the Pac-12.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made a 22-yard field goal and all five of his extra point attempts. Also kicked off seven times with three going for touchbacks.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB/DB – Had a team-high and career-high 14 tackles including nine solo. That included one sack.

Weber State

Last week: Beat UC Davis 23-3 to improve to 5-5 overall and 4-3 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat South Dakota Mines 33-15 to improve to 7-3 overall in a nonconference game. The Wolves are 4-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat Willamette 20-16 to improve to 8-1 overall and 5-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to Colorado State 26-7 to fall to 1-8 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Had three catches for 31 yards, including a long of 13.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played but did not have a catch.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

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The very busy Vancouver Downtown Association decided to do a fresh public art piece many months ago. The process of developing and implementing a project like this takes a commitment from employees, volunteers, artists, and donors. From concept to construction to installation, it is a loving labor- a gift from one group of people to generations of residents and guests to come.

Cobalt Designworks’ Dave Frei and Jennifer Corio created this large metal and basalt piece. After an open call for proposals, theirs was selected by a volunteer public art committee. Uptown Village also has a similar process underway for a new piece of public art.

Public art adds interest, flavor, and let’s face it, a little spirit to our streets and parks. The folks who make these projects happen do it from a place of generosity.

The VDA will dedicate the Founding Mother’s Sculpture at noon this Friday, November 6, at Esther Short Park’s Propstra Square. In addition to local leaders, artists, and community members, the women’s choir from the Vancouver School of Arts and Academics will perform a folk song. Raising awareness of the richness of our history and the talent of our local artists are good reasons to gather.

Dave Frei and Jennifer Corio bring in their piece “Heart and Stone”. Photo courtesy of VDA.

 

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Honoring our Founding Mothers in “Heart and Stone”
85293how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-9-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/tailgate-talk/how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-9-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rice_Micah-650x650-460x460.jpg

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Beat Montana State-Northern 62-7. The win lifted the Saints to 4-4 both overall and in the Frontier Conference.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Bye week.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL —
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P —
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Will likely redshirt.
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.

Citrus College

Last week: Bye week.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost to Montana Western 27-23 to fall to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Had three tackles while playing in a backup role.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Lost to No. 10 Montana Tech 42-24 to fall to 3-6 overall and 3-5 in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Had four tackles and forced one fumble.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Did not play.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play.
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Had three tackles, including two solo while playing in a backup role.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play.

Eastern Washington

Last week: Beat Weber State 14-13 to improve to 6-2 overall and 5-0 in the Big Sky.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that had a rough time, gaining just 189 yards. But a win is a win, right?
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Feather River College

Last week: Lost to College of the Siskiyous 63-28 to fall to 1-7.

Josh Miller, Stevenson, Fr. DE — Had three tackles.

Hobart College

Last week: Beat Union 52-14 to improve to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Liberty Conference.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K —Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Lost to No. 2 Linfield 24-0 to fall to 3-5 overall and 1-4 in Northwest Conference play.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Lost to New Mexico State 55-48 in overtime to fall to 3-5 overall and 2-3 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end. Had three catches for 74 yards including a long of 34 yards.

Idaho State

Last week: Bye week.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost to Willamette 49-14 to fall to 0-7 overall and 0-5 in the Northwest Conference.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Last week: The No. 2 Wildcats beat George Fox 24-0 to improve to 7-0 overall and 5-0 in the Northwest Conference.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Did not play.
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So. DB – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Lost to Coe College 44-22 to fall to 3-5 and 1-4 in the Iowa Conference.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Was injured early in the season and will use a medical redshirt.

Montana

Last week: Lost to Portland State 35-16 to fall to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in the Big Sky Conference.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Started at wide receiver. Did not make a catch, but had three kickoff returns for 68 yards and recovered an onside kick.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Saw significant action in a backup role, making one tackle.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Will likely redshirt.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat Eastern Oregon 42-24 to improve to 7-1 overall and in Frontier Conference play.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost to Carroll College 62-7 to fall to 0-9 overall and 0-8 in the Frontier Conference.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 13 of 38 passes for 178 yards, including a 77 yard touchdown. He also had three interceptions.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost to Utah 27-12 to fall to 2-6 overall and 0-5 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Started at left guard for an offense that gained 312 yards and allowed just one sack. Figures to see his role increase after starting tackle Sean Harlow was injured, causing a shuffle in the offensive line.

Pacific University

Last week: Lost to Whitworth 50-33 to fall to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: The No. 12 Vikings beat No. 17 Montana 35-16 to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in the Big Sky.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Played but did not record a tackle.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Did not play.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbia River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Beat Whittier 59-7 to improve to 3-4 and 3-2 in SCIAC play.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Played in a backup role, going 0 for 1 with one interception.

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Contra Costa 34-21 to improve to 6-3.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Started and had five tackles, including four solo.

Simon Fraser

Last week: Lost to Humboldt State 57-0 to fall to 0-7 overall and 0-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Gabe Lopes, Camas, Fr. LB — Had a career high five tackles, including three solo, while playing in a backup role.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat Rocky Mountain College 56-10 to improve to 7-1 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Will likely redshirt
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt

Washington

Last week: Beat Arizona 49-3 to improve to 4-4 overall and  2-3 in the Pac-12.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played and made one tackle.

Washington State

Last Week: Lost to No. 8 Stanford 30-28 to fall to 5-3 overall and 3-2 in the Pac-12.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made five field goals (46, 23, 47, 28, 28) but missed a potential game-winner from 43 yards on the final play of the game. Made his only extra point and had one of his seven kickoffs go for a touchback.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB/DB – Started at nickel defensive back. Had a team-high 10 tackles, including five solo, and one interception.

Weber State

Last week: Lost to Eastern Washington 14-13 to fall to 4-5 overall and 3-3 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat Azusa Pacific 17-14 to improve to 6-3 overall and 4-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: The Pirates beat 50-33 to improve to 7-1 overall and 4-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Played in a backup role.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to Utah State 58-27 to fall to 1-8 overall and 1-4 in the Mountain West.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Had two catches for 16 yards.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Had one catch for 17 yards.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

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My friend and fellow food-obsessive, Nichole, and I have been talking about visiting Hello Waffle Cart for weeks. We finally met up this Thursday to get our waffle-on. The cart was located in downtown Vancouver in the Sculpture Garden (9th and Broadway). The trees were filled with multi-color fall leaves, the sky was a slate grey, and an older man with a shopping cart was in the far corner of the Sculpture Garden playing Rod Stewart’s Do Ya Think I’m Sexy at a respectful volume on a heavily duct-taped boom box.

You Go, Hello Waffle Cart The menu for that day included nutella and bananas, pumpkin spice, caramel apple, maui sunshine, brie and prosciutto, beets and goat cheese, maple bacon banana. We decided on a sweet waffle (pumpkin pie spice) and a savory waffle (brie and proscuitto). The waffles are made with a yeasted dough — which means that yeast is added to the dough and the dough rises overnight. This makes a light, fluffy waffle with a nice chew to it. Each waffle is made to order in a special propane-powered waffle maker from Belgium. The waffles cook for one minute on each side and come out hot and fluffy.

You Go, Hello Waffle Cart

Waffle Cart owner and operator, Arika White, uses homemade toppings — yes, the candied pecans and the caramel sauce are homemade. This type of perfectionism and eye for detail are apparent when you taste the waffles — both of the waffles were a careful mix of savory and sweet. The brie and prosciutto waffle was topped with fresh D’Anjou pear sprinkled with pepper. Beneath the pear was a generous layer of prosciutto. The prosciutto added a nice salty and meatiness to the mix.  Then came a creamy layer of perfectly sliced brie and a sweet and fruity apricot preserve. This waffle was a well orchestrated combination of flavors.

This pumpkin pie spice waffle was super crazy good. Yes, we have all had pumpkin pie flavored everything this season. I was expecting something good, something pumpkin pie-y; but, this was beyond your normal pumpkin pie food item experience. I expected this to be super sweet with a very pronounced pumpkin pie spice flavor.  What I got was something beyond my expectations.

This waffle, like the brie and prosciutto, is a careful mix of sweet and savory. The pumpkin is real pumpkin and the subtle spicing emphasizes its squashness. The pumpkin pie spice isn’t aggressively added and contains higher quality spices than the average pumpkin pie spice. The pumpkin pie filling on the waffle is made of pureed pumpkin whipped repeatedly with the cream cheese with a bit of pumpkin pie spice to create a creamy pumpkin pie topping with a mousse-like consistency. The candied pecans and brown sugar topping are homemade and add a nuttiness and crunch. The whipped cream is creamy and fresh –not overly sweet. The caramel sauce is carefully applied and adds a touch of sweetness. Nichole and I both prefer savory to sweet; but, this pumpkin spice waffle was our favorite because it wasn’t overly sweet. It reminded me of the subtle sweetness that you find in a well-made pumpkin empanada.

After my visit, I talked to Arika about her waffle cart. She explained how she was a baker with a brick and mortar business with many employees. She decided to get out of the bakery and open the waffle cart because she is a perfectionist and she wanted to make sure that each product that she served to the public was perfect. She also likes to know her customers — she enjoys chatting with them and creating a sense of community that you get when you feed someone and make them happy on a regular basis. All this care, attention to detail, and love for her customers comes through in her waffles. You go, Arika! Thank you for bringing joy to us one waffle at a time.

Hello Waffle Cart posts a weekly menu and a list of daily locations on their Facebook page and on Twitter @hellowafflecart.

 

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Good food doesn’t just happen. It’s the result of a conscious effort by someone driven to make something perfect.

Gabriel Woodhead, owner and operator of The Nomad Hot Dogs, doesn’t take shortcuts. Every component of his specialty dogs are locally sourced and the highest quality. The buns are freshly made and delivered by Sugar and Salt Bakery. The hot dogs are high quality beef and pork sausages from Top Choice Meat Market. Fresh corn tortillas (for a gluten free experience) are made fresh every morning at Fiesta Mexicana Imports. Shortly after opening The Nomad, Gabriel decided he could have better condiments by making them himself or sourcing them from local businesses that use healthy ingredients. He always has creative homemade pickles and relishes to top the gourmet dogs and specialty dogs — pickled watermelon radishes with black sesame seeds and pickled purple cauliflower are some of his past creations. He is such a perfectionist that even when one of his specialty dogs is successful (i.e. the Buffalo Dog) Gabriel revises it to make it better (The NEW Buffalo Dog).

On Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday, The Nomad operates in a parking lot on Grand Avenue and Evergreen from 11 am – 2 pm. Thursday hours are 11:30 am – 1:30 pm in the same spot. Thursday nights this food cart is at Fortside Brewery from 5-8pm. The daily menu includes a gourmet dog (hot dog, bun, and assortment of condiments, relishes, and homemade pickles) and one specialty dog per day (two on Thursday – one for lunch and one for dinner). The specialty dog is the result of Gabriel’s imagination and love for food.

Some past specialty dogs include: the Jamaican Jerk dog (homemade jerk sauce, fresh mango, and fresh cilantro), the Banh Mi Dog (homemade do chua – daikon and carrot pickle, pork pate from Tan Tan Cafe, mayo, fresh cilantro), and the Kimchi Dog (kimchi, hoisin sauce, roasted seaweed/sesame seeds).

There are also past winners from The Nomad’s Weird & Worldly contest where customers compete to get a winning hot dog named after them. A past winner was the Bethany Emerson Dog which has brie, homemade garlic mustard, green apple and honey.

Most of the specialty dogs also include a swirl of cream cheese — inspired by Seattle-style hot dogs. I have been pursuing the Kimchi Dog for months; but, it always seems to appear on a day that I can’t make it to The Nomad. The specialty dog for the day I made my visit was the Thai Curry Dog.

This hot dog is not a mere ballpark hot dog – it is more of a sausage made of high quality beef and pork. It is meaty and thick — it is flavorful; but, not overly spiced. The casing has a nice snap to it. The bun is a ciabatta bun — it has a good chewiness to it and is filled with tiny air pockets that soak of the sauce, condiments, and hot dog juices. There is a hint of sourdough to the bun. The red panang curry is made by Ginger Pop — it is spicy, creamy, and coconut-y. Gabriel’s homemade hot sauce has thai chiles, fish sauce, garlic, and lime — it is spicy, salty, citrus-y and adds a nice finish to the dog. Cream cheese was squeezed out of a large silver contraption making a perfect strip on the side of the bun. Fresh basil leaves were placed on top.

Each bite was the perfect mix of flavor.  I hate to even call it a hot dog — the word hot dog brings to mind baseball games and backyard bar-b-ques. I am not a hot dog snob — I like a Nathan’s hot dog, I like a Ballpark Frank; but, this is something entirely different. I can only say that you need to try it to understand.

I highly recommend you head to The Nomad as soon as possible.  And, I will continue my pursuit of the elusive Kimchi Dog.

You can follow The Nomad Hot Dogs on Facebook or on Twitter @thenomadhotdogs.  The Nomad is located in the parking lot near Paper Tiger Coffee Roasters (703 Grand Blvd, Vancouver).  The hours are Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday 11am – 2pm.  On Thursdays, the cart is open from 11:30-1:30 near Paper Tiger and 5-8 pm at Fortside Brewing Company.

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Work, relationships, and the general wear and tear of our daily schedules create a need to do something that recharges our emotional batteries. Regardless of our skill levels or the types of arts and crafts we enjoy, many of us benefit from a creative outlet.

For five years, I have invited a small group of friends over to my house occasionally to paint, collage, or color while drinking coffee and chatting. Lately, I’ve coined this Ladies Art Club, but it’s had different names and incarnations. What has been consistent is the theme: friends connecting through art. It’s been wonderful to watch friends meet and interact while trying new art mediums.

All over Clark County, there are small groups that meet regularly to knit, sew, paint, write, read, and build things together. Unlike happy hour or lunch groups, arts and crafts groups have something new at the end of their time together, as well as stronger bonds. A powerful force of community building these groups are; in addition to being healthy for participants.

It’s easy to create your own group. Simply identify a few friends that do art or are interested in trying, pick a time to meet, send out a message, and make sure there’s plenty of coffee, tea and snacks at the event. Typically, I have one activity and supplies set out but friends also bring their own projects. The point is to reconnect, and for some reason doing art together makes that easier.

When we are in a creative mode we are less guarded, more accepting, and able to think about things in a fresh way. Friendship & art are a great way to recharge.

Local arts advocate Hanna Perez hand paints a decorative mirror at art social event last year.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

Reconnecting with Friends through Art
85295how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-8-5 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/tailgate-talk/how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-8-5/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rice_Micah-650x650-460x460.jpg

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Lost 42-7 to Montana Tech. The loss dropped the Saints to 3-4 both overall and in the Frontier Conference.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Lost to Humboldt State 42-17. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 3-5 on the season and 1-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Led the Wildcats in receiving for the third consecutive game. He had seven catches for 131 yards, including a 61 yard touchdown reception in the second quarter. Also had one rush for 13 yards and four kickoff returns for 86 yards, including a 42-yarder.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Had eight tackles, including five solo.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Did not play.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Played in a backup role, but did not record a tackle.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Will likely redshirt.
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.

Citrus College

Last week: Lost to Chaffey 38-20 to fall to 1-7.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB – Had six tackles, including five solo and one for a loss.
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost to Southern Oregon 63-21 to fall to 3-5 overall and 3-4 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Had one tackle while playing in a backup role.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Beat Montana State Northern 72-30  to improve to 2-5 overall and in the Frontier Conference. The Mountaineers didn’t score until 6:33 was left in the first half and tallied 51 points in the second half.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Defensive stats not available.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Defensive stats not available.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Participation stats not available.
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Defensive stats not available.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play.

Eastern Washington

Last week: Beat Northern Colorado 43-41 on a last-second field goal to improve to 5-2 overall and 4-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 648 yards, including 220 rushing yards.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Had one catch for nine yards.

Feather River College

Last week: Lost to American River 44-14 to fall to 1-6.

Josh Miller, Stevenson, Fr. DE — Had four tackles, including one solo.

Hobart College

Last week: Lost to Rensselaer 21-20 to fall to 4-3 overall and 2-2 in the Liberty Conference.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K —Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Lost to Pacific Lutheran 28-27 to fall to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in Northwest Conference play.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Beat Louisiana-Monroe 27-13 to improve to 3-4 overall and 2-2 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end. Had three catches for 81 yards including a 36-yard touchdown catch that gave Idaho a 13-10 lead late in the first half.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to Sacramento State 38-13 to fall to 2-6 overall and 1-4 in Big Sky play.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played but did not make a catch.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost to Puget Sound 38-7 to fall to 0-6 overall and 0-4 in the Northwest Conference.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Last week: The No. 2 Wildcats beat No. 25 Whitworth 52-10 to improve to 6-0 overall and 4-0 in the Northwest Conference.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Did not play.
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So. DB – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Lost to Wartburg 47-7 to fall to 3-4.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Was injured early in the season and will use a medical redshirt.

Montana

Last week: Beat North Dakota 42-16 to improve to 4-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Sky Conference.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had three catches for 114 yards, including touchdown catches of 63 and 36 yards.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Had four tackles and recovered a fumble.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Will likely redshirt.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat Carroll College 42-7 to improve to 6-1 overall and in Frontier Conference play.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost to Eastern Oregon 72-30 to fall to 0-8 overall and 0-7 in the Frontier Conference.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Had his best game of the season, completing 19 of 39 passes for 279 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost to Colorado 17-13 to fall to 2-5 overall and 0-4 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Played at left guard in a backup role.

Pacific University

Last week: Beat Willamette 29-24 to improve to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: The No. 13 Vikings beat Cal Poly 38-35 on a field goal in the final minute to improve to 6-1 overall, 3-1 in the Big Sky.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Started at linebacker but did not make a tackle.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Had six tackles, all solo.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbia River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Lost to La Verne 49-42 to fall to 2-4.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Lost to San Jose 19-17 to fall to 5-3.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Stats not available.

Simon Fraser

Last week: Lost to Western Oregon 37-26 to fall to 0-6 overall and 0-3 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Gabe Lopes, Camas, Fr. LB — Played in a backup role. Did not record a tackle.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat College of Idaho 63-21 to improve to 6-1 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at guard for an offense that gained 316 yard of offense, including 183 yards rushing.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Will likely redshirt
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt

Washington

Last week: Lost to Stanford 31-14 to fall to 3-4 overall and 1-3 in the Pac-12.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Did not play.

Washington State

Last Week: Beat Arizona 45-42 improve to 5-2 overall and 3-1 in the Pac-12.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made his only field goal attempt, a 25-yarder in the second quarter. Also made all seven of his PATs and had five touchbacks on eight kickoffs.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB/DB – Started at nickel defensive back, making two tackles, both solo.

Weber State

Last week: Lost to Northern Arizona 52-36 to fall to 4-4 overall and 3-2 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Will likely redshirt.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat Simon Fraser 37-26 to improve to 5-3 overall and 3-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: The No. 25 Pirates lost to No. 2 Linfield 52-10 to fall to 6-1 overall and 3-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to Boise State 34-14 to fall to 1-7 overall and 1-3 in the Mountain West.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Had one kickoff return for 24 yards.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

85297how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-7-6 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/tailgate-talk/how-clark-county-college-football-players-fared-week-7-6/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/03/Rice_Micah-650x650-460x460.jpg

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Lost 28-27 to No. 2 Southern Oregon. The loss dropped the Saints to 3-3 both overall and in the Frontier Conference.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Lost to Western Oregon 31-25. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 3-4 on the season and 1-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Had a team-high eight catches for 148 yards including a 34-yard touchdown catch. Also had four kickoff returns for 94 yards, including a long of 30.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Had a team-high 10 tackles, including seven solo tackles.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for an offense that gained 444 total yards.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Had one tackle in a backup role.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Will likely redshirt.
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.

Citrus College

Last week: Lost to Mount San Antonio 41-10 to fall to 1-6.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB – Had eight tackles, forced one fumble and broke up one pass.
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Beat Rocky Mountain 38-17 to improve to 3-4 overall and 3-3 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Had one tackle and recovered a fumble on a poor punt snap in the third quarter. The Coyotes scored the go-ahead touchdown on the next play.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Lost to No. 22 Montana Western 30-23 to fall to 1-5 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Started and had seven tackles, including five solo.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Had two tackles
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play.
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Recorded one tackle.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play.

Eastern Washington

Last week: Beat Idaho State 45-28 to improve to 4-2 overall and 3-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 451 yards, including 104 rushing yards.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Played but did not make a catch.

Hobart College

Last week: Bye week

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K

George Fox

Last week: Lost to Puget Sound 43-35 to fall to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in Northwest Conference play.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Beat Troy 19-16 to improve to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in the Sun Belt Conference.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end. Had one catch for zero yards.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to No. 8 Eastern Washington 45-28 to fall to 2-5 overall and 1-3 in Big Sky play.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played but did not make a catch.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost 49-28 to Pacific fall to 0-5 overall and 0-3 in the Northwest Conference.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Played but did not record a stat.

Linfield

Last week: The No. 3 Wildcats beat Willamette 49-7 to improve to 5-0 overall and 3-0 in the Northwest Conference.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Played in a backup role.
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So. DB – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Beat Buena Vista 41-34 in overtime to improve to 3-3.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Was injured early in the season and will use a medical redshirt.

Montana

Last week: Bye Week

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S –

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat Montana State-Northern 40-0 to improve to 5-1 overall and in Frontier Conference play.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost to Montana Tech 40-0 to fall to 0-7 overall and 0-6 in the Frontier Conference.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 13 of 35 passes for 100 yards. He had three interceptions and was sacked five times.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost at Washington State 52-31 to fall to 2-4 overall and 0-3 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Played at left guard in a backup role.

Pacific University

Last week: Beat Lewis and Clark 49-28 to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Beat Montana State 59-42 to improve to 5-1 overall, 2-1 in the Big Sky.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Was a late scratch from the starting lineup. Did not play.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Played but did not record a stat.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbia River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Lost at Claremont 25-23 to fall to 2-3.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Mendocino 49-47 to improve to 5-1.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Did not play.

Simon Fraser

Last week: Lost to South Dakota Mines 19-0 to fall to 0-5 overall and 0-2 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Gabe Lopes, Camas, Fr. LB — Did not play.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat Carroll College 28-27 in overtime to improve to 5-1 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at guard for an offense that gained 433 yard of offense, including 127 yards rushing.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Did not play.

Washington

Last week: Lost to Oregon 26-20 to fall to 3-3 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Did not play.

Washington State

Last Week: Beat Oregon State 52-31 to improve to 4-2 overall and 2-1 in the Pac-12.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made his only field goal attempt, a 30-yarder in the second quarter. Also made all seven of his PATs and had four touchbacks on nine kickoffs.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB/DB – Started at nickel defensive back, making nine tackles including three solo. He also broke up one pass.

Weber State

Last week: Beat North Dakota 25-24 to improve to 34-3 overall and 3-1 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat Central Washington 31-25 to improve to 4-3 overall and 2-1 in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat Pacific Lutheran 32-7 to improve to 6-0 and 3-0 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Beat Nevada 28-21 to improve to 1-6 overall and 1-2 in the Mountain West.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

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The VancouvEATER has been doing too much “research” lately for this blog.  Last week, I found myself at Old Navy trying on sweat pants.  At that moment, I realized I needed to modify my eating habits. I did some research on healthy places to eat in Clark County and came across Mint Tea.

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and Spirit

Mint Tea is located in this beautiful Victorian home in the uptown village neighborhood of Vancouver. The inside is decorated with imported goods from all over the world.  There is a mellow, peaceful vibe to the place.  Looking for a past life regression group, guitar lessons, or a Halloween dinner with your dead ancestors?  All these things and many more can be found on the community announcement board by the door.

The menu is focused on local and seasonable foods; so, it is constantly in flux.  The lunch menu typically includes a soup, salad, mint tea plate, sandwich, and daily bowl options.  The beverages include soft drinks, coffee, tea, beer and wine.  I got a cup of the soup (greens with curry), a half salad (Thai forbidden rice with a maple balsalmic vinaigrette), and a cup of the housemade kombucha.

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and SpiritWhile waiting for my food, I wandered around trying to decide where to sit.  It was a sunny fall day so that gave me many options.  There is a lovely outdoor patio area, a large upstairs with various rooms, tables in the main floor entry way, and the Morrocan Room (adults only).  I decided on the Morrocan Room.

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and Spirit

I just sat and absorbed the vibes in here while I waited for my food.  The restaurant was filled with laughter and meaningful conversation.  It reminded me of college life.  There is a communal feeling to this place — an open door for poets, dreamers, astrologers, tarot card readers, seekers.  Everyone is a friend and all will be nourished — body, mind, and spirit.  Then, my food arrived.

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and Spirit

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and Spirit

The housemade kombucha was made with a gunpowder tea.  It was vingarey and fruity with a bit of berry and honey flavor.  It had a pretty blush color and a bit of effervescence. The Thai Forbidden Rice salad had meaty grains of Thai Forbidden Rice with crispy ribbons of carrots, onion, and butter lettuce.  The onion ribbons were sweet with just a bit of an onion tang.  My guess is that the onion was rinsed in cold water to lower its oniony flavor.  The maple balsamic vinegar was a nice mix of vinegar flavor and sweetness.  It paired nicely with the rice and the vegetables. There are also small chunks of cooked squash and some moist raisins to add some chewiness and sweetness to the salad.  And, then came the soup.

Mint Tea — Sanctuary for Body, Mind, and Spirit

This soup was amazing.  I forgot how good fresh, local vegetables can taste (I need to join a CSA box next year).  The soup was made of greens, peas, and squash carefully cooked with coconut milk and curry.  The soup is then pureed so that it tastes almost whipped and has a foamy consistency; then, it is dusted with smoked paprika.  It tastes creamy and fresh.  The squash and peas add notes of sweetness.  The curry adds a bit of spice and complexity.  The paprika has a clear, smokey and spicy flavor that tickles your tongue at the end.  This paprika is much brighter, clearer, and spicier than the paprika I have at home. It reminded me how magical this spice can be.

After finishing my meal and chilling out, I reluctantly left Mint Tea — I could seriously just move in to the Morrocan room for a week.  I left feeling refreshed and nourished.  In an age obsessed with pork, lard, biscuits, and culinary excess — it is nice find a sanctuary where you can replenish body, mind, and spirit.

Mint Tea is located at 2014 Main Street in Vancouver.  They are open Tuesday – Friday 10am to 5pm and Saturday – Sunday 9am to 4pm.

 

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There are many moments I’ve had as an artist, volunteer, and director in the local arts scene that have touched my heart. For example, when I was sitting the gallery at North Bank Artists over a decade ago, I watched as my older son, then two years old, took the hand of a guest and led him to a painting. My son explained in the halting language of a toddler what he liked about the painting- he liked the bright red color. The guest smiled warmly and said he liked the color, too.

That moment of connection through art was brought about by the generosity of folks who understand the value of art. At that time, a combination of affordable rent, a generous donor, a grant from the city, and volunteer hours made North Bank possible.

Another of my favorite heart-felt moments happened a few years later at Sixth Street Gallery, which is now Gallery 360. As a member, I organized a show for local artists with disabilities. The event was sponsored by a grant from the Washington State Arts Commission, if I remember correctly. At the artists’ reception, several of the family members of the artists thanked the gallery for organizing the event. It meant so much to them to see their loved ones enjoy the accomplishment of having their artwork in a professional gallery.

It’s been close to thirteen years that I’ve been part of this vibrant creative community. I’ve met innumerable advocates, artists, and volunteers, and the amount of resources folks put into our local arts scene continues to astound me. What helps to make an art scene possible, though, are donors, grantors, membership fees, sales, and other sources of income that literally keep the lights on at the galleries.

Like any other scene, ours is kept vibrant by events at brick and mortar locations, which require a lot of resources to run. Though galleries provide economic stimulus for other kinds of businesses and landlords, in and of themselves, arts are not particularly profitable and require support by generous donors who understand the value of what they provide.

Donors are the quiet heroes of economic redevelopment and community building. Donors enable volunteers and staff to do their work, and for artists to show their creations. Donors helped Downtown Vancouver to re-imagine itself as a place where arts, culture, and entertainment can be enjoyed. In small ways and large, all of us who are part of the arts scene help with its funding. Large donors and grantors have the ability to swoop in and save the day or start something new. They are our angels.

Arts of Clark County’s yearly student-run project Art Car is funded by business donors. Their logos are featured on the car.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

This Moment Brought to You by Donors
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Skyview grad Antonio Sparrow had a team-high 11 tackles for Citrus College’s win over Bakersfield.

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Lost 28-21 to Eastern Oregon. The loss dropped the Saints to 3-2 both overall and in the Frontier Conference. Carroll is a game behind Southern Oregon and Montana Tech.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Lost to South Dakota Mines 49-44. The loss dropped the Wildcats to 3-3 on the season and 1-1 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Returned to action after missing one game with an injury. He caught six passes for 116 yards, including a 32-yard touchdown catch. He also had six kickoff returns for 163 yards, including a 52-yard return.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Had a team-high 12 tackles, including eight solo tackles. He was named the GNAC defensive player of the week the prior week.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for an offense that gained 279 rushing yards and 579 total yards.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Did not play.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Will likely redshirt.
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Will likely redshirt.
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Will likely redshirt.

Citrus College

Last week: Beat Bakersfield 24-14 to improve to 1-5.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB – Had a team-high 11 tackles including seven solo. That also included 1.5 tackles for loss.
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Beat Montana State Northern 48-17 to improve to 2-4 overall and 2-3 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Did not play.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Beat No. 4 Carroll College 28-21 on the road to improve to 1-4 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Had one tackle.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Had five tackles including four solo and one for a loss.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Recorded one tackle, the first of his college career.

Eastern Washington

Last week: Beat Cal Poly 42-41 in overtime to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Sky Conference.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 370 yards, including 146 rushing yards.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Hobart College

Last week: Lost to Springfield 35-13 to fall to 4-2 on the season.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K — Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Beat Lewis and Clark 49-35 to improve to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Bye week

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE

Idaho State

Last week: Beat North Dakota 37-31 to improve to 2-4 overall and 1-2 in Big Sky play.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played but did not make a catch.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost 49-35 at George Fox to fall to 0-4 overall and 0-2 in the Northwest Conference.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Last week: The No. 3 Wildcats beat Pacific 77-10 to improve to 4-0 overall and 2-0 in the Northwest Conference.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Played in a backup role.

Luther College

Last week: Lost to Central College 45-10 to fall to 2-3.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Played in a backup role and did not record a tackle.

Montana

Last week: Lost to Weber State 24-21 in overtime to fall to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Big Sky.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had three receptions for 56 yards including a long of 45.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Played in a backup role. Made five tackles.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat Rocky Mountain College 38-33 to improve to 4-1 overall and in Frontier Conference play.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost to College of Idaho 48-14 to fall to 0-6 overall and 0-5 in the Frontier Conference.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 16 of 38 passes for 247 yards, including a 15-yard touchdown pass and an interception.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost at Arizona 44-7 to fall to 2-3 overall and 0-2 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Played at left guard in a backup role.

Pacific University

Last week: Lost to Linfield 77-10 to fall to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Beat North Texas 66-10 to improve to 4-1 overall.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Played in a backup role and had one tackle.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Played in a backup role and had four tackles, including three solo.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Played in a backup role, completing two of three passes for 33 yards.
Isaac Ennis, Columbia River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Beat Cal Lutheran 13-10 to improve to 2-2.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Bye week.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — .

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat Montana Western 37-30 in overtime to improve to 4-1 overall and in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at guard for an offense that gained 178 yards rushing and 524 yards of total offense.
Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Did not play.

Washington

Last week: Beat USC 17-12 to improve to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Did not play.

Washington State

Last Week: Beat Oregon 45-38 in double overtime to improve to 3-2 overall and 1-1 in the Pac-12.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made a 22-yard field goal and had a 53-yard attempt blocked. Was 6-for-6 on extra points and had one touchback on six kickoffs.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – Started at nickel defensive back, making eight tackles including five solo.

Weber State

Last week: Beat Montana 24-21 in overtime to improve to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat No. 6 North Alabama 24-22 to improve to 3-3 overall.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat Puget Sound 24-7 to improve to 5-0 and 2-0 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Played in a backup role, making one tackle.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Did not play.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost at Air Force 31-17 to fall to 0-6 overall and 0-2 in the Mountain West.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

How Clark County college football players fared: Week 6
84982correction-art-talk-time-for-thursday-11 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/correction-art-talk-time-for-thursday-11/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/02/Mo-photo-150x150.jpg

The Autumn Art Talk with Artist Trust Artist at Large Erin Dengerink is indeed Thursday, but it begins at 6pm rather than 5:30 at North Bank Artists Gallery. There will be an hour of speaking following by a half hour artist mixer, for folks to chat with each other and the presenter and address any follow up questions.

 

Maureen Andrade

I am the Executive Director of North Bank Artists in the Vancouver Arts District, as well as an artist and writer. Living and working in Clark County for most of my life, I have an appreciation for the good things this community offers. Also, I understand the creative lifestyle from many angles and hope to share some of what I know with my readers.

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How Clark County players fared: Week 5

Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Bye week.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Opened Great Northwest Athletic Conference play with a 24-21 win at Azusa Pacific. The Wildcats are 3-2 on the season.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Did not play after being injured in last week’s game against Simon Fraser.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Started at linebacker. Had 10 tackles, including seven solo and two sacks.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for an offense that gained 214 rushing yards.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Played but did not record a tackle.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Did not play
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Did not play
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Did not play
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play

Citrus College

Last week: Lost 54-34 to L.A. Harbor to fall to 0-5.

Anthony Sparrow, Skyview, Fr. DB – Had six tackles including 1.5 for loss. Also broke up one pass and blocked an extra-point attempt.
Jacob Bystry, Columbia River, Fr. WR – Will greyshirt this season.

College of Idaho

Last week: Bye week.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – .

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Bye week.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – .
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – .
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – .
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – .
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – .

Eastern Washington

Last week: Bye week.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – .
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – .
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – .

Hobart College

Last week: Beat WPI 37-7 to improve to 4-1 on the season.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K — Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Opened Northwest Conference play with a 37-14 loss at Whitworth. The Bruins fell to 2-2.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Played but did not make a catch.
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Lost to Arkansas State 49-35 to fall to 1-4 and 0-2 in the Sun Belt.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE –Had three catches for 35 yards, including a long of 22.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to Cal-Poly 56-26 to fall to 1-4 overall and 0-2 in Big Sky play.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played but did not make a catch.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: The Pioneers opened Northwest Conference play with a 73-0 loss against Linfield to fall to 0-3 overall.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Played but did not record a stat.

Linfield

Last week: Opened Northwest Conference play with a 73-0 win over Lewis and Clark.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Played in a backup role.

Luther College

Last week: Saturday’s results vs. Dubuque not yet posted.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – .

Montana

Last week: Beat UC Davis 27-13 to improve to 3-2 overall and 2-0 in the Big Sky.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had four receptions for 34 yards including a four-yard touchdown catch.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Played in a backup role. Made two tackles including a sack for minus-5 yards.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Montana Tech

Last week: Bye week.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Bye week.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – .
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – .
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – .

Oregon State

Last week: Bye week.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – .

Pacific University

Last week: Beat Pacific Lutheran 34-7 to improve to 3-1 overall and 1-0 in Northwest Conference play.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Lost to North Dakota 19-17 to fall to 3-1 overall and 1-1 in Big Sky play.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Started at linebacker. Had four tackles, including three solo and two for a loss.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Played in a backup role and had two tackles.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Played in a backup role, completing one of two passes for eight yards. Also had two carries for 11 yards.
Isaac Ennis, Columbian River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

University of Redlands

Last week: Beat Pomona Pitzer 38-7 to improve to 1-2.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play

Shasta College

Last week: Saturday’s results vs. Feather River not yet posted.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — .

Southern Oregon

Last week: Bye week.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – .
Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – .
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – .
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – .
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – .

Washington

Last week: Bye week.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – .

Washington State

Last Week: Lost at No. 24 Cal 34-28 to fall to 2-2, 0-1 in Pac-12 play.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Was 4-for-4 on PATs but missed a 40-yard field goal in the third quarter. Of his five kickoffs, one went for a touchback.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – Had six tackles, including one-and-a-half for a loss.

Weber State

Last week: Lost 44-0 to Southern Utah to fall to 2-3 overall, 1-1 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat Dixie State 42-24 on Friday to improve to 2-3 overall and 1-4 in Great Northwest Athletic Conference play.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Started at tight end but did not make a catch.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat George Fox 37-14 to improve to 4-0 and 1-0 in Northwest Conference play.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost at Appalachian State 31-13 to fall to 0-5 overall.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Had one catch for eight yards.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played and recorded one tackle on special teams.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

 

 

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

How Clark County players fared: Week 5
95945the-mighty-bowl-rice-bean-utopia-14 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/vancouveater/the-mighty-bowl-rice-bean-utopia-14/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_0532-e1442951135311-768x1024-345x460.jpg

Sadly, Vancouver lacks fast, cheap, and healthy meal options. This is why I am grateful for The Mighty Bowl. Yes, I like things wrapped in bacon or deep fried or smoked; but, there are times when the body cries out for a healthy meal — a chance to cleanse itself. And, The Mighty Bowl is right there to provide a quick, healthy, inexpensive meal. The Mighty Bowl offers brown rice, black beans, and various toppings (cheddar cheese, sour cream, salsa, olives, avocado, fresh cilantro) bathed in your choice of sauce — tangy mighty bowl sauce, sweet and mild peanut sauce or spicy chipotle Kiggins sauce. The bowls are quickly made and very affordable ($7 for a 12 ounce bowl, $7.50 for a 16 ounce bowl). You can also get a rolled bowl (bowl ingredients wrapped in a tortilla, $8.50) or a Mighty Salad (same ingredients on a bed of romaine lettuce, $8.50). My preference is a vegan bowl (beans, rice, salsa, olives, avocado, cilantro) with the mighty bowl sauce.

I visited Mighty Bowl on a Tuesday at Government Center in downtown Vancouver. It was a sunny day and I was able to snag a parking spot near the food cart that had 33 minutes left on the parking meter. Yes! The man who took my order and the woman who handed my bowls to me were super nice and friendly they smiled in a genuine manner. It made me think that their food cart was a portal for some rice and bean Utopia. It was as if at any moment someone may produce a guitar and sing folk songs or someone might lead a session of guided meditation.

The Mighty Bowl — Rice & Bean Utopia

Large and Regular size bowls from The Mighty Bowl

I chose the regular sized bowl.  The regular may look small; but, I find it fulfilling.  The large is quite a bit bigger and may be more appropriate for a larger appetite.  If you choose a bowl, you will first encounter a swirl of fresh cilantro, slice black olives, and wedges of avocado.  The salsa is also hiding here.  It is a basic pico de gallo — not totally remarkable; but, it does lend a brightness and vinegary flavor to the bowl.  At the bottom are the black beans and rice.  The beans are tender and yielding but not mushy or chemically tasting like a canned bean.  The brown rice is a short grain rice like a sushi rice or a risotto.  The grains have a bit of crunch.

A bowl from The Mighty Bowl

Now, here we get to the real discussion. What sauce should you get? That is a big question and mostly has to do with your mood and preferences. The Mighty Bowl offers three sauces — Mighty Sauce, Peanut Sauce, and Kiggins Sauce. My nicknames for these sauces are Hippie Sauce, Southeast Asian Sauce, and Mexican Sauce. The Mighty Bowl Sauce (aka Hippie Sauce) is a pale yellow. It is lemony, tangy, with a hint of black pepper. There is also a slight creaminess to the sauce that I think may be nutritional yeast (or Nutch as our vegan friends call it). The Peanut Sauce (aka Southeast Asian Sauce) reminds me of a lighter version of the dipping sauce served with fresh spring rolls at a Vietnamese restaurant. It is a light tan color. It has a nice peanut-y flavor with a bit of spice and some saltiness (soy sauce, perhaps). The Kiggins Bowl Sauce (aka Mexican Sauce) is made with chipotle peppers. Its main characteristic is the fiery smokiness of the chipotle peppers used to make the sauce. This sauce is not crazy spicy like some food dare; but, it has a good amount of heat that lingers on the tongue. All of these sauces have a clean taste to them and are light.

The Mighty Bowl — Rice & Bean Utopia

Kiggins Sauce, Peanut Sauce, and Mighty Bowl Sauce from The Mighty Bowl

Mighty Bowl has a couple of food carts so you have some options regarding where you can get your bowl. They also have a very well organized website that lists a weekly schedule and their menu. So, despite the fact that this truck isn’t stationary, it is easy to find. And, it is easy to browse their menu.

This concludes my three part series on Vancouver food trucks.  I hope that this series has encouraged you to try some of our local food trucks.  They are not stationary; but, they are easy to find.  And, these food trucks are serving some of the best food in Vancouver at a reasonable price.

The Mighty Bowl is a mobile food cart. Their menu and weekly schedule can be found on their websitewww.themightybowl.com.

 

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Here’s how Clark County players fared on the college gridiron this weekend:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Beat Montana Western 10-9 to improve to 3-1 on both the season and in Frontier Conference play.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Beat Simon Fraser 40-7 to improve to 2-2 on the season. It was a nonconference game against fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Had five catches for 122 yards, including a 50-yard touchdown catch. Also had three punt returns for zero yards and one kickoff return for 14 yards.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Started at linebacker. Had a team-high eight tackles including five solo.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Did not play.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for an offense that gained 452 total yards.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Had one catch for zero yards.
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Handled kickoff duties. Four of his seven kickoffs went for touchbacks.
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Did not play
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Did not play
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Did not play
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost 29-21 at Montana Tech to fall to 1-4 overall and 1-3 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Did not play.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Lost to Rocky Mountain College 36-35 in 2 OT.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Intercepted one pass, which he returned 32 yards.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Made four tackles and broke up one pass.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Did not play

Eastern Washington

Last week: Beat Sacramento State 28-20 after overcoming a 20-7 deficit. The Eagles are 2-2 overall and 2-0 in Big Sky play.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 594 yards and allowed one sack.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Had one catch for six yards.

Hobart College

Last week: Beat Merchant Marine 30-15 to improve to 3-1 on the season.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K — Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Beat Arizona Christian 45-27 to improve to 2-1.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play.
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play.
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play.
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play.

Idaho

Last week: Lost to Georgia Southern 44-20 to fall to 1-3 and 0-1 in the Sun Belt. 

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end, one catch for 11 yards.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to UNLV 80-8 to fall to 1-3.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Had two catches for 29 yards including a 25-yard touchdown in the second quarter.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Bye week. The Pioneers open Northwest Conference play Oct. 3 against Linfield.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – .

Linfield

Last week: Bye week. The Wildcats open Northwest Conference play next week at Lewis and Clark.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – .
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So., DB – .
James Niemela, Columbia River, So. OL – .

Luther College

Last week: Bye week.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – .

Montana

Last week: Beat Northern Arizona 23-14 to improve to 2-2 and 1-0 in Big Sky play. 

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had six catches for 95 yards including a long of 39 yards.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Started at defensive end. Made four tackles including a sack for minus-8 yards.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Montana Tech

Last week: Beat College of Idaho 29-21 to improve to 3-1 and 3-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost 82-9 to Southern Oregon to fall to 0-5 on the season.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 9 of 26 passes for 96 yards, including a 25-yard touchdown. Also and two interceptions.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost to Stanford 42-24 to fall to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in the Pac-12.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Played in a backup role at left guard one week after making his first career start.

Pacific University

Last week: Beat Occidental 41-23 to improve to 2-1.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Beat Western Oregon 31-0 to improve to 3-0.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Had five tackles, including three solo and one for a loss.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Played but did not record a stat.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Played but did not record a state.
Isaac Ennis, Columbian River, Fr., OL – .
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – .

University of Redlands

Last week: Lost to No. 3 Linfield 44-7 to fall to 0-2.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Merced 37-24 to improve to 2-1.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Had four tackles and broke up one pass.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat Montana State-Northern 82-9 to improve to 3-1 overall and 3-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at left guard for an offensive line that paved the way for 686 yards of offense, 317 yards rushing and did not allow a sack.
Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt.

Washington

Last week: Lost to Cal 30-24 to fall to 2-2 overall and 0-1 in Pac-12 play.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played but did not record a tackle.

Washington State

Last Week: Bye week.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – .
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – .

Weber State

Last week: Beat Northern Colorado 38-17 to improve to 2-2 overall and 1-0 in Big Sky play.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Lost 31-0 at Portland State to fall to 1-3 overall and 0-1 in conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat Chapman 37-7 to improve to 3-0.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Did not play.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to New Mexico 38-28 to fall to 0-4 overall and 0-1 in Mountain West play.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Had two catches for 26 yards.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

 

 

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

95950esoteric-bbq-does-heaven-smell-like-smoked-meats-13 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/vancouveater/esoteric-bbq-does-heaven-smell-like-smoked-meats-13/ /wp-content/uploads/2018/11/IMG_0517-1024x768-600x450.jpg

The inside of the Esoteric BBQ food truck is what I expect heaven smells like if you have been very good. I mean like Ghandi good.  This food truck is mobile so you will need to follow them on Facebook and/or Twitter to get a daily updates regarding location. There are some images of the food and their menu on their Facebook page.  If you are desperate for some Esoteric BBQ, you can just drive around downtown Vancouver with your windows down and follow the smell of their smoker which is attached to the back of their truck.

The first thing you need to consider when approaching this food truck are the meat options. They have beef tri-tip, kalua pork, and BBQ chicken. The beef tri-tip tends to disappear quickly so if you have your heart set on beef get to the truck before 12. Your next decision, is how you would like your protein presented. There are tacos, an island bowl, a spinach salad (for our Paleo friends), a meal (with salad, sides, and cornbread), a mac attack (mac n cheese topped with meat), and a sandwich.

Then, there is the choice of sauce: the sweet and tangy Cascadia NW sauce with Blackberry whiskey; the Ninja IPA (my favorite) — a spicy BBQ sauce made with Shadow Ninja IPA from Loowit Brewing; the Island sauce — a citrus teriyaki; the Shimmer Boom BBQ sauce — a mole inspired BBQ sauce with Shimmer Gloom stout form Louwitt Brewing; and lastly, the Dragons Breath — fire-roasted jalapeño, serrano, Thai chile, and onion — which is HOT!!!  I am partial to the Ninja IPA. It has a nice heat to it; but, it’s not overpoweringly hot. All of these sauces are unique and well-balanced — a carefully orchestrated symphony of flavor that could only be created by someone totally dedicated to getting the ultimate sauce. They are a thing of beauty.

I have tried many of the various meats in many different combinations with various sauces and I have to say that the BBQ chicken sandwich with Ninja Sauce ($8.50 with chips) is something I fantasize about on a daily basis. Why the sandwich? What could be so great about a sandwich? I will humbly try to explain. The bun is not too mushy and not too hard. It has a substantial center and a nice crispy exterior. The BBQ chicken is tender and juicy — it is a chewy cloud of perfect protein. A broccoli jalapeño slaw is added. The slaw is creamy, it is a bit spicy, it is crispy. Slathered on the bun is a spicy mayo. My guess is that it is srirachi and mayo, but I am not totally sure. It is hard to guess at the separate components of this sandwich because they are all melded together in sandwich perfection.

Esoteric BBQ — Does Heaven Smell Like Smoked Meats?

BBQ Chicken Sandwich, Smokey Mac, and Tim’s Chips from Esoteric BBQ

This photo was quickly taken in my car; because, I couldn’t wait to stage a good photo at home. I know this is unprofessional — I apologize; but, I am only human and the smell of bar-b-que was filling my car and I was losing control. My sandwich was gone by the time I got home. But, I did have a side of smokey mac ($4.50) that I had intended to save for dinner. I also had a new book about Bill Murray that I was going to read.

Smokey Mac from Esoteric BBQ

Smokey Mac or Bill Murray? Smokey Mac or Bill Murray? Then, I thought back to the last time I ate a BBQ chicken sandwich and a side of mac and cheese and I had promised myself that I would not do that again. But, oh, that Bill Murray book would have to wait. Esoteric’s smokey mac is a mix of smoked gouda, cheddar, parmesan and monterey jack cheese seasoned with a bit of cracked black pepper and mixed with large pasta shells. It is cooked in the smoker for maximum smokiness. It is thick, creamy, smoky, peppery. The pasta shells still have a bit of firmness — they meld with the sauce in a cheesy, creamy, carb-y bowl of awesomeness. I ate most of it and then turned my attention back to Mr. Murray and something I saw in Portland a few weeks ago.

Esoteric BBQ — Does Heaven Smell Like Smoked Meats?Sorry, I digress.  Check in early next week for my visit to The Mighty Bowl.

Estoteric BBQ is a mobile food truck. For information about their daily location visit their Facebook page — www.facebook.com/esotericbbq or follow them on Twitter @EsotericBBQ.

 

 

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Yes, Vancouver does have food trucks.  We don’t have a ton of food trucks; but, we are lucky to have some really good ones.  Some are stationary (E-San Thai) and we even have a food truck pod in Hazel Dell. In addition, according to the Trap Door Brewery website, they have lined up some of Vancouver’s finest food trucks to sit next to the Brewery. Most of our food trucks are mobile; but, don’t despair, in most of the world food trucks are not stationary and people manage to find them. It isn’t hard to follow your favorite food trucks — most food trucks post a weekly schedule on Facebook and/or Twitter. The following is Part 1 in a special VancouvEATER series. I will explore the food offered by these trucks and how you can find them.

E-San Thai

E-San Thai is a stationary food truck parked in uptown village in this little parking lot next to where Trap Door Brewery will soon open.  E-San Thai has a couple of restaurants in Portland and some Portland food trucks.  The menu posted on the food truck may be a bit intimidating for someone not totally familiar with Thai food and the photos are not super helpful — most of the food looks the same in the photos. There are small paper menus with descriptions in a little box by the order window — I recommend grabbing one.  I was curious about Mao’s Evil Noodles, the Evil Prince, the Swimming Angel.  Am I ordering Thai food or watching a silent film?  Despite my curiosity based on the creative menu item names, I ordered the drunken noodles ($7), a Thai iced tea (the iced coffee was $1.75), and Gang Panang ($7, panang curry sauce with coconut, green beans, bell pepper, and basil leaves).

The service is not super fast.  You may not get exactly what you ordered; but, whatever they hand you out the window is likely to be very good.  This is the game of chance you play when you order from E-San Thai.  The women in the food truck are not there to chit chat, they aren’t even that interested in checking that they got your order right, they are focused on making amazing Thai food.  So, all in all, they have put their energy in the most important task at hand.  My drunken noodles (which were supposed to be spicy) were pretty mild. The gang panang curry was supposed to be mild; but, it was spicy.  The Thai iced tea was a Thai iced coffee.  But, I was hungry and everything smelled good so I dug in.

 

Drunken Noodles from E-San Thai

The drunken noodles, according to the E-San Thai website, are nicknamed Thai bolognese because this dish is comprised of noodles, tomatoes, fresh basil, generous amounts of garlic, and multiple chiles.  The sauce was not as spicy as I would have liked; but, this dish delicious.  The wide rice noodles were cooked to perfection — they had just the right bite to them.  They came with a variety of fresh vegetables — bean sprouts, grilled green and red peppers, and bits of broccoli.  I had tofu with my noodles.  The tofu was spongy on the inside with a nice golden crisp exterior.  The sauce was a light sauce comprised of tomatoes, garlic, chiles, and a bit of sweetness which I am guessing is tamarind.  It also had a nice saltiness that tasted like soy sauce.

E-San Thai — Food Truck & Game of Chance

Gang Panang Curry from E-San Thai

The gang panang curry was a spicy panang curry mixed with coconut milk resulting in a rich, creamy, spicy sauce.  It was amazing.  The panang curry blanketed fresh mix of green beans, basil, mushrooms, broccoli, and cauliflower.  The vegetables were fresh and had a bit of crispness to them.  This dish came with a huge container of steamed white rice that would food 3-4 people.

E-San Thai — Food Truck & Game of Chance

Steamed Rice from E-San Thai

I also had the Thai coffee.  The bitterness of the coffee was nicely toned down by the sweet and creamy sweetened condensed milk.  I wanted a Thai iced tea and probably would have liked it better than the coffee.  All the food was amazing.  I would definitely play the E-San Thai food truck game of chance again.

Check in later this week for my visit to Esoteric BBQ.

E-San Thai is located near 2315 Main Street. They are open Monday – Saturday from 11:30 – 9:30 and Sunday from 11:30 – 8pm. For their take-out/ cart menu, visit their website — www.e-santhai.com.

 

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Parker Henry’s long football journey finally arrived in the Washington State starting lineup.

The Skyview graduate who rushed for 2,100 yards as a senior began his college career as a walk-on in the Palouse, where he switched to linebacker. His hard work was rewarded at the end of last season as the redshirt junior was given a scholarship.

“Parker works very hard, he is tough and a real hard-nosed,” Leach said at the time.

In Saturday’s 31-14 win over Wyoming, Henry played most of the game at Nickel with the starting unit. He recorded a career high six tackles, including one for a six-yard loss.

Oregon State redshirt freshman Drew Clarkson (Camas) also made his first start. He played left guard against San Jose State.

Here’s how other Clark County players fared on the college gridiron Saturday:

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Beat Rocky Mountain College 42-36 on a last-secondHail Mary 55-yard touchdown pass to improve to 2-1 on the season and in Frontier Conference play.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Beat Western Oregon 40-19 to improve to 1-2 on the season. It was a nonconference game against fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Scored a touchdown on a 79-yard punt return. He totaled three punt returns for 108 yards and four kickoff returns for 78 yards, with a long of 25. He also had one catch for 16 yards.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Started at linebacker. Had six tackles, including three solo.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Had three tackles, including one solo tackle.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for the third consecutive game.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Played but did not record a stat.
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Did not play
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Did not play
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Did not play
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost 42-27 against Southern Oregon to fall to 1-3 overall and 1-2 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Did not play.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Beat No. 15 Montana Tech 33-21 to improve to 1-3 overall, 1-2 in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Made two tackles.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Made five tackles and broke up one pass.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Played on an offensive line that paved the way for 439 yards of offense and did not allow a sack.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Did not play

Eastern Washington

Last week: Opened Big Sky play with a 55-50 win over Montana State. The Eagles are 1-2 overall.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 667 yards and allowed one sack.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Did not play.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Hobart College

Last week: Lost to Ithica 24-6 to fall to 2-1 on the season.

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K — Did not play.

George Fox

Last week: Bye week. The Bruins next face Arizona Christian on Sept. 26.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB

Idaho

Last week: Beat Wofford 41-38 to improve to 1-2. The Vandals open Sun Belt play next week against Georgia Southern

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end, making seven catches for 107 yards and grabbing a seven-yard touchdown catch.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to Boise State 52-0 to fall to 1-2.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Played, but did not record a catch. He made one tackle.

Lewis and Clark

Last week: Lost to Pomona-Pitzer 20-14 to fall to 0-2.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Last week: Won 44-7 over University of Redlands to improve to 2-0. The Wildcats open conference play next week at Lewis and Clark.

Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Started at center for an offense that gained 418 yards and did not allow a sack.
Jake Dennis, Skyview, So., DB – Did not play.
James Niemela, Columbia River, So. OL – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Beat Grinnell College 56-0 to improve to 2-1.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Did not play.

Montana

Last week: Lost at Liberty 31-21 to fall to 1-2. The Grizzlies open Big Sky play next week against Northern Arizona.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had one catch for 43 yards. Also returned four kickoffs for a total of 84 yards, the longest being 26.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Made two tackles, including one for a loss.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play.
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Montana Tech

Last week: Lost 33-21 against Eastern Oregon to fall to 2-1 and 2-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Max Hiller, La Center, Fr. LB – Will likely redshirt.

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost 44-2 to Montana Western to fall to 0-4 on the season.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 15 of 34 passes for 47 yards and two interceptions.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Beat San Jose State 35-21 to improve to 2-1. The Beavers open Pac-12 play next week at home against Stanford.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Made his first career start, playing left guard. The offensive line paved the way for 438 yards of offense, including 303 rushing yards, and did not allow a sack.

Pacific University

Last week: Lost to Dubuque 31-29 to fall to 1-1.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Bye week. The Vikings (2-0) return to action next weekend with their home opener against Western Oregon.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – .
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – .
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – .
Isaac Ennis, Columbian River, Fr., OL – .
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – .

University of Redlands

Last week: Lost to No. 3 Linfield 44-7 to fall to 0-2.

Gabe Evenson, Columbia River, Fr. QB – Did not play

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Merced 37-24 to improve to 2-1.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Had four tackles and broke up one pass.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat College of Idaho 42-27 to improve to 2-1 overall and 2-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started at left guard for an offensive line that paved the way for 340 yards rushing and allowed one sack.
Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt.

Washington

Last week: Beat Utah State 31-17 to improve to 2-1. The Huskies open Pac-12 play Sept. 26 against Cal.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played but did not record a tackle.

Washington State

Last Week: Beat Wyoming 31-14 to improve to 2-1. The Cougars next open Pac-12 play Oct. 3 against Cal.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made his only field goal attempt, a 22-yarder in the fourth quarter. Also was 4-for-4 on extra points and had six kickoffs, including one touchback. Made one tackle on a kickoff return.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – Played most of the game at Nickel with the starting unit. He recorded a career high six tackles, including one for a six-yard loss.

Weber State

Last week: Beat Sacramento State 32-7 to improve to 1-2. The Wildcats open Big Sky play next week at Northern Colorado.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Lost at Central Washington 40-19 in a nonconference game against fellow Great Northwest Athletic Conference foe. The Wolves are 1-2 overall and 0-1 in conference.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat La Verne 39-20 to improve to 2-0.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Did not play.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to Washington State 31-14 to fall to 0-3 on the season. The Cowboys open Mountain West play next week at home against New Mexico.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

 

 

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

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Another week, another busy day for Clark County athletes on the college gridiron.

Evergreen grad Justice Murphy scored his first touchdown for Wyoming on a 5-yard rush.

Camas grad John Norcross was Portland State’s leading tackler in a win over Idaho State. The sophomore linebacker had 13 tackles.

And in Los Angeles, Union grad Trent Cowan scored a touchdown for Idaho against USC.

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Lost to Montana Tech 19-10 to fall to 1-1 in the NAIA Frontier Conference.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Lost 49-20 at Dixie State to fall to 0-2 on the year.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Had seven catches for 73 yards, including a long of 31 yards. Also had six kickoff returns for 129 yards with a long of 39.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Started at linebacker. Had three tackles, including one solo.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Had three tackles, including one solo tackle.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center for the second consecutive game.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Did not play.
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Did not play
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Did not play
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Did not play
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost 24-20 at Montana Western to fall to 1-2 overall and 1-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Did not play.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Lost 38-35 at Southern Oregon to fall to 0-3 overall, 0-2 in the Frontier Conference.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Started at defensive back and made two tackles.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Made two tackles and broke up one pass.
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Started on an offensive line that paved the way for 211 yards rushing and allowed one sack.
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Did not play

Eastern Washington

Last week: Lost 38-35 at No. 14 Northern Iowa to fall to 0-2.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 552 yards and allowed three sacks.
Reilly Hennessey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Started the second half. He completed 13 of 18 passes for 117 yards and a touchdown before leaving the game with an ankle injury.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Caught one pass for 53 yards from Hennessey.

Hobart College

Last week: Season begins Sept. 19 vs. Ithaca

Will Warne, Mountain View, Fr., K — .

George Fox

Last week: Beat University of the Redlands 39-35 to improve to 1-1.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Did not play
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play

Idaho

Last week: Lost at USC 59-9 to fall to 0-2.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end, making two catches for 19 yards including a 10-yard touchdown catch in the third quarter.

Idaho State

Last week: Lost to Portland State 34-14 to fall to 1-1 and 0-1 in the Big Sky Conference.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Had one catch for five yards and made one tackle after an interception.

Lewis and Clark

Next week: Lost 27-7 to Claremont in its season opener.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – Did not play.

Linfield

Next week: Opened its season with a 52-14 win over Chapman.

Jake Dennis, Skyview, So., DB – Did not play.
Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – Did not play.
James Niemela, Columbia River, So. OL – Did not play.

Luther College

Last week: Lost 34-16 against St. Olaf to fall to 0-2.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Did not play.

Montana

Last week: Bye week.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – .
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE –.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – .
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – .

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost 46-0 to Rocky Mountain College to fall to 0-3 on the season.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Completed 10 of 20 passes for 86 yards and one interception.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Did not play.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Did not play.

Oregon State

Last week: Lost 35-7 at Michigan to fall to 1-1.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Played in a backup role.

Pacific University

Last week: Bye week.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – .

Portland State

Last week: Won at Idaho State 34-14 to improve to 2-0 overall and 1-0 in the Big Sky.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Started at strongside linebacker, making a team-high 13 tackles including six unassisted.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Did not play.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbian River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Lost to Cabrillo 25-22 to fall to 1-1.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Did not play.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Beat Eastern Oregon 38-35 to improve to 1-1 overall and 1-1 in the Frontier Conference.

Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Started on an offensive line that paved the way for 276 yards rushing and allowed one sack.
Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr. WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt.

Washington

Last week: Beat Sacramento State to improve to 1-1.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played but did not record a tackle.

Washington State

Last Week: Won in thrilling fashion, beating Rutgers 37-34 on Luke Falk’s touchdown pass to River Cracraft with 13 seconds left. The Cougars are 1-1.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made all three field goal attempts, hitting from 47, 46 and 37 yards. Made all four extra points and had one touchback on eight kickoffs.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – Made one tackle.

Weber State

Last week: Lost 41-14 at No. 2 North Dakota State to fall to 0-2.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Beat Simon Frasier 31-14 to improve to 1-1.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Beat Whittier 47-11 in its season opener.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB – Played in a backup role but did not record a tackle.
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL – Played in a backup role.
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE – Did not play.

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to Eastern Michigan 48-29 to fall to 0-2 on the season.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Played but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Had a touchdown in his collegiate debut scoring on a 5-yard rush. Finished with two carries for six yards.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

 

 

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

How Clark County players fared: Week 2
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The most-talked-about college football game in the Northwest this past weekend had several Clark County connections.

Portland State’s upset of Washington State was a triumphant head-coaching debut for Bruce Barnum, who graduated from Columbia River High School and lives in Salmon Creek.

He scored the school’s first win in 15 games against a Pac-12 opponent and made a strong case for having the “interim” tag removed from his title. He’s on a one-year trial contract during which he’ll try to earn the job full time.

But Clark County was represented on the field too. For Portland State, John Norcross started at linebacker while Brandon Brody-Heim also played at that position. For Washington State, Parker Henry played on defense and special teams. Erik Powell handled kickoffs and placekicking.

Also, Camas grad Reilly Hennessey made his collegiate debut for Eastern Washington against Oregon at Autzen Stadium. His former Camas teammates Drew Clarkson (Oregon State) and James Price (Wyoming) also made their collegiate debuts.

Each week, we’ll have a rundown of Clark County players currently playing college football. Here’s hoping for a happy and healthy season for them all.

2015 Clark County College football players

* — has used redshirt year

Carroll College

Last week: Beat Southern Oregon 26-20 in its season opener.

William Noce-Sheldon, Seton Catholic, Fr., QB – Will likely redshirt.

Central Washington

Last week: Lost 41-14 at Colorado State-Pueblo in its season opener.

Jesse Zalk, Prairie, Jr., WR – Had five catches for 27 yards. Also had five punt returns for 44 yards, including a long return of 32 yards. Last year’s NAIA leader in return yardage also had four kickoff returns for 107 yards, including a long of 47 yards.
Gabe Rego, Union, Jr.. LB — Had five tackles, including two solo tackles.
Josh Stolz, Mountain View, Jr.* OL — Started at center.
Kaben Humphrey-Butler, Union, Jr. WR — Played but did not record a statistic.
Kevin Haynes, Battle Ground, Jr. LB — Did not play
Bryan Kelly, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play
Chavo Camargo, Mountain View, Fr., K/P — Did not play
Alex Walker, Camas, Fr., OL — Did not play
Tyler Grant, Prairie, Fr.*, OL — Did not play
Tyler Dionne, Union, Fr., TE — Did not play
Cole Zarcone, Camas, Fr., DB — Did not play

College of Idaho

Last week: Lost to Pacific 32-31 to fall to 1-1 on the season.

Chris Waters, Battle Ground, Fr. DB – Did not play, but made his collegiate debut on special teams the previous week against Eastern Oregon.

Eastern Oregon

Last week: Lost 41-20 at Sacramento State to fall to 0-2.

Jorden Payne, Camas, So. DB – Had nine tackles, including seven solo tackles.
John Payne, Camas, Jr.* DB – Did not play
Bennett Muasau, Mountain View, So.* OL – Did not play
William Ephraim, Camas, Fr., DB – Did not play
Zach Lacey, Woodland, Fr., DL – Did not play

Eastern Washington

Last week: Lost 61-42 at Oregon in its season opener.

T.J. Boatright, Union, Sr.* OL – Started at center for an offense that gained 549 yards.
Reilly Hennesey, Camas, Fr.* QB – Made his collegiate debut when he entered the game in the third quarter after starting QB Jordan West suffered a leg cramp. He was 14-for-21 for 145 yards, two touchdowns and one interception. He threw TD passes of 7 and 1 yards to Cooper Kupp. He also had three carries for 20 yards, with a long rush of 13 yards.
Zach Eagle, Camas, Fr.* WR – Did not play

George Fox

Last week: Lost 27-23 in its season opener.

Josiah Tully, King’s Way Christian, Fr. WR — Played on special teams and recorded one tackle.
Samuel Barnes, Washougal, Fr. LB – Did not play
Brandon Casteel, Washougal, Fr. RB – Did not play
K.J. Santos, Seton Catholic, Fr. FB – Did not play

Idaho

Last week: Lost to Ohio 45-28 in its season opener.

Trent “Buck” Cowan, Union, Jr., TE – Started at tight end, making two catches for 14 yards.

Idaho State

Last week: Beat Black Hills State 55-0 in its season opener.

CJ Hatchett, Evergreen, Sr.* WR – Had two catches for 22 yards including a 9-yard touchdown catch.

Lewis and Clark

Next week: Season begins Sept. 12 vs. Claremont.

Zac Shomler, Skyview, Fr. QB – .

Linfield

Next week: Season begins Sept. 12 vs. Chapman.

Jake Dennis, Skyview, So., DB – .
Matt Matteo, Skyview, So. C – .
James Niemela, Columbia River, So. OL – .

Luther College

Last week: Lost 26-19 against Wisconsin-La Crosse in its season opener.

Louden Seekins, Hockinson, So., LB – Did not play

Montana

Last week: Lost to Cal Poly 20-19 to fall to 1-1 on the season.

Ellis Henderson, Skyview, Jr.* WR – Had five catches for 47 yards including a 6-yard touchdown catch. He also forced a fumble, which he recovered, after a Cal Poly player made an interception.
Ryan Johnson, Mountain View, Jr.* DE – Played in a backup role and recorded one tackle.
Kobey Eaton, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play
Jerrin Williams, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play

Montana State-Northern

Last week: Lost 58-14 to Montana Tech to fall to 0-2 on the season.

Jess Krahn, Hockinson, So., QB – Stats not available.
Denzel Hamiel, Prairie, Fr., DB – Stats not available.
Adam Ayala, Prairie, Fr. DL – Stats not available.

Oregon State

Last week: Beat Weber State 26-7 in its season opener.

Drew Clarkson, Camas, Fr.*, OL – Made his collegiate debut, playing in a backup role.

Pacific University

Last week: Beat College of Idaho 32-31 in its season opener.

Joe Davis, Hockinson, Fr. LB – Did not play.

Portland State

Last week: Won at Washington State 24-17 in its season opener.

John Norcross, Camas, So.* LB – Started at strongside linebacker, making 2.5 tackles including one solo.
Brandon Brody-Heim, Union, Sr. LB – Made one solo tackle.
Kieran McDonagh, Skyview, Sr.. QB – Did not play.
Isaac Ennis, Columbian River, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Glen Whearty, Skyview, Fr., OL – Did not play.

Shasta College

Last week: Beat Gavilan 56-6 in its season opener.

Dylan King, Skyview, So. DB — Returned an interception 42 yards for a touchdown in the fourth quarter. Also had one tackle.

Southern Oregon

Last week: Lost at Carroll College in its season opener.

Max Proudfit, Union, Sr. OL – Did not play.
Dylan Bratlie, Skyview, Sr., OL – Did not play.
Parker Randle, Battle Ground, Fr., WR – Did not play.
Tanner Aldridge, Camas, Fr., OL – Did not play.
Jordan Suell, Fort Vancouver, Fr. WR – Will likely redshirt.

Washington

Last week: Lost to Boise State 16-13 in its season opener.

Hayden Schuh, Skyview, Jr., DB – Played but did not record a tackle.

Washington State

Last Week: Lost 24-17 to Portland State it its season opener.

Erik Powell, Seton Catholic, So.*, K – Made a 21-yard field goal and had a 22-yard attempt blocked. Also made two extra points and had four kickoffs.
Parker Henry, Skyview, Jr.* LB – Made two tackles playing in a backup role.

Weber State

Last week: Lost to Oregon State 26-7 in its season opener.

Billy Nelson, Evergreen, Fr., S – Did not play.

Western Oregon

Last week: Lost 29-20 at Humboldt State in its season opener.

E’Lon Mack, Heritage, Fr.* WR – Did not play.

Whitworth

Last week: Season begins Sept. 12 vs. Whittier.

Clayton Farr, Ridgefield, Jr. DB –
Noah Schultz-Rathbun, Hockinson, Jr. OL –
Brad Benton, King’s Way, So. DE –

Wyoming

Last week: Lost to North Dakota 24-13 in its season opener.

James Price, Camas, Fr., WR – Made his collegiate debut, but did not record a stat.
Justice Murphy, Evergreen, Fr., WR – Did not play.

Did I miss anyone? If so, email micah.rice@columbian.com.

 

 

Micah Rice

Columbian Sports Editor Micah Rice is the author of Tailgate Talk: College football from a Clark County perspective.

How Clark County college players fared, Week 1
96725yep-i-gained-weight-from-all-that-fair-food-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/yep-i-gained-weight-from-all-that-fair-food-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/weight-gain-shutterstock-600x400.jpg

I promised I would share how much weight I gained with all the ridiculous eating I did during the Fair. I got on the scale the morning of Opening Day (August 7) and again at the same time of the morning after the Fair ended (August 17). I have tracked both my weight and my mileage for the past three Fairs. I am astounded by the results. 

Ready?

Yep, I gained weight from all that Fair Food


In 2013, I walked an average of 3.59 miles per day and gained 2.6 pounds.
In 2014, I walked an average of 3.65 miles per day and gained 2.6 pounds.
This year, I walked an average of 3.35 miles per day and gained 2.6 pounds.

There are so many reasons this makes me shake my head. And I agree with you, it is just plain wrong and it isn’t fair.  I really don’t know what else to say about it other than I’m sorry.  :-(

—————–
And with that revelation and apology, this brings to a close the 2015 edition of “It’s the Fair!”  Thank you so much to all of you who followed along and made comments and commiserated about the Best Fair on the Planet. I truly loved sharing my love of the Clark County Fair with you!

Next year’s Fair is August 5-14, 2016.  Mark your calendars and I will see you there!

 

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Yep, I gained weight from all that Fair Food
96823the-final-fair-food-feast-parade-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/the-final-fair-food-feast-parade-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/P1060783-e1439824972715-768x1024-345x460.jpg

Well, that’s that.  The end of my 10 days of gluttony.  No more deep fried anything, no more chips, no more mayonnaise, no more carbonated sugar day after day.  It was great fun but I gotta be honest, I have been craving a salad for three days.

So here is the very last Fair Food Feast Parade for 2015.  I will be coming at you once more when I reveal how much weight I gained through all this madness. Stay tuned!

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

Garlic fries from the Greek Cusina booth. They were SO good last year but this year, I wasn’t impressed. They were lukewarm coming out of the kitchen and not enough garlic. So sad.

 

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

Not impressed with this Hawaiian hot dog either. It was from the Boppin’ Bo’s booth in the food court and was a basic grocery store hot dog with a bun that fell apart. The pineapple chunks and teriyaki sauce were ok but they kept falling off the dog. It was a mess and not very satisfying.

 

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

Very happy to have another Smasher! Northwest berries juice. So tasty! I will miss them.



The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

My final Hawaiian Shave Ice with my favorite combo — grape and lime. There’s a little hint of blue raspberry, too, because the ice jockey was understandably distracted by a bee.

 

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

Corn!! I over salted it. Mmmmm…..

 

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

Final corn dog from the Lions booth. I went old school and skipped the ketchup.

 

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!

The Finale of the Finale. I left the best for last. The Deluxe Elephant Ear from the Boppin’ Bo’s stand just east of the Milkshake Barn. Elephant ear topped with strawberries, vanilla ice cream, and whipping cream. My hubby and I shared this and finished every last piece of cinnamon sugary goodness. The End.

 

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

The Final Fair Food Feast Parade!
96833next-years-fair-has-a-new-court-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/next-years-fair-has-a-new-court-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/P1060776-1024x768-600x450.jpg

It has been a long, exciting, hair-sprayed day.  Six young teen women have spent the day vying to be on the 2016 Clark County Fair Court.  They have given speeches, done a few modeling turns on the runway, answered impromptu questions, and shown off their horsemanship skills in the horse arena.

I followed them all day, to the extent allowed without being creepy.  I definitely had a few favorites.  I am SO excited to announce that the next Clark County Fair Court is:

Next year’s Fair has a new Court!

Mikaela Schuman, Serenity Gibbs, and Shaylee Coleman (L-R)

 

You might notice I haven’t told you who the Queen is.  That’s because I don’t know.  Nobody does.  Reverting to the way things used to be done, the 2016 Fair Court Queen will be announced at their Coronation next February.  It will be a big to-do with lots of fluffy hair and sequins.  Mark your calendars for Saturday, February 6, 2016 and keep your eyes on the Fair Court Facebook page for details on how to buy tickets.

Until then, CONGRATULATIONS, Mikaela, Serenity, and Shaylee!!

And thank you for an amazing, award-winning, bestcourtever year, Brooke, Missy, and Tessa.  You ROCKED IT!

Next year’s Fair has a new Court!

 

 

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Next year’s Fair has a new Court!
96838has-the-fair-inspired-your-kid-to-join-4-h-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/has-the-fair-inspired-your-kid-to-join-4-h-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/P1060669-1024x768-600x450.jpg

Oh, to be a kid again!  If I were, I would be pestering my parents to let me join 4-H.  Seeing all the kids at the Fair this week with their animals and projects and ribbons makes me wish I could go back in time and trade all those hours I spent with my new Atari game console for something much more productive.

If you have a child who is wanting to join in the 4-H fun, there is a fantastic website run through Washington State University.  It has tons of information. Check it out here.

The Head, Heart, Hands, Health program is open to kids ages 5-19.  The new year starts in October, so you have plenty of time to do some research and make a plan even before school starts.

One interesting thing I have learned by eavesdropping in the Llama Greenway is that you don’t need your own animal to be involved in that aspect of 4-H.  There are actually generous people out there who are willing to let you borrow their animals for a 4-H project.

It’s really a win-win:  you get to test drive your child’s interest and involvement in raising an animal without having to invest in an animal and a pen and all the accessories.  Meanwhile, the animal’s owner gets to have their animal get some exercise and socialization and training.

If I had only known back in the ’70s…

Has the Fair inspired your kid to join 4-H?

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Has the Fair inspired your kid to join 4-H?
968422016-fair-court-competition-is-today-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/its-the-fair/2016-fair-court-competition-is-today-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/P1060367-2-1024x1007-467x460.jpg

It’s the last day of the Fair. Boo!!!!!  But there is always next year, right?

And in preparation for next year, tonight the next Clark County Fair Court will be chosen.  All day today, six young women will be competing to see who will be the 2016 Queen and her two Princesses.

The public is invited and encouraged to watch the proceedings.  I certainly recommend it; it’s become my Last Day of the Fair tradition to watch the speeches and the fashion show and the always-entertaining Q&A with the Fair’s Marketing Director, Matt.

There is also a horsemanship competition where the girls carry flags and do the blurry fast rodeo wave and try to calmly walk their horse past a huge golf umbrella on a parade route — all things to simulate what they will do while representing our beloved Fair for the next year.

The action will be on the Kids’ Park Family Fun Stage (behind the milkshake barn) and in the Horse Arena.  According to the Fan Fair Daily Schedule, here are the times to note and places to be. Come cheer them on with me!

 

2:00-3:00pm     Speeches, Modeling, Fun with Matt    Stage behind Dairy Women Milkshake barn

5:30-7:00pm     Riding Competition                              Horse arena

7:30pm             Crowning of the 2016 Fair Court          Stage behind Dairy Women Milkshake barn

 

2016 Fair Court Competition is today!

 

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

2016 Fair Court Competition is today!
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Somehow my body knows the party is almost over.  Boo!  I can tell my appetite is slowing down and I’m not pleased.  I should have added an ear of corn or a corn dog or something on a stick today. Instead, this is all we’ve got.  So sad.

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Awesome find!! This is the Chicken Teriyaki Wrap from Sweet Al’s on the east side of the Horse Arena. SO GOOD! I was a little worried it was too healthy with lettuce and cranberries but it was so worth it. Mmmmm!

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Basic potato chips that won’t be allowed in my diet after tomorrow.

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Decided to try two new flavors: mango and strawberry. Both were pretty good and I enjoyed the blend. The strawberry flavor wasn’t as strong as I was expecting, which was a good thing.

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

This has become a favorite snack at this year’s Fair. The stand I keep getting them from is in the background. Just a basic ice cream bar dipped in chocolate but so refreshing!

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Yakisoba noodles from Patrick’s Hawaiian Cafe. I liked them enough earlier in the week, I decided to go back for Round 2.

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Strawberry lemonade from the Old Fashioned Lemonade stand next to the Grandstands entrance. Much more flavor than the stuff the vendors sell in the Grandstands themselves. Of course, those are delivered to your seat so there is that…

 

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9

Ok, so this isn’t available for sale at the Fair but it is definitely Fair-related. This is a caramel apple scone baked fresh today by the person who won First Place in this year’s Scone Baking contest. Lauralea happens to be a friend of mine and she blew my mind when she came to the Fair today to let me sample one of her blue ribbons scones. The scone blew me away, too. We’re trying to convince her to start selling them. Fingers crossed.

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Fair Food Feast Parade ~ Day 9
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This year’s Fair theme is superheroes.  We all know about Superman and Spider-Man and their buddies.  But did you know the Clark County Fair has its own real-life do-gooders keeping us safe and protected and helping us find our way in the darkness?  And they do all that on horses.  Awesome, right?

Unintentionally hidden in some red barns to the east of the Dr. Jack Giesy Horse Arena can be found the Clark County Fair Mounted Patrol.  They have been monitoring the Fair’s parking lots on horseback for 40 years.  They started out just riding along the perimeter fence lines to make sure no sneakypetes jumped over trying to get in for free.  In those days, the horse folks were called Fence Riders.

Over the years, these Good Samaritans on horseback have expanded their scope.  These days, the volunteers ride the parking lots to help find lost cars, keep an eye out for suspicious activity, greet the public, and close car doors that Fair guests accidentally leave open in their understandable excitement to rush to the entrance gates.

I spoke to Larissa who has been volunteering with the Patrol for several years, after serving as a 2011 Clark County Fair Court Princess.  She said she comes out to the Fair each of the 10 days and joins the riders on their evening patrols from 5:30pm-9:30pm.

Riders have to be at least 21 years old and most of the 50 club members are in their 40s and 50s.  Larissa would love to see younger riders join the club to bring new energy, new ideas, and even more outreach to the public.

You can spot the Mounted Patrol by their red and white checked shirts.  You can also go visit their barns at any time during the Fair.  They have some interesting displays, really friendly horses, and off-duty patrollers eager to answer your questions.  Head to the east side of the horse arena and look to the right.  Big red horse barns.  To match the shirts.

Mounted Patrol – Heroes on horseback

Larissa and her 11 year old horse, Vinnie

 

Toni Woodard

I am a Clark County Fair Fanatic and eat all things fried during the glorious 10 days of The Fair. I have lived in Clark County since 2004 and consider it the second-best decision of my life. I am married to a great guy named Rob (first-best decision) who graciously carries my stuff and takes my picture every time I eat something at The Fair. We have two indoor cats and lots of deer, rabbits, and coyotes who are kind enough to stay outside.

Mounted Patrol – Heroes on horseback
101274visiting-lonely-seniors-and-lovely-parks-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/outdoors/visiting-lonely-seniors-and-lovely-parks-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/franklin-park-460x460.jpg

What’s on the plate is not important. Who’s around the table is what counts.

Home Instead Senior Care is encouraging people who live near — or even not so near — their senior loved ones to make time for regular meals together.

Time is the major stumbling block, according to Home Instead, which conducted a random survey of 1,000 households and found that about half admitted to not “sharing enough meals” with senior loved ones who live nearby — leading to the loss of an important family connection. Three-quarters of respondents said they only break bread with senior loved ones on special occasions like holidays and birthdays.

That’s a whole lot of down time in between. Senior isolation is a difficult and multifaceted problem in these hyperactive and scattered times — it can lead to pessimism and depression, health problems and cognitive decline — and it seems especially tragic that isolation can be the status quo when relatives live not so far from one another.

So, Home Instead is asking folks to start — or revive — the mealtime gatherings they enjoyed when life was simpler. Try gathering the whole family around your senior loved one, at least once a month (which seems like so little!).

As incentive, the Home Instead Senior Care Foundation will donate $1 to Meals on Wheels America, for a total of up to $20,000, for each person who pledges to schedule regular family dinners via SundayDinnerPledge.com. That way, Meals on Wheels can help provide some nutrition and connection for seniors citizens who aren’t lucky enough to have family visitors.

“This small commitment can have a big impact on a senior’s well-being,” said Julie Williams, Home Instead’s local president. The pledge deadline is July 31.

Note that the SundayDinnerPledge.com website isn’t just a place to promise to fork over funds; it contains everything you need to ease your way through even a strange and awkward Sunday meal. In addition to menu suggestions and an interactive meal planner, there are meaningful conversation starters, games to play, ways to bond over the family table.

Visit www.SundayDinnerPledge.com or call Home Instead Senior Care at 360-253-6028.

No park left behind
In other leaving-none-behind news, the new executive director of the Parks Foundation of Clark County is on a mission to get familiar with each and every park, trail, greenspace and community center in Clark County. Starting on July 8, Temple Lenz began a 90-day whirlwind tour of every public park in the county.

It’s a little more than she bargained for when she brainstormed the big idea, she said — because, depending on your accounting standards, there are at least 200 parks in Clark County. Closer to 220, actually, Lentz said, when you factor in the unimproved greenspaces, the recreation centers, the sports parks, the “other.”

“I decided to do this before I actually counted them,” Lentz said. “Note to self for future projects. That’s been the biggest surprise, realizing just how many parks and trails we do have.”

You can go along for the ride — from the comfort of your device — and share in Lentz’s journey of discovery. She’s posting photos and comments on the Parks Foundation’s Facebook and Instagram pages (under #90days200parks and Parks of Clark, respectively), and all are welcome to join in the fun with your own photos and comments.

I asked Lentz what her favorite Clark County greenspace might be, and her answer was both prompt and a little unexpected: Leverich Park, a multilayered mishmash of streambed and picnic shelter, disc golf course and, it must be said, homeless folks.

But that’s where Lentz used to spend lots of time with her dog when she was new in town, she said, and it’s a great example of a historic but rundown park — built in 1931 — that got a whole new lease on life thanks to the sort of public-private partnerships she means to pursue in her new gig. Local disc golf clubs and recreation businesses all pitched in to develop the 12-hole course that now reliably draws mobs of players on evenings and weekends. The popularity of the course has completely upended the park’s previous reputation — in this player’s estimation, anyway.

Which got me thinking about my own park passions and the way things change. When my kids were little, our favorite haunts were elementary school playgrounds and big spots like Marshall Park and Esther Short Park — and that swimming hole where Cougar Creek flows into Salmon Creek.

Now that I don’t hang out too much with kiddies on playgrounds anymore — and do spend significant leisure time cycling — my favorite local greenspace is probably the Frenchman’s Bar/Vancouver Lake network and the paved trail that connects them. Or maybe it’s the reopened waterfront trail at the Tidewater Condos, and the awesome jetty that juts into the river there. Or maybe the diverse and picturesque Burnt Bridge Creek Trail.

Or maybe….

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Adopting my dog was a snap decision.
It was Friday afternoon, just before Mother’s Day, when I checked online at the Humane Society for Southwest Washington. Several dogs were available, including a peculiar, little, red Dachshund with one blue and one brown eye. I had to meet him.
I pushed and pushed, reassuring my fiancé, Jake, we were just going to look. It’s not like we were going to leave with a dog.
The next day, we arrived at the shelter about 20 minutes early. A small crowd gathered around the locked doors. I thought, “Oh, no, what if someone is coming for the little Dachshund,” who I had already secretly named Bodhi (boh-dee), which means “enlightenment” in Buddhism.
As soon as the doors opened at noon, we dashed inside and went straight back to the kennels, searching for him. We found him cowering in a puddle of his urine, clearly scared and confused.
It only took one look. Jake knew this little guy was coming home with us.
I asked him to stand guard as I hurried to the front desk to fill out the paperwork. Minutes later we had Bodhi, then known as Zoolander, in a meet-and-greet room. He was timid and distracted by the other dogs’ barking, but he seemed sweet enough. I loved him already.
The next thing we knew, we were up at the front filling out all of his adoption paperwork and picking out a leash, collar, food bowls, toys — the works. The whole process took less than two hours.
We loaded Bodhi into the car. He sat on Jake’s lap the whole way staring up at us with the most puzzled-but-happy look on his face.

Journey to enlightenment

Bodhi checks out the sights and sounds of the Recycled Arts Festival at Esther Short Park from his stroller.


That first week was great. He was quiet. He appeared to be housebroken. He walked well on the leash, and he got along with both of us.
But ironically, as Bodhi became more comfortable, the problems emerged.
In hindsight, I should have done my research. Owning a dog is a huge responsibility. Jake and I both had childhood dogs, so I thought, “How hard could it be?” Little did I know, Dachshunds are notorious for their stubborn behavior. They’re difficult to housebreak and train, in general.
On top of that, Bodhi is an emotional basket case. He has an intense fear of men, particularly Jake. It’s the oddest thing. We can all be sitting on the couch or lying in bed, and Bodhi is perfectly fine. He snuggles up to Jake and obsessively licks him. But as soon as Jake is on his feet and moving, Bodhi heads for the hills, or more accurately, under the bed, under the end table, under my feet, next to the toilet, wedged in between the fridge and wall.
The fear takes control. Jake has never done anything to warrant the behavior. In fact, as time has gone on, the two have kept their distance from each other.
Bodhi was a stray. He came to the shelter under­weight, malnourished and had missing patches of fur on his ears, legs and chest. We have no idea what his history is; we can only speculate. Maybe he was abused by a man — someone who looks like Jake. Maybe he was chased off by men while on the streets. Maybe he wasn’t properly socialized. We will never know.
His fear — mixed with his stubborn I-do-what-I-want attitude — has caused many problems. Within the first month, he snapped at Jake three times, grazing his hand. The first time it happened, we had to have a serious talk. Could we really keep this dog?
I saw the stress and tension he was creating in the home, but I couldn’t bear giving up on him. Instead, we took extra precaution.
We’ve taken him to obedience classes and even hired a behaviorist who came to our home. I’ve also sought advice from fellow pup parents at the dog park.
Looking back, some incidents have been quite comical, though they weren’t at the time.
The “little monster,” as I fondly refer to him, chewed a leash in half once while we were sitting on the patio having dinner. He’s broken into his treat bag and gobbled up the peanut butter bites. He holds socks hostage under the bed and steals any article of clothing — clean or dirty— that he can manage to drag away. He’s a tennis ball hoarder and a stuffed animal murderer. What’s mine is his but not the other way around. He loves to roll in a smelly pile of whatever on our walks, and he even peed on my foot once at the dog park. Everyone else thought it was hilarious.
Bodhi was recently recognized on the Facebook page Puppy Tales for his naughty behavior. I’m not sure if I should be mortified or simply accept it.
But despite all of the bad, and even the ugly, I wouldn’t trade him for any other dog. He’s loyal, fun and attentive. When he’s not being a scaredy-cat, he has a bubbly, playful and mischievous personality. He can often be found rolling around town in his doggie stroller. Yes, he has a stroller, much to Jake’s embarrassment. It saves me the trouble of carrying him around like a football when the little guy gets tired of walking or anxious from crowds.
It’s been about two months since we brought Bodhi home; he’s still afraid of Jake. Though, Jake is now able to get a leash on him and take him outside. They even play together at the dog park, cautiously. We’ve seen tiny bits of improvement that we hope will only progress as time goes on.
But most importantly, what we are all learning from this experience is an abundance of patience, understanding, trust and unconditional love.
—Jessica Prokop

96953orange-is-the-new-moroccan-carrot-dip-16 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/orange-is-the-new-moroccan-carrot-dip-16/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/moroccan-dip-345x460.jpg

 

Orange is the new Moroccan Carrot Dip

 

Well Orange is the New Black (OINB) dropped into my Netflix queue just the other day.  I haven’t opened it up cause I know I’ll just binge watch until the whole season is gone.  In honor of my favorite color and OINB – here is one of my all time healthy living favorite recipes:

MOROCCAN CARROT DIP

Adapted from America’s Test Kitchen – Moroccan Carrot Dip (link below)

1.  Wash carrots, no need to peel.  Cut carrots in 2″ sections.  Bring to boil 6 cups of water.  Place carrots in and turn down to a medium simmer.  Cook until soft.

2.  Let carrots cool a bit.

3.  Place carrots and all the remaining ingredients starting with salt all the way to cider vinegar in a food processor.  Add more cider vinegar or additional spices to your liking.

Serve with vegetables, pita chips, or ????

Super easy peasy.  Enjoy!

Keep eating and living a life that’s just right for you – delighting your sated sensitive palate!

http://well.blogs.nytimes.com/projects/healthy-recipes/recipes/moroccan-carrot-dip

 

 

 

 

 

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

Orange is the new Moroccan Carrot Dip
101281everythings-coming-up-bicycles-12 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/sports/outdoors/everythings-coming-up-bicycles-12/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/02/racc-blog-600x399.jpg

Far as I’m concerned, the second-greatest invention in the history of humankind is the one that took the greatest invention and made it good clean fun.

So it’s totally awesome — yup, that’s the appropriately mature term — to point out that May is both National Bike Month and National Bike Safety Month. It contains Bike to Work Week, May 11-15, and Bike to Work Day, May 15. Already past us is Bike to School Day, May 6; and today, Mother’s Day, has also been named CycloFemme — a day for women to celebrate and get out pedaling together, according to the sponsor of all of the above, the League of American Bicyclists.

Summer is approaching and everything’s coming up bicycles. Here are a few local tips, whether you’re eager to improve your skills, spread the love or just hit the road:

Bike Clark County is a grass roots nonprofit run entirely by volunteers who love bikes and kids. Members want to extend the fun to needy children who don’t have access to bicycles; they also want to keep those kids safe and aware of how bikes fit into traffic. The group takes donations of used bikes — and dollars of course — and does basic refurbishing. The bikes are “regifted” to charities like the YWCA and other venues where they’ll wind up — for free — with children who can’t afford bikes.

Bike Clark County also hosts clinics where kids can learn to do their own basic bike maintenance, safety courses at middle schools where they can practice the rules of the road, and adult-guided rides where kids can enjoy the journey while putting those rules to real-world tests. And it’s developing an Earn-A-Bike camp program where kids (who must be referred by teachers) work and learn in the shop for eight hours and emerge with their own free bike.

The groups is always grateful for volunteers — especially now through the end of school — but check the Bike Clark County website to find out about scheduling and specifics.

The Vancouver Bike Club is your keeper of the fun when it comes to meeting people and pedaling together. VBC volunteers offer numerous guided rides every week and there’s something for everyone — from casual outings aimed at coffee and a chat at Starbucks to serious distances and hills that have you working up serious sweat.

Here’s what VBC member and volunteer Mary McLaren told me about joining: “I went on a beginner ride and met these wonderful people. We hung out after the ride and had coffee, and I realized, ‘These are my people.’ I just started riding with them every week. It seems like every ride I go on, I find somebody who likes to ride at my pace, and we get to chat. I’ve met people from all walks of life who I never would have met otherwise.

“Plus,” she said, “I’m not very good at fixing flats.”

Meanwhile, cyclists who aren’t too happy with some Vancouver development plans are getting busy. Madeleine Von Laue, who also helps lead a county bike advisory group, reports that an informal city advisory group is forming up to make sure that bicycle and pedestrian needs are well-integrated into city development proposals. Meetings will be held at 6 p.m. on the fourth Thursday of the month at City Hall; contact Von Laue at mvonlaue@hotmail.com to learn more.

While I’m cruising along here, must send a shout-out to McLaren, her VBC cohorts and whomever else made the annual Ride Around Clark County such a pleasure on May 2. I’ve been working up to longish distances lately — Felida to the end of Lower River Road and all the way back — but wasn’t at all sure I was up to my goal, the 66-mile loop. Would I hit, oh, say, mile 50 and suddenly be enduring a world of pain — with no recourse except to keep staggering along? Should I not even try?

No need to worry, it turns out. For one thing, the RACC guarantee includes roving road-support vehicles whose mission is to rescue anybody in trouble — or even just to keep you from frowning, it seems. I never needed help, but there were a couple of super-steep hills along the way where I wasn’t too proud to dismount and walk — and there always suddenly seemed to be a marked RACC car right there with a kindly volunteer asking if I was all right.

A thumbs-up and off they went again. It’s very reassuring to know, even when it seems you’re entirely on your own, you’ve got friends watching over you.

Best of all was the RACC oasis at Daybreak Park, where I enjoyed fruit, veggie wraps, bagels with Nutella chocolate spread and a patch of sunny grass to sprawl upon for a few minutes.

Everything’s coming up bicycles (Not me; photo shamelessly stolen from the VBC website.)

Then it was off to attack some more emerald green hills. What a beautiful county this is. Especially on two wheels.

96957zip-chips-delightful-healthy-snack-made-in-camas-wa-15 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/zip-chips-delightful-healthy-snack-made-in-camas-wa-15/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_2168-768x1024-345x460.jpg

 

ZIP Chips – delightful healthy snack made in CAMAS, WA!

I’m always on the look out for healthy living snacks that are all natural, free of dairy, soy, gluten and peanuts and here’s the kicker – THEY MUST TASTE GREAT!  I’m not looking to settle for that cardboard, sticks and twigs taste healthy alternative – I’m looking for the real deal amazing delicious snack with good nutrition.  

Well – I’m happy to report  I found a G-R-E-A-T tasty snack called ZIP CHIPS from a local purveyor Bekaa Farms of Camas, WA!  That’s right – Zip Chips are made right here in Clark County, WA!
My fav is the Cranberry Crunch flavor made with organic amaranth, puffed rice, almonds, flax seed and cranberries.  This mix is SO good – I have to portion out each serving and put the bag away (or else the bag becomes one delightfully delicious single serving – yup throwing myself under the bus).
ZIP Chips – delightful healthy snack made in CAMAS, WA!ZIP Chips – delightful healthy snack made in CAMAS, WA!
Trust me! Zip Chips are that good and they’re good for you!    These healthy snacks are all natural, high in fiber, gluten free and are made with no saturated fat, chemicals or hydrogenated oils.
Bekaa Farm’s mission is to provide “healthy low cost snacks to folks who want the impossible: satisfying their “munchies” (i.e. cravings for sweet or savory junk food) with something positively 100% healthy”Bekaa Farms is truly a local Pacific Northwest company – they source their main ingredient (apples) from Washington and Oregon growers and then add their magic and love into their ingredients at their Camas, WA production facility.
If Cranberry Crunch doesn’t pique your interest there are 4 additional flavors
Zip Chips are primarily offered at Pacific Northwest retails like New Seasons, Whole Foods, Chucks Produce, Made in Washington, and Market of Choice.  Bekaa Farms is looking to expand their reach into other markets so if you can’t find them at your favorite retailer you can get a hook up on their website http://ZipChips.net/ .  Be sure to give ZIP CHIPS a like on their Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/ZipChips?fref=ts
Go get a bag today and let me know what you think?!
Keep eating and living a life that’s just right for you – delighting your sated sensitive palate!
Denise

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

ZIP Chips – delightful healthy snack made in CAMAS, WA!
72728todays-breakups-are-plugged-in-7 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/family-room/todays-breakups-are-plugged-in-7/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/12/love-stinks.png

Taxes and romantic bust-ups. It’s April, the “cruelest month.”

Based on unimpeachable data like miserable status announcements and no-comment relationship switches on Facebook — or in the hallway between classes — smart statisticians and even smarter high school students have confirmed that partnerships tend to explode between Thanksgiving and Christmas and then early in the new year. Valentine’s Day can be bad. Spring break is the worst.

if you’re a parent, you have a delicate dance to do when your teenager gets dumped, or even did the dumping. Teens don’t have a ton of experience or perspective and may be enduring what seems like awesomely epic trauma — because it is. This is totally new territory. Nobody ever suffered like this before, Mom and Dad!

Does it help to recall the searing rock-n-roll poetry of our own peer, Tom Petty? “There’s someone I used to see, but she don’t give a damn for me. … You don’t know how it feels to be me.”

That’s your kid’s truth now. Quit rolling that inner eye. Instead, check out these pointers on patiently parenting a brokenhearted kid, taken from a survey of the literature out there and sprinkled with a little personal observation.

As rotten as they are, early breakups actually build up the strength and resilience that’s going to carry teenagers through future difficulties. This is the process of protective but joyless skin-thickening we all have to endure, one way or another. This is the messy process of learning who we are and whom we like, what works and what doesn’t.

The popular literature tends to break out teen girls’ and teen boys’ behaviors in ways that I frankly find stereotypical at best and nonsense at worst. Let’s just acknowledge that individual reactions vary. Some kids may look to friends and family for consolation and comfort via a lot of talking and sharing; others may withdraw and stew and even punch walls. Or worse.

But OK, it’s also true: boys still aren’t taught to probe their own feelings much and may have little practice with anything but anger, while girls may already have done lots of friendship drama and be accustomed to friends whose stock rises and falls, rises and falls.

Be on the lookout for red flags. Is your kid full of self-blame and low self-esteem? Have sleep, schoolwork, eating, other activities and relationships not bounced back after what seems like a reasonable mourning period? Are you getting worried about risky reactive behaviors? That’s when it may be time to express serious concern and even seek outside help.

‘24-hour news cycle’
“Talking and sharing” really means texting. Electronics and social media are a central part of growing up now. Today’s teenagers have never known anything but a world where breaking up isn’t just personal business — it’s a breaking headline in the 24-hour news cycle.

Breaking up via the Internet should be out of the question, of course. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t happen all the time. Just don’t expect messages of sorrow or fury or sarcasm or sweetness to stay private. Know how many humiliating “breakup text” collection websites there are out there? Heard of “revenge porn”?

This is where parenting wisdom starts failing me. Urging one’s kid to keep private things private doesn’t seem to fly anymore. Neither does avoiding the ex — and all the ensuing gossip — on social media. Who wouldn’t succumb to the temptation to keep peeking at your ex’s pages?

It used to be easier to break up and move on without constantly reopening wounds. Today you’ve got to rely on lots of personal backbone.

It’s nice to chant that you should and must remain friends. But if the relationship was at all intense or lasting, that’s going to prove complicated and difficult. Potentially rebuilt friendship or no, a definite cooling-off, no-contact period is a wise and clarifying idea.

Because, the point of this difficult passage is building a stronger, truer, more self-aware young adult — the one somebody new is going to love. When you’re good and ready, that is.

Try telling your kid that. When she or he is good and ready, that is.

96963delish-spring-herbed-zucchini-goat-cheese-fritters-15 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/delish-spring-herbed-zucchini-goat-cheese-fritters-15/ /wp-content/uploads/2019/01/IMG_2200-768x1024-345x460.jpg

Delish – Spring Herbed Zucchini Goat Cheese Fritters

SPRING HERBED ZUCCHINI GOAT CHEESE FRITTERS

Just last weekend, I made these tasty spring appetizers.  My husband and I were invited to a potluck Easter dinner.  I wanted to bring something for the sensitive foodie so we could all enjoy a healthy living snack before our meal.  I opted to bake these in the oven at 400 degrees to get them crispy brown instead of frying them in oil like typical fritters.    I would definitely make these again!

 *Adapted from Herbed Zucchini Feta Fritters (link to original recipe listed below)

INGREDIENTS:

Fritters

Dipping sauce

RECIPE:

  1. Preheat the oven to 400 degrees.
  2. Shred zucchini in food processor (super easy way). Place shredded zucchini in colander and sprinkle with ½ TBS kosher salt and toss well in order to pull out as much water out of the zucchini as possible. Let sit for 10 minutes. Taking small handfuls, squeeze out as much water as possible.
  3. In a large bowl, beat together the eggs, dill, parsley, and ¼ cup mint. Then add the gluten free all-purpose flour. Add in the shredded zucchini. The batter should be like a “just moist” pancake batter. If it’s not, then add in another ¼ cup of gluten free all-purpose flour. Finally add in the crumbled goat cheese.
  4. Using a small non-stick frying pan – drop one scoop of the batter onto cooking surface. Cook just like a pancake. Taste test – add more salt to the batter as desired. I prefer to go a little light on the salt.
  5. Prepare a baking sheet with parchment paper or use one of those handy silpat mats. By heaping tea spoonful drop fritters leaving about ½ inch in between. When all the fritters are on the baking sheet, dip scoop or back of teaspoon into water and flatten out the fritters. Bake in oven for 3 – 5 minutes per side or until slightly browned.
  6. Make dipping sauce. Puree chopped cucumber and stir in yogurt and remaining 2 TBS of mint. Season with salt and pepper.

NOTES:

Original Recipe found on Food & Wine http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/herbed-zucchini-feta-fritters

Denise Hays

Welcome to Sated Sensitive. My name is Denise. Furry momma to 1 dog and 1 cat (^._.^)ノ . Married lucky 13 years to Mr. Fantabulous. We love Clark County! I have food sensitivities to dairy, gluten, peanuts, and soy. I am now fully embracing the "right" foods to nourish my body. I'll be sharing ideas for healthy living tips for us sensitive food enthusiasts. Thanks for visiting!

Delish – Spring Herbed Zucchini Goat Cheese Fritters
446015-reasons-collect-art https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/news/5-reasons-collect-art/ /wp-content/uploads/2015/03/reid-in-studio-345x460.jpg Collecting artwork can seem daunting. The question I hear most often is, “How do I know which artwork to buy?” The short answer to that- buy something that speaks to you. As an artist, I have sold many pieces and every one of them was bought by someone who felt an emotional connection to the image. For example, one piece I sold depicted a woman holding a nest with eggs in it. This reminded the buyer of her years as a Bluebird leader. Buy what feels right. There are other reasons to invest in art that are less personal, but are just as important. 1. Supporting young and emergent artists is a wonderful way to encourage them to continue developing their work. 2. If you buy more than one artwork you can refer to your “collection.” It feels awesome to say it- “my art collection…” 3. Art actually is a fantastic investment and values better over time than many other financial investments, especially if you have an eye for good work. 4. Shopping at the mall can be fun, but see how much more exciting an artists’ open studio event can be. Clark County Open Studios and monthly open studios on First Friday at North Bank Artists Gallery are excellent local opportunities to purchase work from artists and see their process in creating it. 5. You'll help keep a gallery open. Art galleries are draws for other businesses like wine bars and restaurants to cluster around. Art is a magnet for economic vitality which is a great thing to support. Happy Collecting! reid in studio Reid Trevarthen at North Bank Artists in studio. 44222returning-new-normal-love-food https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/food/sated-sensitive/returning-new-normal-love-food/ /wp-content/uploads/2015/03/IMG_2097-600x450.jpg

Returning to a NEW normal "love of food.  Gluten Free Waffles with Cinnamon Ginger Pear Compote

With the time conversion complete, today I slept in.  My husband's gone on a "man weekend".  I laid in bed a bit longer savoring the morning sun, the birds singing outside, the warmth of Ellie the cat curled up along side me and the quiet of the house without Mitty the 1.5 year old chocolate lab. ABSOLUTELY DELIGHTFUL!

I mulled over the question - What do I want to eat for breakfast today?

Hmmmm... I could have my normal coffee and follow it on with a chaser of protein shake.  Then go about my business just like any other day. Nah! That's not it.  Is it an omelet kinda day?  Nah.

Then it came to me ~ I KNOW!  It's gonna be DECADENT WAFFLE DAY!  A lovely breakfast just for me lovingly prepared by me.  I roll out of bed full of energy to get cracking on this lovely breakfast of mine.

As the smell of good coffee fills the kitchen, I start assembling the ingredients for my gluten free waffle batter (gluten free all purpose mix, baking powder, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, egg, almond milk and coconut oil). Many thoughts and visions come into my head.  Maybe I could use one of those ripe barlett pears I purchased last night from the Battle Ground Local Produce company? I could add in some crystallized ginger, ground cinnamon, raw sugar and coconut oil to make a lovely compote to go on top of my gluten free waffle.  Maybe I could also saute up one of those Painted Hills whiskey fennel chicken sausages as my protein accompaniment to my decadent breakfast delight?

This morning I feel so alive creating in the kitchen.  Cooking is my creative craft outlet.  My kitchen is my studio to blend foods, flavors and technique. Each food masterpiece tantalizing my five senses. I'm smiling outloud genuinely surprised on how happy I am on the inside with my healthy living focus.

I think back to 3 years ago when I received the news that I was sensitive to all sorts of foods. Goodbye bread, butter, cheese, tofu and many other ingredients I so adored.  I remember that day - the day the foodie part of me died inside.  I was sad inside as I pondered my creativity without access to all these essential cooking elements.

It's taken me a while to grieve and transition through this major food paradigm shift.  A little over a year ago my thoughts shifted from the "forever without" negative thoughts to embracing a more healthy positive "eat what I'm able to eat" outlook.    Today I fully embrace a life without gluten, dairy and soy.  As I nourish myself with the right foods for my body, it nourishes my reawakening creative soul by seeing new possibilities.

GF Waffles with Cinnamon Ginger Pear Compote

Now that my masterpiece is framed on it's plate, I sit down admiring my creation.  I pour on one last missing element - just the right amount of pure maple syrup.  As my fork cuts into my crispy soft gluten free waffle, smells of cinnamony ginger pear goodness waft over me.  I have to say the combo of carmelized sweet pear compote with the waffle is the perfect taste this sunny Sunday.  I am content deep in my sensitive food soul as my palate is sated.

Gluten Free Waffles (makes 3 regular sized waffles; 4 medium)

Blend dry ingredients separately.  Blend wet ingredients separately.  Blend wet ingredients with dry.  Pour batter onto hot oiled waffle iron.  Cook to desired likeness.

Cinnamon Ginger Pear Compote

Combine all ingredients in skillet.  Saute until pears are carmelized and soft.

74687laughter-the-best-tool-9 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/health/health-notes/laughter-the-best-tool-9/ /wp-content/uploads/2017/03/icon_wink.gif

In recent decades, as insurers have taken over the delivery of medicine, we doctors are trained to be ever quick and to the point during the brief interaction we have with our patients.  Our time is short, our patients’ needs long and finding the middle ground takes skill and practice.

One common experience, even ritual it can seem as it happens so often, is the “hand on the door remark,” the “by the way…” the patient interjects as you leave believing you have successfully concluded the visit, meeting the patient’s needs of the day.

It is usually the reason they are really there, not the headache or infection or funny pain.  It’s the divorce, the failing job or wayward child, now expressed as chest pain or suicidal thoughts…

We are trained to help get these important issues to the forefront of the visit, but it is so hard to elicit.  Most people do not want to admit they have lost control over their lives.  Most people don’t realize how their out-of-control lives affect their physical health.  Most don’t want to believe their coping skills are so poor that they are actually hindering their own recovery—the drinker or smoker (or toker) who won’t stop, yet won’t consider medical help (and that doesn’t always mean pills…)

The medical visit is a powerful experience, filled with desire, needs, fears, hopes.  Patients often fear reaching out, and the act of the doctor reaching in to help can be experienced with gratitude or fear, or both.  There is the inherent inequality of the relationship, with the patient as needy supplicant and the doctor as benevolent deliverer, who holds the keys to treatment or denial of the same.

Of course it doesn’t seem that heavy most of the time.  And I view it as one of my imperatives to keep it from feeling heavy all the time.  Of course I always want to respond appropriately to the distressed patient and gauge my demeanor to meet their need.  But nearly always I try to make them laugh.

Why do that?  As noted, the doctor visit is a brief, sometimes intense encounter often with much to do in a very few minutes.  So I hope to break through that initial, well, terror, the patient feels at some level, so we can dispense with any ritual delaying of the reason they are truly there and get to the matter at hand.   And it is also because I genuinely like my patients and want them to feel comfortable.

I try hard to gauge them as I enter, remarking to myself on their dress and body language.  A compliment about them, or a remark remembering their prior visit and their family or prior need demonstrates that care.  I do the same for my family.  These common courtesies are so little demonstrated in our current busy on-line lives, that taking a moment to do that helps us both feel more comfortable.  

I often come in singing, “Good morning!” and it usually breaks the ice.  (If not, I have that feedback for the next visit.) And more than one patient has remarked they come in just to hear me sing that to them.  More than once I have sung and the patient immediately breaks down weeping about their troubles, saying, “I didn’t intend to cry!” but the gentle laughter and kindness was able to reach in to them viscerally and allow their feelings out.

It’s not laughter that I’m seeking, but offering courtesy, respect and honor toward the patient who is coming to me with their troubles, so that I may shed what light I may have on their needs and help them.  For me making light of the visit itself (“I love these days in windowless rooms, saves me from all that sunshine!”)—not of them or their reasons for being there—takes away the tension associated with the form and allows us to dig into the matter at hand.

Laughter—genuine, I-like-you-let’s talk—good cheer provides an intimacy and a space where the therapeutic relationship can thrive.

So a lawyer and a doctor and a chicken walk into a bar….

 

Dr Hoffman

Dr. Rebecca Hoffman is a Family Practitioner and works at Kaiser Permanente in Salmon Creek, which is in Vancouver, Washington. Interests include using diet and healthy living to stay healthy and attending to mental health and its physical manifestations. Personal interests include hiking, jogging, music (she plays the harp), dance, theater, storytelling and writing. She lives with her husband and two daughters.

72733office-moms-bring-love-to-kids-in-twilight-zone-6 https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/staff/family-room/office-moms-bring-love-to-kids-in-twilight-zone-6/ /wp-content/uploads/2016/12/office-mom-apron-1024x678-600x397.jpg

Office Moms bring love to kids in twilight zone

A couple years ago, foster mom Sarah Desjarlais was at a meeting at the downtown Vancouver office of the Department of Social and Health Services where she asked the obvious questions.

“Who are all these little kids running around the office? Why are there two- and four-year-olds just wandering around in cubicle land?”

Turned out, they were children who’d just been removed from the custody of their parents and were heading for foster home placements. It’s routine for such kids to wind up cooling their heels, perhaps for many hours, at the DSHS office, according to Child Protective Services social worker and investigator Kim Karu.

Karu would dispute that the kids were “running around” the office, and she described the modest but appropriately child-friendly hangout space there. But she doesn’t dispute that these freshly freaked-out youngsters need a lot more than a TV room.

They need the human touch. They need loving reassurance. They need some nurturing.

“It’s very traumatic no matter where they’ve come from,” Karu said, “to be removed by strangers and come into a big office full of strangers. They may come in with nothing. They may just have the clothes on their backs. It may be the worst day of their whole lives.”

Meanwhile it’s also pretty routine that the social workers charged with finding these kids safe, happy foster placements or developing other painstaking plans for their future must double as babysitters. Not the best use of their professional time, Karu said. They’ve got a million phone calls to make and bases to cover.

“They’re begging people to take these children,” said Desjarlais. “They’ve got a mountain of paperwork to do. Whatever it is they need to do for a particular case, we want them to just be able to focus on their job.”

What they really don’t need, Karu added, is the child sitting right there, audience to all that telephone begging.

So when Desjarlais had a basic brainstorm — couldn’t volunteers step in and do the childcare, offering love and comfort and freeing up the professionals to tackle their tasks? — Karu and her managers “welcomed it with open arms,” she said.

“We developed this program” called Office Moms, Desjarlais said. It’s an all-volunteer effort that responds to breaking calls for help from the office. When Child Protective Services “is removing a child, they call our coordinator. The coordinator keeps track of all the volunteers and sends out a text blast. `Hey we’ve got two kids coming in an hour, is anybody available?’ It’s really spur of the moment” because that’s the nature of what’s going on at CPS, she said.

So far there are about 30 Office Moms in Clark County, Desjarlais said, who are volunteering about 25 hours a month. The idea has spread to Portland, Kelso, Spokane and elsewhere. Desjarlais has launched a formal nonprofit agency called Embrace Washington that includes the Office Moms effort among others — all of which are aimed at supporting DSHS’s social workers through volunteerism and through encouraging more parents to get involved in fostering.

Office Moms is a great way to get your feet wet in that arena — or just to do some worthy volunteering at the office, even if you’re not up for taking a child home, Karu said.

“People think the only way to be involved is to be a foster,” she said. “This is a great way to be involved without having to be involved all the way.”

But Desjarlais definitely hopes to sell some parents on fostering. “This county in particular is in crisis mode when it comes to foster homes,” she said. “There is an incredible deficiency. My hope is we can show these volunteers the world of child welfare. Show them that it’s not so scary — but the need is real.”

According to Washington State, there are 8,700 children in “out of home care” here but only about 5,000 licensed foster homes.

“Office Moms” is a misnomer, by the way. Desjarlais said there’s one Office Dad at present. More are welcome of course.

But: “Our target demographic is a housewife who stays home, who has kids at school. Maybe moms whose kids are launched. Or grandmas with a lot of energy. Some of my best Office Moms are Office Grandmas,” she said.

Volunteers must pass a criminal background check, do some basic training with DSHS and sign some standard paperwork, including a privacy agreement. They don’t maintain contact with the kids after they’re on their way. They just play with them, chat with them, fill up and hand out the Welcome Boxes that each kid gets at the office — new toys, socks, underwear, snacks — and maybe write the note that tops off each box, that says: “You are special. You are loved.”

Which is just what these roughed-up children need to hear.

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If you work in the animal field, please join us for this free educational event: Identifying and Managing Chronic Pain.

Learn to recognize pain in animals and options for treatment, including laser therapy, NSAIDs, supplements, narcotics, acupuncture, and rehab. Discussion will cover management of injuries, dental disease, feline cystitis, arthritis, ruptured discs, and more.

Dr. Rosie Gilbert, Owner & DVM at Viking Veterinary Care

March 1st, 2015

RSVP at www.animalcommunity.org

 

Daniela Iancu

Over the last ten years, I have worked and volunteer with many animal shelters and veterinary clinics, in addition to a behavior/training company and telemedicine. My family includes two wonderful, senior cats who were rescued from the streets. I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with the Columbian's pet-loving community!

Educational Event – Identifying and Managing Chronic Pain
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Terri, a La Center woman, reported seeing some strange lights in the sky at the end of January from her house looking toward Camas and Vancouver.

She said one was a white orb, another was more colorful.

Below are her photos taken on Jan. 29th. She saw more on Jan. 30th in a second location, she said.

“(The images were taken at) 10:00 p.m. (on the) 29th from my house in La Center towards Camas and toward Vancouver/Portland area,” she said. “(I saw) 2 glowing blobs not moving, I knew it wasn’t a plane, or a star it was to low for star.”

The second night, at 9 p.m., she saw more at her daughters house in Ridgefield.

“Same area towards Camas and second one Vancouver/Portland area,” she said.

Did you see them? Any idea what these lights might be? Let us know in the comments section!

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

Strange lights seen from La Center

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Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

Toni Bagnall is a #1 fan of the Seahawks.

For the last two weekends, I’ve been cheering with my favorite Seahawks fans at Markaritaville. You haven’t heard of Markaritaville?  Well, it’s my favorite bar, comfortably located at my friends, Toni and Mark Bagnall’s home.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

Mark Bagnall cheering on the Seahawks behind his bar.

Mark is a top-notch mixologist when he isn’t busy working as a contractor.  And he can make an Italian Margarita that makes you want to dance on tables.  My friend, Cindy, suggested the name Mark-aritaville and the name stuck.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

Now, not every ardent Seahawks fan converts their back patio into an enclosed party space complete with an antique carved bar, skylights, tv projector, and sound system enclosed with curtains, but fortunately they share the experience with up to 35 fans at a time.  Sometimes friends-of-friends will show up hoping to get a seat.

Seahawks Games at MarkaritavilleToni leads the cheering during the games while Mark makes drinks and seamlessly runs the music during the ads. Every guest is given a plastic shot glass and shots of Fireball are taken after each Seahawks’ touchdown.  This can make a great game downright intoxicating.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

Go Seahawks! Bottoms up, Georgia.

When I asked Toni for game day advice she said,

“Spend the first part of the day hydrating with water because you will need that good foundation of hydration to get you through the emotional ups and downs not to mention all the fireball shots you’ll be taking when your team scores, and our team tends to score a lot so this can become a problem.

Also, wear your loose jeans because you will be consuming some or all of the following in a relatively short time…..wings, potato skins, nachos, chips and queso dip, sub sandwiches, cupcakes, cookies, veggies, beer, special team cocktails and so much more.

One more thing…..plan to spend the day with people you love and that love you back because you will need them to get through the game, win or lose.”

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

The NFC Championship Game started out slow for the Seahawks but turned out to be a real nail biter at the end. I snapped shots as the Seahawks made an incredible comeback.

There’s even a Rams fan screaming his heart out to this exciting comeback.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

 

Seahawks Games at MarkaritavilleNow, I’m not a true football fan, but I love cheering on the local and my friends’ favorite team at Markaritaville.  Toni and Mark have created a wonderful party space to watch their team. At the end of the game Toni said, “I really love my Seahawks;  they are a great team and wonderful men.  And I felt like I couldn’t breathe through this game!”

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

I really meant to take a picture of my game day deviled eggs for you, but I didn’t remember in time. Sorry.

Game Day Deviled Eggs

Now if you want to feel like a culinary mastermind on game day, whip up a batch of deviled eggs and time how quickly they disappear.  Mine took 10 minutes to go.  For my game day deviled eggs, I reach back to my grandma’s old school version for the egg mixture, (that I so fondly remember stealing as a young kid before parties), but I still top them with a big square of bacon and some fried shallots. Feel free to omit the fried shallots and add a dusting of paprika on top.

Ben, the Mad Chemist, steams his eggs for ten minutes for the perfect hard-boiled egg. You can even use fresh eggs and have the shells slip right off when you peel them. Just tap each end of the egg on the counter then roll it under your hand and watch the eggshell come off. It’s a genius trick.

Cut the bacon into fourths and cook them over medium low heat until crisp. Cook a few extra pieces, just in case someone you love ‘samples’ a few pieces like My Pirate did. Slice up the shallot into thin slices and mix with several pinches of rice flour and cornstarch. Remove the bacon from the pan, turn the heat up to medium high. Fry the shallots in the oil until they are brown and crispy. Then scoop them out and drain on a paper towel.

Peel your hard-boiled eggs, cut them in half horizontally, and put the egg yolks into a bowl. In the bowl of a small food processor add the mayonnaise, mustards, white wine vinegar, red cayenne powder, pepper and salt. Pulse. Then add the egg yolks and pulse until the mixture is smooth. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Place the egg white cups on a platter and cut a tiny sliver off the bottom of the egg whites to make them stand up straight. Pipe the egg mixture into the egg white cups. Garnish them with the bacon squares and the fried shallots. Serve.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville

“Shot, please!”

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Seahawks Games at Markaritaville
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I’m still having a hard time accepting the fact that it’s 2015, let alone almost February already. I started this year off with a more structured homeschool schedule which is going well, but, as with any new schedule it’s taking some time getting used to. Part of being more structured also means planning out lessons farther in advance. Facing the red and pink sea of hearts and candies every time I’m in the grocery store has been a reminder to stay on track with our lesson on St. Valentine’s Day. Being homeschooled means my kids don’t have a classroom full of other kids to hand out Valentine’s Day cards to. They do make cards for mom, dad, and grandparents, though. Because of this (and because I’ll take advantage of any occasion to craft something) we make all of our cards by hand, and each one is unique. This is a lot of fun for my kids (and me), and it’s something I think every kid could do with at least some of the people in their life. It’s always an enjoyable experience for my children to see how something they took the time to create can bring a smile to the face of someone they care about.

I have a lot of crafting supplies on hand, but with a quick stop at the craft store you can pick up blank cards or construction paper, stickers, glitter, and glue. Use old magazines to find fun pictures to cut out and glue to the cards, or type up a quote about Love in a pretty font and glue that in. I like how personalizing each card makes my kids think specifically about the recipient. On a holiday built around the theme of Love, it makes sense to actually take a moment to consider all the reasons why they love someone and allowing that to translate into their artwork…versus just signing their name on a generic card.

If you would like to add more elements to the experience you could give your child a certain amount of money to spend and instruct them to keep track of costs as they pick out supplies in the craft store. My seven year old still talks about the first time she was able to pay for something at a store with cash she had been saving. She even kept the receipt as a memento. Math can be exciting!

A little history can be added to the project by discussing the origins of the holiday. I found some interesting information on the History Channel website (history.com) about who St. Valentine was, and why he is revered. History and poetry can blend together: the earliest known written reference to St. Valentine’s Day is in Geoffrey Chaucer’s “Parelment of Foules”, written around the late 1370′s. A Google search for Valentine’s Day poems will also provide a lot of content.

St. Valentine’s DaySt. Valentine’s Day can certainly feel like just another overly-commercialized holiday, but it doesn’t need to be that way. We can always add more substance, and a deeper meaning. There is always time to show the people we love that they are special to us, and ultimately that’s what I want my own kids to remember on this holiday.

Kim Smith

Hello and welcome! Once upon a time I was a licensed animal nurse. When I had my first child I decided to leave my career and stay at home with baby. Having a child changed my perception of everything...food, products, environment, education, work, life. Everything. Since then I've been on a journey to create a more simple, holistic way of life for my family, to include the cats, dogs and chickens (and any other feathered or furry creature we have). I believe that every choice we make can bring us closer to, or take us farther away from, a harmonious existence. And our wellbeing is multi-faceted, if one area of our life is out of whack it effects everything else about us. What we eat, what we put on and in our bodies, how we integrate with our environment, how we spend our time with loved-ones, how we nourish our brains and imaginations...it ALL matters. I want to share information with you that I find truly valuable in living holistically; taking care of our whole selves. Thank-you for visiting! Kim Smith All photos used are my own, unless otherwise noted.

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A New Lens and Breadcrumbs

bronze fennel seed head

“We must look at the lens through we see the world, as well as the world we see, and that the lens itself shapes how we interpret the world.” ― Stephen R. Covey

I’ve been savoring our foggy mornings out in the garden while playing with my new macro lens. It’s a Canon – EF 100mm f/2.8 USM Macro Lens, if you’re curious. My messy winter garden has never felt so large, strange, and alien to me. Looking at the world through a new lens reminded me of a time that I taught a freshman trombone player how to look at the world a little differently while we were on a band trip in Washington, DC. Six years ago, this month, My Pirate and I drove cross-country to Washington DC in a 24-foot yellow Penske truck loaded down with Evergreen Marching Band’s parade equipment for the Presidential Inaugural Parade. After a year of planning the band trip, we viewed our beautiful country under a blanket of snow in subzero temperatures and saw a meteorite explode on the deserted road in front of us. I’ll never forget the happy relief that washed over me when we arrived at the hotel and were greeted by the marching band students and parents.

A New Lens and Breadcrumbs

Garlic chive seed head

I remember standing in the hotel lobby listening to our bus driver listing off his complaints and concerns about the itinerary while a fourteen year old girl leaned back on a bench next to us, loudly sobbing with a trombone clasped in her hands. Finally, the bus driver took a breath and noticed her. He turned back to me and asked, “Aren’t you going to do something about her?” “She’s next in line. I’ll address your concerns with the band director,” I replied. And then I turned to the girl, stretched out my arms and she flung herself into them. I listened as she sobbed out her awkward story of woe. When she quieted down, I looked her in the eye and I told her about a game that I play when I’m having a difficult day. I count three things that went well during the day and three things that I’m grateful for. I gave her the assignment to do this exercise everyday of the trip and promised that I’d check in with her. She sniffed and solemnly nodded. A New Lens and BreadcrumbsThe next evening, as I was walking the hotel halls checking the noise level during quiet time, she waved me down, beaming. She excitedly ticked off the things that went well and her gratitude list. Then she proceeded to tell me three things that she liked about herself. I gave her a high-five and her chaperone pulled me aside. With teary eyes, her chaperone wrapped her arms around me and whispered an emphatic, ‘thank you!’ in my ear. Throughout the trip, the freshman trombone student tracked me down and ticked off her long happy list with a big grin. What we choose to focus on shapes us. I used to hate winter in my garden because it was cold, wet, and slimy. Now, I’m outside grinning with a camera capturing all the action. Slimy seed heads covered in mist…I’m there! My Pirate recently told me that the garden is a huge mess and I offered to buy him a new camera. The lens we look through shapes our experiences. My camera lens has helped me gain an appreciation for my messy winter garden. My Homemade Breadcrumbs i

nspired by Bon Appetite

I sprinkle homemade breadcrumbs on my garden vegetable dishes to inspire My Pirate to try them.  He’s a meat and potato man at heart, but breadcrumbs help him see ‘healthy’ dishes as gourmet and delicious.  I love to sprinkle breadcrumbs on top of pastas, sautéed greens, roasted vegetables and salads.  Plus, breadcrumbs freeze really well, if you can keep them in the house that long.

Place your torn up bread chunks, crusts and all,  in a small food processor and pulse them until they are coarse crumbs.  Don’t worry about making them uniform in size because the variation makes the crunch more satisfying. Place your skillet over medium high heat, add the 1 1/2 tablespoons of oil and add the smashed garlic clove.  Remove the garlic clove once it has browned and infused the oil.  Add the bread crumbs and sauté until they turn toasty brown, up to five minutes.  Stay with them because deliciously browned can turn to blackened in the blink of an eye.  (I burned mine while letting the dog out.)  Add more oil if the breadcrumbs dry out too much. Season the bread crumbs towards the end of cooking.  Then cool on a paper towel in a bowl.  Serve.  Store in the fridge for a day and then freeze.  I hide mine from My Pirate in an old Trader Joe’s spinach bag.

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

A New Lens and Breadcrumbs
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Ever since, My Pirate and I lunched at the new Taste of Sichuan in East Vancouver, I’ve become completely smitten with Asian dumplings. To learn how to make my own, I turned to the public library and checked out Asian Dumplings: Mastering Gyoza, Spring Rolls, Samosas, and More by Andrea Nguyen. And I’ve been making some very ugly dumplings, but don’t worry, they still taste delicious.

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings

Pretty pork dumplings from Taste of Sichuan

My Kid asked My Pirate to make his (fantastic) Khoa Soi Curry Noodle Soup for our Christmas celebration. And while My Pirate was hard at work making his delicious soup, My Kid and his lovely girlfriend helped me assemble Har Gow Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Dumplings. We sipped hot White Peony tea and enjoyed our time chatting and laughing with Mr. Barnaby, my 170 pound Great Dane, asleep on our feet.

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings

My Kid arranging the dumplings in the steamer baskets lined with parchment paper.

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings

I pushed chunks of wheat starch dough under an oiled bowl to press 3 inch rounds of dumpling wrappers out on my cutting board. And the kids filled the wrappers with the seafood mixture and beautifully pinched them together. They made beautiful dumplings on their first try!

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings

Then we placed the layers of dumplings on top of a boiled pot of water for 9 minutes. The dim sum style dumplings turned out gorgeously translucent and delicious. We made and ate 30+ dumplings before we enjoyed our main course.

Har Gow Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Dumplings

I highly recommend reading Andrea Nguyen cook books and visiting her website, Asian Dumpling Tips. Her website is a wonderful resource filled with tutorials and tips on making delicious dumplings. She helps you succeed.

We used her lovely translucent wheat starch dough recipe on page 132 of her Asian Dumpling book.

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings

Katie’s beautifully pinched dumpling.

Har Gow Shrimp and Dungeness Crab Dumplings

adapted from Andrea Nguyen’s book, Asian Dumplings

Chop the shrimp, bamboo shoots, and shallot and stir together. Add the handful of crab meat and bacon fat.

In a bowl, combine the cornstarch, sugar, white pepper and ride wine and stir together until dissolved. Add more rice wine as needed. Then pour over the shrimp mixture and stir together. Wrap up and refrigerate for 30 minutes to 4 hours to marinate. I left mine the fridge overnight.

Fill approximately 3 inch store-bought wrappers with 1 to 2 teaspoons of filling, fold into a half-moon shape, and pinch the edges together. Use water to wet the seams if necessary. Pinching them closed is the trick to a delicious dumpling. Steam in a parchment paper lined steamer over boiling water for about 6 to 10 minutes.

Serve with light soy sauce and chile sauce. Enjoy!

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Making Shrimp and Crab Dumplings
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Reasons to volunteer with animals

Adoptable cat from a care-giving shift at the Cat Adoption Team.

Types of volunteer opportunities

Volunteering With Animals

Volunteering at the booth for the Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland.

Get Started

Volunteering With Animals

Fun time volunteering at the Cat Adoption Team food bank.

Daniela Iancu

Over the last ten years, I have worked and volunteer with many animal shelters and veterinary clinics, in addition to a behavior/training company and telemedicine. My family includes two wonderful, senior cats who were rescued from the streets. I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with the Columbian's pet-loving community!

Volunteering With Animals
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Creamy Scrambled Eggs for Dinner

This fall, My Pirate’s work schedule shifted from traveling out-of-town four days a week to an in-town local route without a long commute. After years of us living opposite hours, now he gets up at 5:30 in the morning to go to work and he’s home every night for dinner. I’m thrilled to have him home with me! I really am, despite all the adjustments we’re going through trying to adjust to our new schedule and our expectations.

For instance, today (Christmas Eve) it took me an additional 20 minutes to make the custard filled cornbread because I couldn’t find the cornmeal. My Pirate has been systematically reorganizing the kitchen one cupboard at a time while I have my hands full with something else, like cooking dinner. He reorganized my spice cupboard a couple of months ago and threw out anything in a baggy from the bulk section. And last week, he reorganized my baking cupboard. I’m not messy, I assure you. I used to know where everything was at by feel and now I’m lost in my own kitchen.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs for DinnerDon’t even let me get started on the refrigerator and the constantly hiding chunk of Parmesan.

And on another front, My Pirate expected a gourmet dinner every night of the week after he got home from work. I had spoiled him for so many years on his other route. So, I’ve had to ratchet his expectations back down to reality.

When he was out-of-town, I’d eat a bowl of soup or salad or some leftovers on toast. I was content. When I served him my weeknight dinner, he mistakenly thought that I had just served him the appetizer. Um…no. So, I’ve reeducated him on the romance of sharing scrambled eggs and toast for dinner. And he’s a quick learner for the most part. But, I on the other hand, am lost in my newly organized kitchen of wonders. I think that it’s only fair that I now reorganize the tools in the garage. Don’t you agree?


And where did I find my medium grit cornmeal you ask? Why right behind the bag of raspberries in my kitchen freezer. Where did you expect that I’d find it?

My Creamy Scrambled Eggs
Servings: 2

I make these eggs on holiday mornings or when I simply want to demonstrate my love to My Pirate and My Kid. I’ve even served them to a 200 member marching band in a parking lot on competition days. This recipe is flexible and works great in breakfast burritos and scrambled egg sandwiches, but I prefer to serve them with oven roasted mushrooms and buttered crostini.

Melt the butter over medium heat in a nonstick skillet.

Crack the eggs into a colored bowl and double-check for any eggshell bits. Whisk the eggs and add the salt and cayenne. Whisk in the cream until the mixture turns a soft creamy yellow.

Pour the egg mixture into the skillet. Continually stir the eggs with a heatproof rubber spatula to convect the heat through the egg mixture. Slowly scrape the egg curds off the bottom of the skillet and lower the heat if they start to form too quickly. When the soft curds have formed and they are no longer shiny, they are done. Remove from heat and serve.

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Creamy Scrambled Eggs for Dinner
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Several weeks before Thanksgiving, I looked into my garage fridge at a leftover bottle of vodka and a thawing container of homemade cranberry chutney and decided to mix the two together just to see what would happen. I imagined a cranberry chutney flavored liquor to serve as a Thanksgiving themed martini.

It didn’t turn out like I expected.

Cranberry Chutney Infused Vodka

When I shared a sample of the cranberry chutney infused vodka at Thanksgiving with My Kid and his lovely girlfriend, he blurted out, “This tastes like Christmas.” And we all nodded in agreement.

The vodka picked up the sour pucker of the cranberries and sweet spice of the crystalized ginger and turned a beautiful shade of ruby-red. This infusion is superb added to a hot cup of cider or cold cranberry juice and seltzer for a Christmas party. What cooking experiments have you tried lately?

Cranberry Chutney Infused Vodka

Cranberry Chutney Infused Vodka

Hot Cider with Cranberry Infused Vodka

Combine the two ingredients and enjoy.

Cranberry Chutney infused Vodka

Combine the two ingredients in a canning jar. Place in the fridge and stir once daily for three days to a month. Taste test it along the way. Ours tasted just the way I wanted it to in a week. Then, I strained it through cheese cloth and put the ruby colored infused vodka in a clean jar. I store my infused vodka in the fridge.

hot cider with cranberry infused vodka

 

Cranberry Chutney

from The Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg

I’ve made this chutney with all the jam jar remnants in my fridge. The jam flavor doesn’t matter so much as making sure that you sort out the bad cranberries. You can find crystallized ginger at Chucks and New Seasons. And I purchase my dried cherries at Trader Joe’s or Costco. The chutney will be runny on the stove-top but it will thicken dramatically as it cools.

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the preserves, vinegar, salt, cloves, and Grand Marnier; then place over medium high heat. Stir it regularly as it happily boils for 15 minutes until it thickens a touch. Then turn the heat down to medium and add the cranberries. Cook until you hear or see a couple of cranberries pop. Add the ginger and cherries. Stir together. Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving. The chutney will thicken as it cools.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Cranberry Chutney Infused Vodka
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Barnaby and I are home sick with a cold this week. Yes, that’s right. The dog and I are sniffling and coughing together on the couch watching old sci-fi movies while My Pirate tends to us. Barnaby picked up a case of kennel cough from his dog park friends. My (poor) Pirate is home on stay-cation this week and is stuck at home with us.

Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken

Soup is the only thing I crave to battle my snot production. So, I sent My Pirate out to The Victory Garden to pull a parsnip that had been turned sweet by the recent cold weather. We threw together a quick soup based on my cravings. I peeled and My Pirate chopped. And the ingredients came together into a sweet parsnip soup filled with all the right stuff for my soul and immune system.

You might want to try it, even if you aren’t sharing a box of Kleenex with your favorite 170-pound canine. I know that I’m going to give it another whirl this winter. But, in the meantime this soup is nourishing me back to health and My Pirate couldn’t be more pleased.

Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken

Go ahead and use your favorite broth. This recipe converts easily to a vegetarian option for the upcoming holiday season. My Pirate gave the vegetables a nice rustic chop to fill the spoon. I accidentally cooked my soup too long and the potatoes fell apart giving the soup a murky look, but delicious body. It’s your call.

Put a heavy bottomed soup pot over medium heat. Add the oil and the smashed garlic clove. Remove the garlic clove once its turned brown and flavored the oil. Add the vegetables in all at once with the bay leaf. Cook for five minutes. Then add the barley and the broth. Cook for 40 minutes or until the barley is nice and tender. Add the chopped up chicken breast and simmer for ten minutes. Season. Serve.

Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Parsnip and Barley Soup with Chicken
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I recently learned that my Artichoke Glow photograph was selected to compete in the Peoples Choice portion of the Oregonian’s garden photo contest. I was elated. I grew up reading the Oregonian and always looked forward to seeing the garden photo winners announced in late December. It brightened my spirit to see so much beauty during the darkest part of the year. After doing my happy dance in my fuzzy socks on the kitchen floor, I immediately thought about making a Reuben Panini Sandwich.

Celebrating with a Reuben Sandwich was hardwired into my brain as a young child. My Grandparents always took me to Rose’s Restaurant to celebrate my report card. Anything above a 3.5 was rewarded and I was happy to oblige.

I remember walking into the red velvet clad restaurant filled with the smell of boiled bagels and sauerkraut, walking past glazed donuts as big as my head, cakes that towered like top hats and chocolate gilded eclairs, sliding into a gaudy red booth edged in gold trim and enjoying a meal alone with my Grandparents. They would flirt with each other as they told me stories about renovating their house over the years. I knew their stories by heart. A bagel and butter would be offered, but I always declined.

When the food server slid the teetering two decker Reuben in front of me, I would grin. My Grandma would complain that it was too big for me and then I would carefully tuck aside my portion for tomorrow’s lunch. And then I would dig into the toasted dark rye sandwich filled with corned beef, turkey, sauerkraut, and melted Gruyère cheese. I loved that meal.

As an adult, I turn to my own kitchen and Panini press to make my celebratory meal. I no longer crave a huge monster of a sandwich served in a red velvet pastry palace. I seek to taste all the ingredients in a single crunchy gooey bite. Instead of spending $12 on a sandwich, I shop for a few top quality ingredients and make several sandwiches to share. I like to buy Boar’s Head meats at QFC or Fred Meyer. Then, I heat up the Panini machine that I gave to My Pirate one year for his birthday. And I assemble the sandwiches.

Here’s how I make them.

Reuben Panini

Turn the Panini machine on high. Heat a nonstick skillet over medium and add the sauerkraut to cook off the moisture. You can add some butter to the sauerkraut to brown it if you feel like showing off a bit.

Assemble the sandwiches with a layer of Gruyère cheese on each layer of bread. Add the pastrami and corned beef. Top with the sauerkraut. Press the sandwich together. Swipe the outside of the bread with mayonnaise because it doesn’t burn like butter does. Place the sandwich on the Panini press. Press the top of the Panini press down. I take a potholder and press the top down with some heft to smash the sandwich. Let it cook for several minutes until the mayonnaise has cooked up nice and crunchy and the cheese is melted. Remove from the press and cut the sandwich into thirds.

Serve with a pickle and a handful of potato chips. Celebrate!

You can vote daily for my picture here until December 17th. It takes just a moment to sign up. I appreciate your help achieving one of my bucket list dreams. Thanks!

Reuben Panini Sandwich

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Reuben Panini Sandwich
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Last week, I finished planting all of my new plant acquisitions with Barnaby’s help and uncovered our front walkway.   My Pirate was ecstatic.

My Minestrone Soup

The very next day a windstorm blew in with 50+ mile-per-hour gusts and stuck around for over 24 hours. The roaring winds knocked over large fir trees and fences throughout our neighborhood. Then the weather folks forecasted a major winter storm with six inches of snow followed by freezing rain. So, I nestled my camera battery in its charger and decided to make a massive batch of soup.

My Minestrone Soup I dug through my pantry and was inspired by a jar of tomatoes that one of the Crony Brothers canned and shared with me. Isn’t he sweet? I had tucked it away for a special occasion and the moment felt right. I went outside with a flashlight and harvested kale, leeks, and herbs out of My Victory Garden. A few cars slowed down to investigate me and I waved at them.

Once inside, I went to town using my new knife skills that I had learned at a couples cooking class at Portland Culinary Workshop with my dog-park friends. I had no idea that I’d been holding a knife wrong my entire life until the chef, Melinda, adjusted my grip forward on the blade by an inch. This small adjustment has made chopping vegetables fun and fast. I felt as ebullient as Julia Child in the onion-chopping scene in Julie and Julia.

My Minestrone Soup The winter storm only spat out some ice pellets and snow flakes to add some sparkle to the garden. But, the minestrone satisfied our appetites and kept us warm through the cold wave that dropped the night temperatures into the teens. My garden leaves were only started to shift into their autumn brightness and now they appear to be freeze dried in place. I’ll have to wait until spring to see what survived the early winter onslaught. In the meantime, I’ll stay warm with another bowl of soup.

My Minestrone Soup

I let my garden and pantry guide the creation of this soup. I could have added pasta or croutons to thicken it, but I didn’t. Instead, I served my soup alongside grilled cheese sandwiches filled with Tillamook Extra Sharp Cheddar.

Heat oil in a soup pot over medium heat and add the carrots, celery, and leeks. Cook for 10 minutes.

Boil salted water in a separate pot. Prep the kale by removing the hard center stem. Chop up. And boil for 3 minutes in salted water and strain.

Add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for a minute or two until you can smell their aroma. Slowly add the canned tomatoes by smashing them in your hands. Add the chicken stock and water. Then add the remaining ingredients of beans, prepped kale, parsley, thyme, bay and parmesan rind. Bring to a simmer and cook for 40 minutes.

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

My Minestrone Soup
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Raise your hand if you grew up eating canned jellied cranberry sauce! I did. And I’m not embarrassed to admit that I loved my sliced Frisbee of cranberry goodness. But, then I grew up and craved something more sophisticated: sweet and sour with hints of orange and ginger. I searched for a cranberry chutney recipe that didn’t require a can opener.

After I stumbled upon Molly Wizenberg’s cranberry chutney recipe in The Homemade Life, I realized that cranberry chutney deserves center stage. A spoonful on a toasted baguette smeared with goat cheese, a dollop on top of a bowl of sweet potato or butternut squash soup, or even in a martini. Oh yes, this year I’m infusing vodka with cranberry chutney for a cranberry martini on Thanksgiving.

Every November I make a double batch of cranberry chutney and freeze little cups of it for the rest of the year. It’s a superb addition all season long. Now, maybe you are still clutching your can of jellied cranberry sauce tightly to your chest and can’t imagine going to the trouble of making your own. But, I urge you to imagine cranberry chutney smeared on a turkey sandwich with cream cheese or even on your Thanksgiving plate. You can do it.

Cranberry Chutney

from Molly Wizenberg’s, The Homemade Life

I’ve made this chutney with all the jam jar remnants in my fridge.  The jam flavor doesn’t matter so much as making sure that you sort out the bad cranberries.  You can find crystallized ginger at Chucks and New Seasons. And I purchase my dried cherries at Trader Joe’s or Costco.  The chutney will be runny on the stove-top but it will thicken dramatically as it cools.

In a medium-sized saucepan, stir together the preserves, vinegar, salt, cloves, and Grand Marnier; then place over medium high heat.  Stir it regularly as it happily boils for 15 minutes until it thickens a touch.  Then turn the heat down to medium and add the cranberries.  Cook until you hear or see a couple of cranberries pop.  Add the ginger and cherries.  Stir together.  Remove from heat and cool to room temperature before serving.  The chutney will thicken as it cools.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Giving Thanks and Cranberry Chutney
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We ventured briefly out into the cold today. After struggling against the wind my kids became concerned that our chickens would blow away. I think the chickens will be fine (I hope), and I know something for sure: I don’t like the wind. I’m completely against it. But since it does me no good to resist the fact that the wind will blow, I can instead stay safely indoors and sip some hot tea while I watch limbs fall of my trees.

I love to use warm spices in cooking and baking. Each one has an aroma and flavor that wraps a thick blanket of happiness around me. And although these spices each offer their own health benefits, it’s that magical warm feeling that keeps me sprinkling them into everything I can. I start off my mornings with coffee to which I add cinnamon, clove and vanilla extract. I put these ingredients right in with the coffee grounds to infuse the whole pot of coffee with their goodness.

Spice Things UpFor breakfast I add these same spices, and maybe some ginger or nutmeg, into oatmeal or in baked apples. Or I may have a slice of toast with butter and cinnamon. My kids enjoy plain full-fat yogurt mixed with banana, raw honey and cinnamon.

Chai tea is a black tea made with ginger, cardamom, cinnamon, clove and black pepper (all warming spices), and is a delicious alternative to coffee. Or you can be adventurous and try turmeric tea by simmering turmeric, cinnamon, clove, ginger, and vanilla bean in milk (strain into a cup before drinking).

My homemade kombucha has recently been flavored with ginger, and apple cider (another good warming drink).

For lunch or dinner make meals that contain warming spices, like Indian dishes, or various Asian dishes that use ginger, garlic and/or chiles. Garam masala is an Indian blend of spices that will warm up any dish. You can find a recipe online or purchase it already prepared from the grocery store.

I know it’s early in the season, but around here a lot of us eventually feel a little malaise as the cold/cloudy/rainy days continue. We were fortunate today; despite it feeling like the temperature of a refrigerator, the sky was blue and the sun bright. But after getting pushed around by the wind earlier I’ll keep myself inside and wrap my hands around a cup of hot chai tea.

Kim Smith

Hello and welcome! Once upon a time I was a licensed animal nurse. When I had my first child I decided to leave my career and stay at home with baby. Having a child changed my perception of everything...food, products, environment, education, work, life. Everything. Since then I've been on a journey to create a more simple, holistic way of life for my family, to include the cats, dogs and chickens (and any other feathered or furry creature we have). I believe that every choice we make can bring us closer to, or take us farther away from, a harmonious existence. And our wellbeing is multi-faceted, if one area of our life is out of whack it effects everything else about us. What we eat, what we put on and in our bodies, how we integrate with our environment, how we spend our time with loved-ones, how we nourish our brains and imaginations...it ALL matters. I want to share information with you that I find truly valuable in living holistically; taking care of our whole selves. Thank-you for visiting! Kim Smith All photos used are my own, unless otherwise noted.

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Have you ever tried the custard-filled cornbread recipe from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham? Whether you love or hate cornbread, you need to try this recipe! Custard-filled cornbread is one of those rare genius recipes that magically exceed the sum of its ingredients.

I first stumbled upon this recipe on page 251 in Molly Wizenberg’s book, A Homemade Life. I immediately whipped up a batch and My Pirate who hates cornbread, giggled after the first bite. He giggled. Then, I tested it on my marching band booster friends and ended up being hugged, kissed, and proposed to. So, I carefully slid the recipe into my favorite recipes binder with the word amazing marked in the corner.

I recently whipped up another batch of this recipe to pair with the red lentil soup. I used Red Mill medium grit cornmeal and the bigger grits sunk down to the bottom of the pan creating a crusty bottom that only accentuated the creamy custard center of the bread. I melted butter on top it and I made a fatal mistake; I absent-mindedly handed Barnaby, my Great Dane, a small bite. His eyes widened and he immediately laid down and nudged me for another bite.

The next morning, I heated up a slice of the cornbread and topped it with my best maple syrup for breakfast. After breakfast, I let Barnaby lick the crumbs off my plate. As I rinsed my dish, I looked behind me just in time to see Barnaby twist his muzzle in the refrigerator door seal and carefully clasp the door with his teeth. The refrigerator door swung open and Barnaby bathed in the light and heard the humming choir before he leaned in towards the custard-filled cornbread. I sung out in a panicked voice, “Let’s go get a stick outside,” as I quickly shut the fridge door and did my best to distract him.

Only to find him later in the afternoon, sitting in front of the open fridge again, smiling at the possibilities. We compromised and I sprinkled some cornbread on his meals for the next couple of days. His cornbread craving satisfied, he left the fridge door closed.

Custard-filled Cornbread

Custard-filled Corn Bread

from A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg and originally from The Breakfast Book by Marion Cunningham

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Butter an 8 inch square or 9 inch round pan, then place it in the heated oven while you make the batter.

Melt the butter then set aside to cool.

Combine the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, and baking soda in a bowl and whisk together.

Whisk together the butter and the eggs until they’re well combined. Add the sugar, salt, milk and vinegar. Whisk together. Then whisking constantly, add flour mixture and whisk until smooth.

Pull the heated pan out of the oven and pour in the batter. Then carefully add the cup of cream in the center of the pan of batter. Do not stir. Slid the pan into the oven. Bake for 50 minutes to 1 hour. Serve warm, with butter and maple syrup.

Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Custard-filled Cornbread

Laura Heldreth

Hello! My name is Laura Heldreth and most days you can find me playing in my kitchen and vegetable garden.

Custard-filled Cornbread
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Jay Fredericks, a local magician who collects haunted objects, recently acquired a mysterious box from a Vancouver couple.

(the box – note the coffee cup beside it for scale)

The couple, Paul and Rhoda, got the box after Paul’s father died. It had been in his father’s possession since Paul was a small boy.

The couple didn’t know where Paul’s father got it originally. After looking at the watermark, it appears to be made by Barbour Silver Company – the mark says “Barbour — S. P. — Co — International S. Co.,” with the serial number 3639. The company was founded in Connecticut in 1892 and became part of International Silver Co. in 1898.

The mysterious haunted box

(The watermark on the bottom)

The box appears to be a silver plate cigar or trinket box made by the company around the turn of the last century – possibly 1910 or so.

Fredericks said when the pair brought it into their home, strange things started happening.

“Their cat started to get very aggressive, hissing and swatting at people when it was in the room with it,” Fredericks said. “There were also things like the light in the room turning on in the middle of the night, footsteps, voices.”

The couple asked Fredericks to take the box, and after he removed it the noises and other things stopped.

“It’s an interesting box that irritates cats,” Fredericks said.

So far, Fredericks has kept the box in a room with his other haunted objects, and his cats don’t go in there so he’s not sure what their reaction to it will be.

“But so far, it doesn’t seem to create any trouble with my animals,” he said.

That said, after holding it for a while he said he really doesn’t like the feeling of having it in his hands.

Fredericks plans to test the box by putting it in a room without the other haunted objects sometime soon, he added.

The mysterious haunted box

(The box depicts a scene of Dutch people dancing)

The mysterious haunted box

(Inside the box)

If you have any information or stories about anything similar, please let us know in the comments section!

Cheers.

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Submitted by Liz Snow, who lives in Salmon Creek:

The year was 2001. I had just married my husband and moved into his home in rural Wisconsin.

After settling in, I started being awakened by ghosts. I would suddenly wake up in the middle of my slumber and see a ghostly figure standing in the bedroom doorway.

The first night I saw a figure, I thought it was my deceased father. After seeing the figure on a few other nights, I realized it was not my Dad, but a fur trapper, possibly from the early 1900s.

He was a big burly man that filled the entire space of the doorway, with a scraggly beard and a coonskin cap. He wasn’t frightening, just present, so I wasn’t too bothered.

On another night, I awoke to a different figure in the doorway. He was a jolly sort. A hobo from off a train. A black man with round cheeks and a brimmed hat in dark clothes. He too, did not frighten me.

I saw both figures each a few times over a span of weeks. Always in the deep of my sleep and always standing in the doorway. I would acknowledge them, sometimes tell them to go away and I’d go back to sleep.

Then one night, she came. She scared the crap out of me. She was mean and foul and her eyes stared into my soul with menace.

I sat right up in bed and smacked my husband to wake up. He woke up, saw nothing and told me I was nuts and went back to sleep. She came again on several other nights. After she started coming, the other two figures didn’t anymore. Like her presence was too strong to allow the others.

I hated when she would come. She was evil and menacing. Fortunately, none of the spirits had ever crossed the bedroom threshold.

I don’t know why, but I always thought it was because I carried the Lord’s Holy Spirit with me, so they couldn’t come closer.

Nevertheless, that old dark Indian matron taunted me. I would sit up and blink my eyes, making sure I wasn’t “seeing” things, but I’d still see her.

The last straw though was the night she crossed into the bedroom. She got right up to the side of my bed and I had to aggressively shoe her away while I prayed for her to stay gone.

After that I had had enough and I needed help to get rid of her.

Luckily, my brother married a Cree Indian and she said she could bless our house and get rid of the spirits.

Desiree came and we did the smudging and burning of the sage throughout the house, while Desiree chanted some Proverbial Indian words.

All was being blessed and as we walked down the hallway to my bedroom, the sage jumped out of the bowl it was in and burned the carpet at our feet. We freaked a little and Des said that that Indian spirit was very angry, but I kinda already knew that.

Anyway, we retraced our steps and Desiree chanted more profoundly and was able to finish blessing the whole house.

None of the spirits came again. I did learn later that our home was the sight of an old stage coach stop. That could be why I had three such different spirits come as if they were trying to go somewhere, but were stuck at my house.

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When Jay Fredericks was a boy, his family moved into an old farmhouse on the east side of Vancouver.

Fredericks, who today works as a master mentalist (magician), was fascinated at the time by the old building and set off to do some exploring after he, his parents and his siblings arrived.

“(The mortgage) was very cheap, which we were curious about,” Fredericks said. “And it had this trap door in the hallway, in the ceiling. We found a whole other floor up there that was untouched.”

Haunted items at a Vancouver farmhouse

(Jay Fredericks)

There were many strange items on that floor, which included a cluster of finished rooms.

“There was all sorts of weird stuff up there, including these wooden coasters that had some sort of oriental coins pressed in the center,” Fredericks said. “I brought those coasters downstairs and showed them to my mom.”

He found them in a hidden room on that floor, one that was full of strange items that looked like they were from the 1950s, he said.

“So after I brought the coasters down, my mom said we could use them,” Fredericks said. “And that night, there was all sorts of trouble in the house. Kids crying, doors opening or slamming.”

From then on, the the sounds of slamming doors and creaking boards continued almost every night, he said.

“There was this big master bedroom up there that wasn’t used,” Fredericks said. “And I’d get up in the middle of the night, and there’d be music playing in there.”

After a few weeks, he started to think the coasters were causing the haunting, so he set out to destroy them.

“I tried to burn them in the fireplace, and it took a really long time to get the wood to burn, but even then the coins wouldn’t burn,” he said.

So he got an idea on how to transfer them to a place where they’d have no power.

“I put them in the church collection box to get rid of them,” he said sheepishly. “They were these oriental looking coins with a diamond shaped hole in the middle. And all I know is that after I did that, the noises stopped.”

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As the caregiver for two senior cats, I know first-hand the challenges that come when our furry companions start to age. My more elderly cat, Tiger Lily, has become decreasingly active, increasingly arthritic, a little hard of hearing, along with a gracefully tackling a host of medical issues, including hyperthyroidism, hypertension, and an acute onset of vestibular disease. My experience in the animal field has made me a little better prepared than most might be for this experience, but it still a very difficult process to go through.

Tiger Lily, happy senior lady, naps.

On October 26th, my Animal Community Talks program will be offering an educational event about caring for senior pets. This event is free for anyone who works or volunteers with animals. Our speaker will be Dr. Christine Fletcher, veterinarian at VCA North Portland Veterinary Hospital. If you would like to attend this event, please RSVP here.

Senior pet education

Animal Community Talks Flyer

 

Daniela Iancu

Over the last ten years, I have worked and volunteer with many animal shelters and veterinary clinics, in addition to a behavior/training company and telemedicine. My family includes two wonderful, senior cats who were rescued from the streets. I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with the Columbian's pet-loving community!

Senior pet education
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Autumn MusingsAutumn has brought that feeling with it, the feeling that it’s time to slow back down after the sometimes hectic pace of Summer. I’ve been so busy these last few months that I haven’t had the energy to write, or do anything creative for that matter. But the clouds and rain seem to have given me permission to take a breath and relax. I finally feel some space opening up around me, the space I needed for inspiration to flow into.

As much as I enjoyed the bright, sunny days of Summer I could do without the heat. What I do love is a cool, rainy day spent snuggled up in a blanket, sipping cocoa, reading a book, and periodically gazing out the window. I love cozy sweaters and thick socks. I love the mesmerizing effect of a fire in the evening. I am enchanted by the yellows, reds and oranges that sweep across trees and shrubs. Autumn is my favorite season.

My house has been filled with the scent of spiced pumpkin and elderberry syrup; both concoctions taking their turns simmering on the stove. I have played around with the spiced pumpkin scent, trying to find the perfect combination of spices to mimic that lovely smell of a pumpkin pie baking, sans an actual pie (and in substitute of a paraffin candle). Basically, you fill a small saucepan half full of water, drop in a mixture of: vanilla bean, whole cloves, cinnamon stick, nutmeg, maybe some allspice, and maybe a little cardamom. Simmer your mixture on the stove, adding water as you need to in order to keep it going longer, and it will fill your house with happiness. Each time I make it my ingredients differ a little, so I encourage you to give it a try and find a recipe that you enjoy.

Making a batch of elderberry syrup is a good idea now that the weather is cooler. We’re spending more time indoors and in closer contact with other people…and their germs. An adult can take a tablespoon (small children can take a teaspoon) of elderberry once or twice a day to boost the immune system. And definitely take it when you feel a cold or the flu coming on to help lessen symptoms.

Fresh garlic and echinacea are also great at supporting the immune system.

If you have a cold and want to take something to reduce mucus secretions, raspberry leaf or slippery elm tea may be helpful. Peppermint tea can help reduce a fever (you can use peppermint essential oil on the head, neck, and/or bottoms of feet for fever reduction, as well). Licorice root, marshmallow root and comfrey are all good expectorants (helps loosen chest congestion), and you can take these as a tea or in capsules.

*Always do your research on any herb before taking. Some herbs may interact with certain medications or may not be good for people with certain medical conditions. Your doctor or a pharmacist can help you decide if a particular herb is safe for you to take.

__

Another welcome effect of cooler weather is that our outbuildings and house are no longer covered with Box Elder bugs! I sprayed the areas they stay on with different types of essential oil mixtures in hopes of finding something that may deter them, with no success. I finally came across some internet sites that recommended soapy water to kill the bugs with. A little dish soap mixed in water and used in a large sprayer works well if you spray each individual bug. It does work, but we had a lot of bugs so I spent some time each day for about four days spraying the ones I could reach. I made only a small dent in the population. These bugs are harmless; they don’t eat plants, they don’t bite and are not poisonous, they are just a huge nuisance. As soon as the sun warms up the south side of a building there they are, living out their days basking in the sunshine and flying in my hair when I walk by. If anyone has any good tips on how to deter them in the future then I’m all ears.

__

Not everyone gets to slow way down just because the weather changes, but I believe that our bodies naturally experience an ebb and flow with the seasons. Supporting those natural changes in us is important to our overall health and can make a big difference in how happy we feel as sunny days are exchanged for cloudy ones. Take some time each day to do something that makes you feel some warmth on a cold day (physically and emotionally): light a candle, fill your home with a comforting scent, place a cozy blanket in your chair, enjoy a cup of hot tea, or pull on a pair of your favorite socks. Most importantly take a moment to feel gratitude for the small things that you can do each day that create a little joy in your life.

Now take a deep relaxing breath. And don’t forget to take your Vitamin D!

Kim Smith

Hello and welcome! Once upon a time I was a licensed animal nurse. When I had my first child I decided to leave my career and stay at home with baby. Having a child changed my perception of everything...food, products, environment, education, work, life. Everything. Since then I've been on a journey to create a more simple, holistic way of life for my family, to include the cats, dogs and chickens (and any other feathered or furry creature we have). I believe that every choice we make can bring us closer to, or take us farther away from, a harmonious existence. And our wellbeing is multi-faceted, if one area of our life is out of whack it effects everything else about us. What we eat, what we put on and in our bodies, how we integrate with our environment, how we spend our time with loved-ones, how we nourish our brains and imaginations...it ALL matters. I want to share information with you that I find truly valuable in living holistically; taking care of our whole selves. Thank-you for visiting! Kim Smith All photos used are my own, unless otherwise noted.

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It was an honor to attend Portland’s Original Iron Chef Competition on behalf of my employer, FamilyCare Health Plans. What a fantastic, first rate event. The food was delicious, the venue was perfect, the auction was lively, and the crowd was diverse – what’s better it was all for good cause. All proceeds support the two LifeWorks NW Children’s Relief Nursery locations in the Portland metro area.

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Gabriel Gabreski – A Cena Ristorante
Warm farro salad with chantrelles, roasted beets, kale, and hazelnuts. This was out of this world delicious — the picture does it no JUSTICE

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Mirna Attar- Ya Hala
Seared halloumi with carrots and sweet peper melange and pomengranate glace. We could only vote for one, but this easily would’ve been my second place vote!

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

Portland Iron Chef Competition 2014
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More than one person has reported eerie feelings and hearing strange noises at homes across from the Park Hill Cemetery at 5915 E Mill Plain Blvd.

A Mill Plain haunting

(photo by SCOTT HEWITT/The Columbian)

One tale submitted to the Ghosts of America website mentions the dangers of playing with a Ouija board:

On that site, someone named Brendon submitted this story:

A few years back I was staying in the basement of a house across the street from the cemetery on Mill Plain Boulevard. We had played around with a Ouija board that evening. I never believed they actually did anything until this night.

My friend and I were smoking a cigarette down at the bottom of the basement stairs next to the laundry room just outside of the room we played with the Ouija board.

A Mill Plain haunting

(Park Hill Cemetery -photo by The Columbian, Troy Wayrynen)

As we were conversing and smoking a loud, deep voice came from the basement stairs and very clearly said “get out.”

I couldn’t believe it then I saw the look on my friends face. Before I could say anything he asked if I just heard that.

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So proud to be a part of the family!

I’ve been self-employed, out and about in the community; sharing my passion for food and health for the past six years. In August, I accepted a full-time position with an awesome, growing, local health plan. I knew if I ever returned to work for an organization it would have to be at a place where their values lined up with mine. I found that place — FamilyCare Health Plans. They’ve been proving themselves over and over. Today, I was featured in the October Employee Newsletter. You can read more, here >>>

NEW EMPLOYEE SPOTLIGHT

Chrisetta Mosley—touching lives in and outside of FamilyCare Chrisetta Mosley joins our Navigation Services team on the front lines of member navigation, fulfilling members’ every need, from changing PCPs to inputting referrals and authorizations. Chrisetta’s first foray into healthcare, however, was back in the ‘90s, when she held several roles at Providence Health & Services here in Portland.

After years in the Seattle marketing scene, Chrisetta has returned to Portland, and has since made a splash as a budding cookbook author. Her journey to local fame began with a realization. “I’ve been overweight my entire life…There comes a time when you just can’t do [it] anymore.” From
then on, her mission was clear: to regain control of her life. Through hard work and determination, Chrisetta lost 170 pounds and recorded her weight loss journey on a blog: Farewell Fatso! But Chrisetta thought, “I can do more than this…maybe there is something else [I am] meant to do.” Chrisetta’s passion for cooking had her creating and photographing healthful dishes at home. The pictures on her blog created a buzz at her local gym, and she was soon compiling the dishes into her first cookbook, Bringing Cooking Back.

The success of her cookbook caught the attention of a professor at Clark College in Vancouver, WA, where Chrisetta was also teaching cooking classes at a local food market. Chrisetta was asked to develop a second cookbook, strictly for students at Clark College. This is now the third year that Shop, Cook, Eat: Outside of the Box with Chrisetta Mosley has been a required textbook for Clark’s health students. Chrisetta has been touching lives in and around Portland, and we’re happy she’s here continuing the mission at FamilyCare. Please welcome Chrisetta Mosley to the family.

*NEW EMPLOYEE MEET-AND-GREET CONTEST
The 5th person to introduce him/herself to Chrisetta Mosley will receive a free casual day. Chrisetta will write names on a Meet-and-Greet Contest sheet and present it to Communications once all ten slots are filled. The winner will be notified via email. Chrisetta is on the 13th floor. Let’s give her a warm welcome!

 

 

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

A part of the Family!
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Driving home from my exercise class this morning I noticed the row of trees which always signal the height of fall with their gorgeous colors, has begun to change. Fall is well and truly under way. Mornings are cooler. Dusk comes earlier. The air is crisper.

And the many varieties of apples begin to make their appearance in local grocery stores. Washington State has wonderful apples. But I don’t have to tell you that, right? You know it already. The quality is superb. The selection so amazing it can be daunting to pick which ones to purchase. (I like Galas and Honeycrisps for eating, Fujis for applesauce, Granny Smiths and Honeycrisps for pies, if you’re wondering.)

In addition to being the best fruit to pack in a school lunch, apples are, of course, the poster child for love and/or temptation. Eve is supposed to have eaten one; medieval poets made the apple a symbol of love. Nuns were warned not to eat them. A loved one is “the apple of your eye.”

And an apple a day is supposed to keep the doctor away.

I’ll let you decide if the apple deserves the responsibility heaped on this tasty fruit. I’m content just knowing it’s a versatile and, now, readily available ingredient for snacks and desserts. The following is one example:

Baked Apple Cups–for 2

1/2 sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 tblsp. melted butter

1 tblsp. sugar

1 apple (Honeycrisp would be my choice) cored and sliced thin

1 tblsp. brown sugar plus extra for sprinkling

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

pinch of ground cloves

pinch of nutmeg

1 tsp. lemon juice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Cut puff pastry in half and brush with melted butter.

3. Place into greased muffin tin, forming the pastry into a cup.

4. Combine remaining ingredients (except brown sugar for sprinkling.)

5. Divide apple mixture between two cups and sprinkle with brown sugar.

6. Bake for 25-30 minutes.

7. Serve warm with whipped cream or scoop of vanilla ice cream.

 

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You have a whole weekend with nothing to do but spend time with someone special. You plan two wonderful dinners with entrees you know will be a hit. You find the time to make a decadent dessert (which, of course, is chocolate–just saying) and make sure there’s enough for two nights. You have fresh candles ready to light and the perfect music lined up to create an atmosphere for romance. Maybe you updated your Netflix queue so your favorite movies are just a click away.

There’s nothing left to do to make it a perfect weekend. Or is there?

You forgot about breakfast the morning after that romantic dinner! Oh, you can run to Starbucks or Thatchers or Java House for coffee and a treat in the AM but that means getting dressed, finding the car keys and actually going someplace. Why not make something yummy at home? And while you’re at it, make it with ingredients purported to aid in the romance department. The following recipe includes two of those: eggs, which have been the symbol of fertility and associated with passion and new life for as long as humans have been creating metaphors. The other ingredient? Avocado. Its shape, its texture, its smooth creaminess–all contribute to its R-rated reputation!

On the other hand, this following fritatta-like egg dish is just plain good tasting even if you don’t buy into the poor avocado’s reputation.

Eggs With Avocado

Serves 2

3 eggs

1 tblsp. whole milk

2 tsp. olive oil or butter

3 tblsp. feta cheese, crumbled

1/2 avocado, diced

chili powder or red pepper flakes

1. Whisk eggs with milk until well beaten.

2. Heat fat and, when hot enough, cook feta cheese in it for one minute.

3. Pour beaten eggs over cheese and lower heat to medium low.

4. Cook for about 5 minutes, lifting the edges of the eggs occasionally and making small tears in the eggs to allow uncooked egg to reach heat.

5. Cover with lid for a few minutes if the surface of the eggs looks uncooked.

6. Finish with sliced avocado and sprinkle with chili powder or red pepper flakes to taste.

7. Can be served on tortilla, as in the photo, or on toast or alone with a side of bacon or sausage.

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“Caring for the Senior Pet”

Organized by the Animal Community Talks

Presented by Dr. Christine Fletcher

The Animal Community Talks project aims to provide education that is professional and accessible to those in the animal field. This presentation will help those in veterinary clinics, shelters, training facilities, and more to help their more senior companion animals to be happy and comfortable during these years.

Daniela Iancu

Over the last ten years, I have worked and volunteer with many animal shelters and veterinary clinics, in addition to a behavior/training company and telemedicine. My family includes two wonderful, senior cats who were rescued from the streets. I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with the Columbian's pet-loving community!

Free Event for Animal Professionals
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It’s a bit gray and cloudy this morning, the kind of day that hints at the season to come. The week’s harvest moon made its appearance spectacularly as a super moon–what could be more romantic than that? But now that it’s moving to fall, we’re about to move romance indoors. There’ll be fewer picnics by the lake. More quiet weekends at home. No more fires on the beach. Time to get the fireplace in the living room going. The recipes for more hearty fare come out and I put away the ones for cold soups until next year.

But moving inside doesn’t mean we’ve lost the chance to have a romantic evening. In fact, the chill of fall is a great excuse to cuddle with your partner, isn’t it? So, we haven’t lost the romance of summer outings. We’ve gained the chance to fall for autumn!!

All it takes to make a setting, an evening, an event romantic are a few basics:

1. The right person. Well, duh, you say. Of course. I know. But it has to be said, anyway. With the right person, even a place that’s less than lovely can be romantic. Say, for example, the alley behind a restaurant where the trash cans are stored. If the right person is kissing you, who notices the recycling bins? At least, until someone comes out and tells you to get a room.

2. On the other hand, a lovely sunset or spectacular view from the restaurant where you’re sharing a meal can make the evening even more romantic.

Another Romantic Season Ahead

3. Then there’s my trifecta of romantic perfection: candles, flowers and something sparkling. For non-drinkers, there are lovely beverages like the artisanal Washington State sparkling cider the hero in my recent book gave the heroine when he arrived at her home for dinner for the first time. It’s not the alcohol that matters, it’s the bubbles!

4. Music sets the stage for the evening.  I like the classics–Sinatra is always good. A Chopin nocturne is sexy. The soundtrack from a favorite romantic movie you both loved is great. Pick your favorite genre and put it on repeat.

Another Romantic Season Ahead

5. As the weather cools, add a fire. The sound, the smell, the heat–knowing you’ll be watching it die down with a special person. Oh, yeah.

Another Romantic Season Ahead

6. And, of course, there’s dessert–chocolate, naturally. No explanation needed.

And there you have my basics for a romantic evening, whatever the season. So, what’re yours? Tell me in the comments!

 

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For all you social media/networking types out there, did you know that there is a little piece of information that you can add on to your links to make sure that they are easily tracked back to your website?  (This is for all of the Google Analytics users out there, or at least people who like measurable results!)  9/10 users don’t use this technique, and it’s super simple!

If you were to attach an “append tag” to your URL that you include in your tweet or post, you can track visitors from the social network of your choosing – back to your website for each and every tweet/post you send out…  individually.

For example, you could use this URL to include with a specific tweet:

http://examplesite.com/blog/postname/?=20140908-01-FT

I know it looks sloppy – but Twitter uses URL shorteners to make it ‘pretty’.  (Usually has a “t.co” address when it actually posts online.)

What this does – is that it adds a ‘tag’ in Google Analytics, which can be sourced back to the exact time/place where the visitor came from.  If you have a really popular post – you can track them fairly easily in Google Analytics.  Other than the ‘weird URL’, the site visitor still pulls up the same page, with nothing different except for the URL ‘oddity’.

When you open Google Analytics to do some reporting (i know, sounds like loads of fun), you can search for “FT” to bring up all the “from twitter” visitors, “FF” for “from Facebook” or “20140908″ to see how many people clicked on social networking links for any particular day.  You could also search for “201409″ to see all the visitors from social networks over the whole month (to-date).

One of the main reasons that crowds are flocking over to the digital marketing world, is that the results are measurable – and you can see a ROI (return on investment) in near ‘real-time’.

Just remember, if you aren’t actively measuring your marketing efforts – you’re building the foundation of your campaign on…  well…  we’re not sure what you’re building it on.  It could be firmly-compacted soil, or it could be a mess of quicksand.

(This post first appeared on Sprout Digital’s Blog.  Check them out for all your digital needs!)

Nick LaBrant

Right now, Nick is probably neck-deep in website development, learning more about Wordpress, and scribbling down his next "Tech Nickel" post. Feel free to contact him with any questions you might have - and he'll do his best to get you an answer!

Post Once & Measure twice
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Jamie and I hooked up for our last trip of Summer ’14. Today, we visited Washington Park — such a treasure right in the center of the city! Oh, Portland you have it all! Thanks for being so hospitable.

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park Sunday at Washington Park   Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Sunday at Washington Park

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

Sunday at Washington Park
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It’s the last full week of summer vacation for school kids, parents, and teachers. And the beginning of what is often the best month of the year in the Northwest. Ironic, isn’t it? Just when many people have to get back into the routine of the school year, the weather improves.

But even if we’ll soon start seeing the days grow shorter and the air a bit cooler, it’s not too late to enjoy another summer salad with fresh produce from the farmers’ market! And this one is delicious. It contains the all-time favorite romantic vegetable/fruit (or the fruit we call a vegetable) as well as one of the herbs often used in Chinese, Egyptian and Indian medicinal recipes as well as in Tudor England at wedding banquets. The veggie? Tomatoes, of course. The herb? Cilantro.

Interestingly, the taste for cilantro is not universal and dislike for the smell and taste may be genetic. So, if you don’t like it, it may not be your taste buds. It may be in your DNA. If you’re a cilantro foe, substitute flat-leaf Italian parsley in the following recipe.

Sweet Corn and Tomato Salad With Cilantro

3 servings

3 ears of corn

1/4 lb. cherry or grape tomatoes, cut in half

1/4 cup chopped Walla Walla Sweet onion

1/8 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1/8 cup extra-virgin olive oil

1 tsp red wine vinegar

1. Trim tops and end of corn. Microwave on full power for 3 minutes.

2. Slide off husks and silk. Let cool until easy to handle and cut kernels from cobs.

3. Place corn with remaining ingredients in large bowl and toss.

4. Serve at room temperature.

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A couple months ago, I became the lead of my church’s Health Ministry – Get Fit. The idea behind the ministry is to Get Fit: Emotionally, Mentally, Spiritually, and Physically.

Tuesday night, we had a Get Fit Physical Night led by Sean Overton a Certified Personal Trainer. Sean was great! He led a fun, but challenging workout. I’m so proud of my church family for their enthusiasm and for making our first Get Fit Physical Night a success! Who would’ve ever thought we could have so much fun exercising?! The proof is here in the photos…

Get Fit Physical Night

    Get Fit Physical Night

Get Fit Physical Night

Get Fit Physical Night

Get Fit Physical Night

Get Fit Physical Night

  It’s time to Get Fit: Emotionally, Mentally, Spiritually, and Physically! It’s a way of life!

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

Get Fit Physical Night
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Some summer, huh? Hottest on record in the ‘Couve not because of daytime temps but the heat at night. Maybe some cooler temps this week but…

So, just in case the cool-down doesn’t get here, how about something sweet, juicy and cool to share with your partner on a warm evening? Summer fruits are plentiful now and this fruit salad recipe can include most of them.

What’s romantic about fruit? Oh, lots of things. Here are a few examples from “Simple, Sexy Foods”:

Grapes–Feeding someone a grape. Need I say more about what makes this fruit romantic?

Kiwi–This yummy fruit showed up in a survey as one the participants had heard had special qualities for lovers. Must be the sweet taste and plentiful seeds, signs of fertility.

Mangos–The mango has a long history as a lover’s fruit. It’s mentioned in the Kama Sutra and is often part of Indian wedding ceremonies.

Peaches–Just one bite of a ripe, juicy peach (or its cousin the nectarine) is all it takes to understand the reputation peaches have for being a sweet and sexy fruit. The shape of the fruit and the texture of the skin probably play a role here, too.

Pineapples–Their resemblance to a pine cone aside (which is probably where they got their name), the sweet/tart flavor of this tropical fruit is a good addition to a fruit salad.

Raspberries–The ripe, vibrant color of this very perishable fruit makes it a sexy star.

You get the idea. All you have to do is hit your local farmer’s market or grocery store, find the ripest, most luscious fruit there and you’ll have a winning side dish or dessert for your dinner.

And here’s the “dressing” to go with your fruit salad. I found it at epicurious.com, which is, by the way, a great place to find recipes.

Fruit Salad WIth Ginger Syrup

2 servings

For ginger syrup:

1 1/2 cups water

1 cup sugar

1 cup thinly sliced fresh ginger, unpeeled (about 1/4 lb.)

To make syrup:

1. Bring water, sugar and ginger to a boil and stir until sugar is dissolved.

2. Simmer for 8-10 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and let steep for 15 minutes.

4. Strain to remove ginger.

5. Chill, covered, for 2 hours or more.

Toss 2 cups, cut-up fruit with 2 tblsps. mint leaves. Add 1/4 cup chilled syrup or to taste. (Add leftover syrup to iced tea or save for another salad.)

 

 

 

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On Tuesday, September 16th, the Spay & Save program will be offering free spay/neuter for cats, along with transportation from the Tanasbourne Petco. To see if you qualify, call 503-802-6755. Spay & Save serves the Portland Metro area, including Clark County. 

S&S

Daniela Iancu

Over the last ten years, I have worked and volunteer with many animal shelters and veterinary clinics, in addition to a behavior/training company and telemedicine. My family includes two wonderful, senior cats who were rescued from the streets. I look forward to sharing my experiences and connecting with the Columbian's pet-loving community!

Animal Shelter Alliance of Portland – Transport Day
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I had a blast this morning at the annual Soul Stroll. I signed up with my church family, but it ended up my employer was co-sponsoring the event so I saw some of my co-workers too. I ran into lots and lots of folks I haven’t seen in forever. We talked, laughed, danced to good music, and walked! What a great community event bringing us together to walk our neighborhood. So glad I was a part of it — I’ll definitely be back next year.

Saturday Soul StrollSaturday Soul Stroll

Saturday Soul Stroll

Saturday Soul StrollSaturday Soul Stroll

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

Saturday Soul Stroll
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Back on Track

I typically don’t like to bog you down with all my personal stuff. It is after all personal. But, this year has been extremely difficult for me.

My year started off with me almost dying from sepsis. I was the sickest I’ve EVER been in my life. Then, after taking the yucky antibotics to clear the sepsis, I developed C-Diff which is an infection of the intestines. Great!

On top of all of that, I moved within six weeks of getting out of the hospital. Which meant I was packing and moving while my body was still healing. Oh and I also was wearing (still am wearing) a boot for my severly sprained foot.

There’s more…Just as I was starting to regroup, I had to unexpectedly move again. AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

That was the final straw, after living in Washington for 14 years (Seattle for seven and Vancouver for seven) I decided it was time to relocate to my hometown, Portland.  While I accomplished a lot in those 14 years, I also seen my share of failure.

I’m glad to say, that after a couple of bumpy months in Portland, my living situation while only temporary, is good and get this I accepted a full-time position with a non-profit health plan (don’t worry I’m still able to do all the other stuff I do!). Now, with a sense of stability and order it’s time to — get back on track.

I was starting to feel like a hypocrite with all my healthy food presentations. Meanwhile, I was eating crappy and not exercising. But, today is a new day and I’ve recommitted myself to living healthy. I don’t like the way I feel or look! So, last night, I prepped my meals for the next couple of days and today to flush the toxins out of my body, I started an all natural detox drink: Filtered water, cucumbers, limes, and watermelon.

Thank God for second and third chances…I’ll keep in touch with my progress.

Chrisetta Mosley

I am a product – and now a survivor – of childhood obesity. As a child, my family always told me that my extra weight was merely baby fat and I’d eventually grow out of it. I never did. Instead, my childhood is filled with memories of not being able to ride a bike, flattening its training wheels from being over the recommended weight, and avoiding P.E. classes by any means necessary. For years, I wore my fatness like a wounded soldier wears a Purple Heart - with pride. I owned the look. I dressed it up. I worked the room. There wasn't a skinny girl who intimidated me. I made sure my hair was laid just right. Nails polished. Outfits coordinated to the tee. Accessories to compliment every outfit. But everyone has a breaking point, and mine came in the spring of 2004 when I tipped the scale at nearly 400 pounds 388 to be exact. I was MISERABLE trapped inside of that body. I no longer wore my Purple Heart with pride. Rather, I was ashamed and frightened. Ashamed that I had allowed food to become my everything – frightened I would die because of it. Drastic times called for drastic measures... Today, I’m bound and determined to live a better, healthier, active lifestyle. I realize I’m no longer a passenger in my life, I’m the driver. I’m overcoming my inhibitions and I’m slowly but surely saying farewell to my old childhood nemesis, obesity. For once and for all, Farewell Fatso!

Back on Track
34392fairly-interesting https://blogs.columbian.com/blog/more/action-commentary/fairly-interesting/ /wp-content/uploads/2014/08/FORD-CRUISER.jpg

I took a break from the so-called cease-fires, traffic jams and mattress sales last weekend by spending a day at the 2014 Clark County Fair. If there’s anything that needs to be reinvented, this was it. I know. 250,000 consumers along with their amusement-oriented offspring attended the event. But while I enjoyed gawking at the 1st Squadron on the Midway, taking in the U.S. Army pavillion and munching on charcoal-cooked ribs by the Food Court, many of the other attractions were nothing but a noise-polluting waste of time — e.g.: Demo Derby, Moto X, Monster Trucks. It’s also oxymoronic to dish out cold hard cash to be given sales pitches by mop, pot and tub vendors inside–appropriately enough–Sleep Country Marketplace. Fairs used to feature horse racing to lure grown-ups but that’s gone out of style. Perhaps the groundskeepers should consider a Poker Tournament next time. Further, many folks around here dress as if Vancouver is in the boondocks. So a runway extravaganza showcasing world fashion trends might not be a bad idea, either. It also behooves the Rotary Club to score a few more electric scooters for our obese and/or disabled population. They only had four this year and two of them were kaput. Besides, nobody resorts to wheelchairs anymore. I realize the exhibitors paid top dollar for a spot at the fair, but $3.50 for two ounces of Shaved Ice, $6.50 for an Elephant Ear and $12.50 for a Gobbler’s Drumstick is, quite frankly, too much. At least for my wallet. FAIRLY INTERESTING
What I liked most was the vintage Ford Cruiser that the Washington State Patrol had on display. Unlike today’s purple coupes manned by troopers in unsightly jump suits, they had class six decades ago. Too bad they didn’t go after all of the Astrological Wonders, Crystal Ball Gazers, Palm Readers and Phony Prophets who were milking the audience. Now back to the Local News which is watching out for me because they’re on my side. Thanks for reading this paragraph!
[Carnival Photo by Greg Wahl-Stephens]

Marc Kovacs

STUDIED MASS COMMUNICATIONS > > > Some people recycle newsprint. I reprocess cyberdata.

FAIRLY INTERESTING