Clark County has yet another new and welcome winery. Downtown Vancouver is the location for Burnt Bridge Cellars, which opened the weekend of May 18-20. The former location of Sigma Design at 1500 Broadway has been transformed into a tasting room, cellar and bottling area.

The tasting room at 15th and Broadway in downtown Vancouver

David Smith and Mark Mahan have made wine together for several years, winning multiple awards in the 2010 WineMaker International Amateur Wine Competition for their Cabernet Sauvignons, Merlot, Syrah and blends under the David Mark Wines label.

Proof is in the tasting. Burnt Bridge Cellar’s current wines merit their new professional status. Just after opening, in fact, they won a gold medal at the 2012 Seattle Wine Awards for their 2010 Les Collines Viognier.

Mark Mahan and David Smith

Opening weekend we tasted their Semillon, Pont Brule, Syrah and Mourvedre. We enjoyed them all. A lovely bottle of Pont Brule joined our wine cellar. It won’t last long.

Burnt Bridge Cellars has joined another downtown winery and tasting room, Gouger Cellars at 1812 Washington. Look out, Walla Walla!

The Burnt Bridge Cellars tasting room will be open on Saturdays and Sundays f rom 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. and on every First Friday night. Beyond downtown Vancouver, Clark County wineries will also be open Memorial Day Weekend as well as other dates. Details and a map are here.

You haven’t been left out, beer aficionados!
Beer lovers have not been neglected.  Mt. Tabor Brewing, which is open on Friday nights, at 113 W. 9th, the Beer by the Bottle store and taproom at 104 W. Evergreen (and their recent acquisition of the Salmon Creek Brew Pub) and the future opening of Loowit Brewing Company, which is being constructed across from the Hilton on Columbia, feature quality brews.

Beer connoisseurs have, in fact, two upcoming events of their own – the Who’s Your Daddy? Beer Festival on June 15 at Turtle Park at 9th and Main in downtown Vancouver. And the first Vancouver Brewfest USA will be held on August 10-11 at Esther Short Park.

Winemakers, brewers…welcome, all!

What we didn’t know was that this development, the Third Street Cottages, was a prototype project for contemporary “pocket neighborhoods” designed by Ross Chapin Architects. Whidbey Island’s Langley (population slightly more than 1,000) became the first community in the country to pass a new ordinance allowing the development of neighborhoods with smaller homes and yards that are more densely sited with a common central landscaped area. Bravo, Langley!

Designing a Pocket Neighborhood in Southwest Washington
Ross Chapin has since designed 40 pocket neighborhoods and published an excellent book, Pocket Neighborhoods – Creating Small-Scale Community in a Large-Scale World. His designs are in use in Southwest Washington in White Salmon.  The Wyers End neighborhood  is an example of these well-designed, smallish homes that are designed for neighboring and sustainability.

Street scene at Wyers End in White Salmon, WA

In 2008, Smart Development Corporation of Hood River worked with Ross Chapin to create the 18-home neighborhood with 12 different designs. The Energy Star homes range from 1700 sq foot, 3 bedroom bungalows to 500 sq foot, one bedroom cottages. Construction was by Skyward Construction of Ridgefield, WA.

Like the Langley development, Smart Development, which specializes “in the development of real estate projects in established neighborhoods where residents can enjoy the benefits of existing services while adding to the vitality of the community,”  had to work through city code issues. “We had to hire a code consultant and have the zoning ordinance changed to allow for this development,” says Randy Orzeck of Smart Development.  “Many aspects of the project did not meet current codes including road width, setbacks, storm water handling, parking, sidewalks, etc.”  Creating a new code took more than one year.

Wyers End Homes

Downsizing and Moving In
Foundation work had just started when Karen and Ulrich Goebel saw the neighborhood and decided to sell their home and move to Wyers End. They loved their 2700-2800 sq ft home, designed by their daughter architect Heidi Goebel of Austin, Texas, with high ceilings, expansive views of the Gorge and Mt. Hood and a ¾ acre lot. Heidi designed “ a beautiful, beautiful house, the most beautiful house in White Salmon!” proud father Ulrich extols. But the question arose, “Could one of us take care of what we have?” They were the first buyers.

Paul Pennington, a retired physician, and his wife, Sue, were the last buyers at Wyers End. “Sue fell in love with the house so that is part of it. And we liked the idea of a neighborhood that wasn’t gated and also wasn’t restricted by age. We are early in our retirement and we didn’t want to be in a place where everyone else was retired,” Paul remembers. “We thought that the gardening in the common areas was delightful and we appreciate that you have your own garden but you also steal views of really nice gardening all around.”

Both families had to face downsizing. Karen Goebel’s idea was “Anything that has a memory, we can’t get rid of it.” Then they realized that everything had a memory attached to it. “Every book is a friend of mine,” says Ulrich, who is a German medieval lexicography scholar. “I had lots of books.” They divested themselves of possessions with many books from Ulrich’s collection going to the University of Oregon.

Paul found that task equally challenging “but we really think that we are at the point in our lives that we have to do it.”  His previous two homes were 3,000-3,200 sq ft with garages, sheds and, in one case, a barn. “It’s a big change but the effort is worth it.”

Interior features, photos courtesy of Skyward Construction

Designed for Neighboring
Karen liked the idea of the front porches facing one another. With meals served there six months of the year, their front porch “is like an extra room,” she says. Because porches are off-center without a path cutting through the middle to the front door, they provide a more  livable space. Use of porches, in turn, provides more eyes on the street with safety and sociability the result.

"Layers" extending from the street to the porch and front door

Flowering pots on this cottage porch rail add color and privacy

Karen and Ulrich on their porch

Porches are just part of the public design. Chapin generally creates “layers” from public to private spaces including transitions created by “a border of perennial plantings, a low split-cedar fence with a swinging gate, the front yard, the frame of the porch with a porch railing and flower boxes, and the porch itself,” he reports in his Pocket Neighborhoods book. Although the homes are in close proximity, he creates privacy by creating open and closed sides of the house so that large windows do not face each other in adjacent houses.

Single garages and sheds are behind the homes

The neighborhood is refreshingly NOT car-centric. Streets are narrower than typical city codes. Every home has a garage or a storage shed, most located away from the house. Neighbor interaction is encouraged because residents cannot duck straight into their homes from their cars and garages. In the cottages, storage is clustered in one building. A common building, a large garden structure with covered terrace overlooking the cottages, has been the site of annual community gatherings.

Neighboring is natural in Wyers End and other pocket neighborhoods with similar designs. “At our house where we lived we were on ¾ acre and another house (next door) on ¾ acre and if we ever even waved to our neighbors, that was a unique situation,” Ulrich remembers. “Here, the way they are facing one another and interacting the housing with the people, we know our neighbors.” He also knows his neighbors well as the current President of the Wyers End Homeowners Association.

“I think he (Ross Chapin) makes a real effort to encourage neighborliness so it’s really easy to walk over here (to the Goebels) and get coffee if we are out,” laughs Paul. “It makes a lot of sense to share.”

Smaller cottages with common walkway

Walkability
“We live next to banks, grocery stores, hardware stores – everything is within about three blocks,” says Ulrich. This helps families live with one car.  “The walkability is a huge thing for us,” says Paul. “Everything is so close. It keeps you active and you meet people. There isn’t mail delivery in town so everyone goes to the post office sooner or later.”

The neighborhood scores a Walk Score® of 65 out of 100 which means, according to the Web site, it is “somewhat walkable” – some amenities within walking distance. Considering the close proximity of groceries, library, pharmacy and other shops and restaurants in downtown White Salmon, the neighborhood is much more walkable than the score suggests.

Coming Up
The next phase, which has an undetermined starting date, is located adjacent to the current neighborhood. Smart Development reports that it will include 10 live/work lofts as well as a commercial development along Jewett Blvd (Hwy. 141). Market demand will determine the construction date.

Like similar developments, this little neighborhood has been very stable with few homes going back on the market. One two-bedroom home at the end of SE Wyers is now on the market as of May 2012. Information is available at Copper West Properties.

Home for sale (on right) at Wyers End

For more information on this type of community design, visit this Web site on pocket neighborhoods.

From the Long Beach Peninsula through the Gorge, there is plenty happening in May. No excuses for staying home. Go enjoy Southwest Washington!

"Alice Christiansen" from the Hulda Klager lilac collection

April 21 – May 13 – Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens Lilac Days –  10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hulda Klager’s farm home and beautiful gardens will be open and lilac plants and gifts will be offered for sale in a lovely gift shop. During Lilac Days, the farmhouse will feature a display of vintage hats and accessories. For background – Author Jane Kirkpatrick has just released a novel about the life of Hulda Klager, Where Lilacs Still Bloom.  Here is a past  ZEST post on the Hulda Klager Lilac Days. Admission.

Lots happening in downtown Longview

May 3 -  First Thursday in Longview - Many shops and galleries stay open until 7 p.m. and lots will be happening on the First Thursday of the month in downtown Longview. The Cowlitz County Historical Museum will be open until 9 p.m.

Unveiling of New Sculpture at the April Art Work in Downtown Vancouver

May 4 – First Fridays – If it’s the first Friday of the month,  you know what is happening in Clark County. Vancouver, Camas and Ridgefield continue their First Friday events. Camas has a First Friday Poker Tour happening. The Art Walk will be busy in downtown Vancouver with a special opening reception scheduled at the beautiful Kiggins Theater from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. (21 and older only during the reception). Ridgefield will hold its First Friday from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m.

May 4, 6, 11-13 – Touch of Class Chorale – Vancouver’s choral group will present five concerts with half of the proceeds going to various charities, depending on the concert. Check out the schedule here. Admission.

May 5 – Magenta Improv Theater – Vancouver’s own version of “Whose Line is it Anyway…?” –  takes the stage again at Magenta Theater. The show is family friendly. Players take audience suggestions and improvise. Admission.

May 5 – Carson-to-Stevenson Ridge Run- Skamania County Facilities & Recreation and the Columbia Gorge Running Club invite runners and walkers of all ages and abilities to embark on the annual Carson to Stevenson Ridge Trail 16k Run. The event starts in Carson and continues  to the Skamania County Fairgrounds with the finish line at the Columbia Gorge Fitness Fair. Admission.

May 5-6 – Loyalty Days – Not only does Long Beach have the World’s Longest Garage Sale (see May 25-26 below), it has the “longest consecutively running Loyalty Day celebration in the nation.” The two-day event includes a children’s parade, blessing of the fleet, oyster feed (yum!), grand parade and cowboy breakfast. This event is always the first weekend in May.  Saturday schedule here. For Sunday’s schedule, go here.

May 11 – Contra in the Couve – Put on your dancing shoes. Vancouver has a contra dance, held on the second Friday of every month at the Hazel Dell Grange, 7509 NE Hazel Dell Ave. Seattle band, KGB, and nationally-known caller Woody Lane, from Roseburg, OR will share the stage. 7:30 p.m. to 11 p.m. Admission.

May 11-12 – Ridgefield Art Association Show and Sale – Don’t miss this annual show and sale. Reception on Friday night from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ridgefield Community Center.

May 12 – It’s a Blast! Volcano Science in Your Backyard - 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Join the Mount St. Helens Institute for a fun event at the Johnston Ridge Observatory. Kids activities, food, guided hikes, ranger talks, and more. The road will be open! Celebrate the first public event of the season. Admission.

May 12-13 – Maryhill Museum - The museum will dedicate the new Mary and Bruce Stevenson Wing this weekend. The new 25,500 wing will include galleries, an education center and cafe. The event schedule includes an antique car show on Saturday.

Pat Courtney Gold

May 13 – Cathlapotle Plankhouse 2nd Sunday Series – Fiber artist Pat Courtney Gold will present “Native American Women of the Columbia River Area” at 2 p.m at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse at the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. Guided tours of the Plankhouse and children’s activities will be available from noon to 4 p.m. Pat Courtney Gold, and her extraordinary work, is profiled here. A great way to spend Mother’s Day!

May 16-20 – Society of Washington Artists 50th Anniversary Show - This open entry art exhibit will include an art sale. Exhibit will be in Vancouver at the HH Hall Building, 10000 NE 7th Avenue.

Ed Asner as FDR

May 18 – Ed Asner as FDR – FDR is based on the Broadway hit “Sunrise at Campobello. ” Emmy-award winning Ed Asner performs the one-man play at the beautiful, historic Columbia Theatre in downtown Longview. Should be a great show! Tickets here.

May 19 -  Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center Museum Anniversary Celebration -  Music, activities, hands-on demonstrations and refreshments from 11 a.m. until 4 p.m. Admission to the museum will be free to the public for this special occasion.  For more information, visit www.columbiagorge.org.

May 19 – 48th Annual Hazel Dell Parade of Bands – If it’s the third Saturday in May, you can count on a whole lot of music happening in Hazel Dell. The theme this year is “Remember When” and will feature two dozen bands and more than 100 entries.  Dust off the lawn chairs. View the route map here. The parade starts at 10:30 a.m.

May 19-20 – Herb and Garden Festival – It’s the perfect time for a country drive out to the Pomeroy Living History Farm, which is north of Battle Ground. Thousands of plants will be for sale. There will be a farm cafe, vendors and entertainment. This is a lovely destination. Directions here.

May 19-20 – Geology Weekend at Bonneville Dam – Explore the forces that created the Gorge through special presentations, guest speakers and hands-on activities. Rangers will offer programs about local geology at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. at the Bradford Island Visitor Center. Power house tours will be offered at 10:30 a.m., 1:30 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. at the Washington Shore Visitor Center. For more information, contact the Bonneville Dam Visitor Center at 541. 374.8820. This event is free.

May 25-26 – World’s Longest Garage Sale – For more than 20 years on Memorial Weekend, the garages, yards, patios and other flat surfaces of the Long Beach Peninsula have been filled with treasures for, count ‘em, 28 miles! Get out your most comfortable shoes and lots of dollar bills. And don’t forget to take a break to enjoy the ocean and the bookstores mentioned in this 2010 ZEST blog post about the booksellers of  Long Beach Peninsula.

Las Colibri - The Hummingbirds

May 26 – Las Colibri - Enjoy this very talented, all-female mariachi ensemble. Audiences will recognize sounds of  jazz, rock, oldies, and R&B through this unique mariachi ensemble. They will perform at the Columbia Gorge Interpretive Center in Stevenson at 8 p.m. Admission. Tickets available here.

May 26-27 – Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – The wonderful VSO adds a new twist for this performance. An interactive, 3-D showing of The Planets will be shown. The concert will also include pianist Linda Lorati Barker and a 2011-12 audience choice piece, which will be announced immediately before the concert. Tickets available here.

Winetasting at East Fork Cellars

Noland Hoshino at Latte Da Coffee House in Vancouver

What brought you to SW Washington?

I used to be in the Air Force and my last station was here in Vancouver. I was the District Manager for Air Force recruiting so I recruited in Portland, Vancouver and Astoria. I always wanted to come to Washington. I grew up in Hawaii but Washington was always in my scope because I love the trees. Funny thing, I love the rain. I love the Pacific Northwest so fortunately this was my last station and I decided that’s it. I’m going to stay here. It’s so easy for me to go home to Hawaii. I’ve been in Vancouver for 12 years now.

What do you love about SW Washington?

I love the greenery, the nature. There is a thing about the people here – that it feels like a small town and that’s what I love about it. There is a community feel about it that I love. It’s not Portland. It’s not Seattle. It’s like we are in this in-between state. There is still a lot of prosperity and a lot of growth coming up here soon. That’s what’s I’m excited about — the next phase of what Vancouver can be. The buildout with the bridge, downtown building up. I’m super excited about that. Our goal is to sell our house and move down there because we want to downsize and travel more.

What is the best-kept secret about SW Washington?

For me, I love the hideaway places, especially if I go out toward Vancouver Lake like Frenchman’s Bar. People don’t know it but it is so nice out there. And the ability to take the train from downtown Vancouver to Seattle. Leave your car there (at the Amtrak Station) and the train ride is awesome with a great view. So I highly recommend that people take the train up to Seattle. Our Farmer’s Market downtown is awesome and all the festivals that happen in the park.

What is your favorite place to relax or play in SW Washington?

Where I live, we have a pretty cool area – Burnt Bridge Creek Trail. Where I live in Northwest neighborhood, they renovated the whole area. That’s a best kept secret too. Nobody knows about this little trail (Stewart Glen). They widened the trail. It is beautiful and it is right down the street from my house so I can take my dogs down there for a walk. It’s so secluded. A lot of people don’t know about it.

If you didn’t live here, where would you live?

Probably Seattle. I love the water. I grew up in Hawaii so I’ve got to have either a mountain or water nearby. I can’t deal with flat. I recently fell in love with South Lake Union in Seattle. It’s kind of like what the Pearl used to be.

What’s coming up that you are excited about?

We’re doing social media strategies with someone (Annette Cleveland) who is running for Congress. Also, I just got tapped to do a fundraiser on social media for Share on June 14 to raise as much money as I can in 24 hours. It’s kind of like a telethon. All the money that I raise goes to Share. It’s a national contest – Twive and Receive  but only one person can claim a city so I claimed Vancouver, said I’m doing it and I’m picking Share.

Our company also produces books. We have another one coming up in May, Social Media Road Map, a strategy book, because now that people are in that (social media) space, they say “Now what do we do?”

What would surprise people to know about you?

My age? That I’m retired? My sole goal now is to do good and help people out.

I collect Winnie the Pooh coffee cups. I’ve always loved Winnie the Pooh. I have 50 – all Poohs. I have been banned from buying any more. I just love them!

First up – an interview with Michele Bloomquist of  Heisen House Vineyards. With its historic, 1898 home and restored barn, which is one of the oldest in Clark County, Heisen House Vineyards is located just north of Battle Ground at 28005 NE 172nd Avenue on a site with a rich history. The Heisen House is a family home and not open to the public. However, outdoor and indoor tasting rooms (in a beautifully remodeled milking parlor) allow for visiting the winery regardless of the weather on Saturdays and Sundays from noon until 5 p.m.

A benefit of blogging – this interview was conducted while sampling nine(!) different wines in the outdoor tasting room. We are happy to report that all were excellent and two (2009 Sangiovese and 2010 “Happy” Sparkling White Wine) were purchased for later consumption.

Winemaker Michele Bloomquist of Heisen House Vineyards

Michele Bloomquist (MB): The first wine I ever heard of was Boone’s Farm. And then there were all the country coolers and all that stuff. I graduated from college in 1996.  I got a job at a company in San Francisco and I would go down there on Monday morning and come back on Thursday night. I had a good friend who lives down there and she and her husband loved to go wine tasting. They would take me wine tasting to Napa and Sonoma and that was my first introduction to wine tasting. That is how it happened in 1998 or 1999.

ZEST: How did you learn to make wine? Who were your mentors? Did you have special training?

MB: Walt Houser at Bethany Vineyard was very supportive as was Carl English of English Estate Winery. I’ve picked everybody’s brains and whenever a problem comes up, Gary Gouger of Gouger Cellars, has been very helpful. He has a degree in enology. And I also learned from books and just doing it.

I have taken some classes at Clark College. John Dingenthal and Bill Fuller were the teachers and I learned a lot from them as well.  Those classes were really helpful. I was already winemaking  by the time I started taking those classes but both of those professors were 20-year veterans of the industry so it was a great opportunity to learn from them about vines and wines.

The Historic Heisen House (1898)

ZEST: How did you end up with your winery? When was it founded?

MB: It wasn’t a plan. It happened by accident. I was driving by one day and I saw a little glimpse of the peak of the roof of the house. At that time, it was completely surrounded by bushes and shrubs.  You could hardly see there was house there. All this [the vineyard] was blackberries and briars, tires and stumps and concrete chunks. But I could see a little glimpse of the house so I pulled in and there was a for sale sign. That was 2002.

I fell in love with the house and that’s how I came here. During the process of making the offer, I found out that the house was on the state and national historic registers and here it was vacant and falling apart and neglected and the barn was falling down and the house hadn’t been cared for in many years. That is what first brought me to this property. I knew that I wanted to do something to share it with people because it’s a historic place.

So at first I was going to do a lavender farm, which you can see the remnants of my first voyage into lavender. Then that same summer the apple trees were loaded with apples and a friend said “Hey, let’s make hard apple cider.”  I had never made alcohol before but I had been wine tasting and it was so much fun and it turned out good and I was hooked.

So the next year I made cider and wine and then I started helping Walt and other people and reading about it and learning about it. You learn a lot by doing it. I spent about five years of hobby winemaking before Walt (of Bethany Vineyard) and other people were saying “You should open a winery.” So I can either thank Walt or blame him depending on the day!

The barn, tasting building and vineyard.

ZEST: Where do you get your grapes? For on-site grapes – how many acres do you grow and what kind are they?

MB: We opened on Memorial Day weekend, 2010.  We have one acre of grapes in production. I have Gamay Noir, Tempranillo, Gewurztraminer and Orange Muscat. It’s a test for the area. We are still trying to establish what grapes are right for Clark County.

We buy our grapes from growers in Eastern Washington (Walla Walla and Benton City). Our vines are still two summers away from having fruit. We’ll have hopefully four barrels of wine from those vines. But we are making 500 cases of wine a year so we have well exceeded what our vineyard would be able to provide. We are growing and we don’t have enough land to plant all the grapes that we need so we will always have to both purchase and grow, which is very common in the industry.

ZEST: What are your available wines?

MB: Currently, available wines are Reds – Merlot, Sangiovese, Cabernet, Cab Franc, Tempranillo and “one Love” Reserve Red Blend (all vintage 2009) and Whites – Dry Muscat, Dry Rose and Happy (a sparkling wine) (all vintage 2010). (Descriptions are available here.)

ZEST: Which is your favorite?

MB: Cabernet Franc

ZEST: Where are your wines available?

MB: Just here for now. We are probably going to have our wines soon at the Heisson Store and Mill Creek Pub in Battle Ground.

Heison House Winemakers Chris Eckels and Michelle Bloomquist

ZEST: How do you spend your days? What is a typical day for a winemaker?

MB: Well, I have another business. I work full-time as a freelance writer so Monday through Friday, I’m wearing my writing hat and the winery is our evening and weekend endeavor. My typical day is juggling  responsibilities – family, a freelance career and then the wine.

I don’t know if there is such a typical day. It’s very seasonal, in the fall we are making wine, in the winter, we are planning for the summer and pruning, in the spring we are bottling, in the summer we are open and waiting for the grapes and maintenance.

ZEST: How would you describe the SW Washington wine industry?

MB: We are in the golden age which is the emerging winery region. It’s a very special time. At every one of these wineries most likely the person behind the bar is going to be the winemaker who is pouring the wine. It’s a very special time and a very small window. For a lot of people who are serious wine tourers, that is the epitome of the winery experience to meet the winemaker at every single stop and you can do that here in Clark County.

ZEST: When you aren’t drinking your own wines, what are your current favorites?

MB:  My very favorite and probably the first wine that I tasted it and “got it” what good wine was at a place called The Pines in the Columbia Gorge. Their Red Zinfandel, which often sells out, that was the first time I thought “Wow, this is what good wine tastes like.” I would say that Hood River is one of my favorite areas (for tasting).

Lavender crop

ZEST: What is the best thing about being a winemaker?

MB: The best thing about is when the truck pulls up with a big bin of grapes and it’s time to get dirty.  That’s the very best part of being a winemaker. It is fun to make wine. I LOVE it.

ZEST: What is the hardest thing about being a winemaker?

MB: It is probably that I don’t get to go wine tasting as much as I used to and I miss it! And I would love to do more traveling but for right now we are growing our business and we need to be here.

ZEST: What is coming up that you’re excited about for your winery?

MB: We have the Battle Ground Wine Loop Tour next Saturday. Memorial Weekend is our big kickoff of the season – we will be open Saturday, Sunday and Monday, noon to 6 p.m. We are launching our Friday night music that same weekend. Every Friday night we will have music from 6-9 p.m. and a local restaurant comes out and serves food starting Memorial Day weekend all the way to the end of September. And then we have four farm festivals in the summer where we have artists and craftspeople come and set up and then we have fun that way, too!

Winery Details

Details about Heisen HouseVineyards are available at the winery Web site. The Battle Ground Wine Loop Tour,  which is held the 2nd Saturday of the month, visits Heisen House Vineyards along with Rusty Grape Vineyard and Olequa Cellars. For a complete (and growing!) list and map of 11 Clark County wineries visit here. For a longer list of wineries throughout Southwest Washington, visit WineTrailsNW.  No need to head to Napa. Get out there and try our local wines!

Winery photos courtesy of Heisen House Vineyards.

April 4-6 – Native American Film Festival– Washington State University Vancouver is offering a Native American Film Series at 5:30 p.m. in the Dengerink Administration building, room 110. The series is free and open to the public. Each evening opens with a 30-minute guest lecture at 5:30 p.m. followed by the film screening at 6 p.m. Each film in the series addresses Native -American experiences with boarding schools. The speakers and films are:

April 4, “Older Than America” – Georgina Lightning, the film’s director and actress, will speak before the screening. In this contemporary drama of suspense, a woman’s haunting visions reveal a Catholic priest’s sinister plot to silence her mother from speaking the truth about the atrocities that took place at her Native American boarding school.

April 5, “Our Spirits Don’t Speak English: Indian Boarding School” – Jacqueline Peterson, WSU Vancouver professor emerita of history, will speak before the screening. This documentary uncovers the dark history of U.S. Government policy which took Indian children from their homes, forced them into boarding schools and enacted a policy of educating them in the ways of western society.

April 6, “The Only Good Indian” – Grace L. Dillon associate professor, indigenous nations studies at Portland State University will speak before the screening. In this film, set in Kansas during the early 1900s, a teen-aged Native American boy is taken from his family and forced to attend a distant Indian “training” school to assimilate into white society.

April 5 – First Thursday – Downtown Longview and Kelso  – Galleries and the Cowlitz County Historical Museum  are open in the evening with receptions at various galleries.

 April 6 – Full Moon Hikes at Ridgefield  National Wildlife Refuge . Evening hike, starting at 7:30 p.m. on the Oaks to Wetlands trail at the Refuge. Space is limited and reservations are required. Call 360-887-3883 for reservations and details.

 April 6 – As always, there are multiple First Fridays around Clark County including Vancouver, Ridgefield and Camas. For details check out the Arts of Clark County calendar.

In Downtown Vancouver – At 7 p.m., don’t miss the unveiling of the latest addition of public art to downtown Vancouver – a sculpture by Dave and Jennifer at Cobalt Designworks installed at Evergreen and Main. No excuses for staying in on the first Friday of the month!

In Downtown Camas – Visit each participating merchant, pick an egg out of the basket and see if you can select the Golden Egg!  Special deals are inside each golden egg at each of the participating merchants!

April 7 – First Iron Man Strong Ale Festival -  Noon – 8 p.m. The inaugural event features this year’s release of Walking Man Brewing’s Iron Man Imperial IPA, live music, hot food and a chance to sample a variety of Strong Ales from various breweries. Held in honor of “Iron Man Jim Caldwell.” Skamania County Fairgrounds. Admission.

April 7 – Vintage Fishing Gear Show – Display and show at 9 a.m. at the spring meeting of the NW regional of the National Fishing Lure Collectors Club. Red Lion Hotel in Kelso. Details at 360-274-8045. Admission.

April 7 – Klickitat Trail Conservancy Birding walk – 7 a.m. Lyle trailhead  – 3-4 miles. This is a special area. From the Conservancy: “The Klickitat Trail follows the first 31 miles of an old railroad corridor linking the towns of Lyle and Goldendale.  It is unique among rail trails. Nowhere else is there a rail trail that starts in a remote, beautiful tributary canyon, winds along a nationally designated Wild & Scenic River, and finishes in one of the nation’s only National Scenic Areas.”

 April 7-9 – Razor Clam Dig! – Three beaches – Long Beach, Twin Harbors and Kalaloch – will be open for morning razor clam digging all three days. Mocrocks will be open for two days, April 7-8, and Copalis will be open April 7 for one day only. Get the details here. Here is a ZEST post about our first excursion digging those delicious bivalves.

April 7-29 – Columbia River Kayaking has  a plethora of kayaking trips for beginners and experienced kayakers. Check out their calendar of trips here.  The river is really high right now. Be dry, safe and plan accordingly! Trips begin at their Paddle Center in Skamokawa unless otherwise listed.

April Contra in the Couve Caller Mary Devlin

April 13 – Contra in the Couve – Vancouver has a contra dance on the second Friday of every month at 7:30 p.m. the Hazel Dell Grange, 7509 NE Hazel Dell Ave. New and experience dancers welcome! Popular Portland caller Mary Devlin will be calling the dance. 

April 13-28 – Magenta Theater – Downtown Vancouver’s always entertaining theater company presents Hitchcock’s 39 Steps. Tickets are available here.

April 14 – Battle Ground Wine Loop – You can take the Battle Ground Wine Loop Tour bus around the loop for just $5 per person. It will make the loop all day long. Just hop on and off at each of the three participating wineries – Rusty Grape Vineyards, Heisen House Vineyards  and Olequa Cellars. Or take a designated chauffeur and drive the scenic 7-mile loop if you prefer.  Small tasting fees may apply at each location. Battle Ground Wine Loop from noon – 6, followed by live music after at Rusty Grape starting at 7 p.m.

April 14 – Klickitat Trail Conservancy Wildflower Walk – 10 a.m. 4 miles – Starting at the Lyle trailhead. Easy to moderate.

April 14-15 – Vancouver Symphony Orchestra – 3 p.m. on Saturday and 7 p.m. on Sunday. Winners of the Young Artist Competition will perform  the Prokofiev Piano Concerto No. 3 and the Mendelssohn Violin Concerto. Also All Classical’s Edmund Stone will narrate A Midsummer Night’s Dream by Mendelssohn with a performance by the Willamette University Chamber Choir. Buy Vancouver Symphony tickets here.

April 14-21 – Second Annual Cultural Immersion Week -   Immerse yourself in India! Columbia Theatre offers a wonderful schedule of events, culminating with a April 21 performance of Ragamala Dance (see below). Lots of events happening on Saturday, April 14 including Indian food, music, yoga, henna, fighting kites and “Bollywood Movez” dance lessons.

Holland American Bulb Farm Show Field

April 14-15 – Woodland Tulip Festival –  The 10th Annual Woodland Tulip Festival will include annual blooming tulip fields, display garden and gift shop and much more. Check out the Holland America Bulb Farms Web site  for all of the events.

Cathlapotle Plankhouse

April 15 – Cathlapotle Plankhouse, Carty Unit of the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, 28908 NW Main Ave., Ridgefield, WA –   The Plankhouse opens the season with a special presentation at 2 p.m. by Dr. Robert Carriker who will present “A Student in the Pacific Northwest: Sacagawea Travels the Columbia River.” Guided tours of the Plankhouse and children’s activities will be available from noon – 4 p.m.

April 19 – Sakura Festival – 1-4 p.m. To celebrate the breathtaking cherry blossoms that bloom in the spring, Clark College hosts an annual festival for the college and the region. The festival also honors Vancouver’s sister-city relationship with Joyo, Japan, which was established in 1995. This year, the Festival will also dedicate the new Royce Pollard Japanese Friendship Garden.

April 21 – Hometown Tourism Day – Many Long Beach Peninsula and Pacific County sites and museums are working together to promote Hometown Tourism Day. Check out the list of locations.

April 21 – Klickitat Trail Conservancy hike through Swale Canyon – 9 a.m. Lyle trailhead – 13 miles – strenuous. Early flowers should be at peak. The Trail is railroad gravel in places, so sturdy boots are needed.

April 21 – Kalama Word Catcher -  Writers take note – You can spend the entire day exploring your craft with an excellent roster of instructors including Larry Colton and Carolyn J. Rose. This is a benefit for the Kalama Public Library. Pre-register here.

April 21 – Columbia Theatre presents Ragamala Dance – 7:30 p.m. The classical dance troupe will perform “Sacred Earth” as part of the Second Annual Cultural Immersion Week sponsored by Columbia Theatre. Tickets available here.

April 21 – Trout Lake Run - The Half-Marathon, 10K & 5K running/walking events start and finish at Trout Lake School, which is the beneficiary of the event.

April 21 – Earth Day Celebrations – Lots happening around SW Washington. Check your local papers and Web sites!

April 21-22 – Woodland Tulip Festival –  The 10th Annual Woodland Tulip Festival will include annual blooming tulip fields, display garden and gift shop and much more. Check out the Holland America Bulb Farms Web site  for all of the events.

April 21 – May 13 – Hulda Klager Lilac Gardens Lilac Days –  10 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. Hulda Klager’s farm home and beautiful gardens will be open and lilac plants and gifts will be offered for sale in a lovely gift shop. During Lilac Days, the farmhouse will feature a display of vintage hats and accessories. Admission.  This is easily combined with a visit to the tulip festival! Here is a past  ZEST post on the Hulda Klager Lilac Days.

April 27-29 – Home and Garden Idea Fair -  The fair features hundreds of ideas on how to make your home, yard and garden a more beautiful, energy-efficient and environmentally friendly place. Sponsored by Clark Public Utilities.

April 28 – Klickitat Trail Conservancy hike from the town of Klickitat to Pitt – 9:30 a.m. Lyle trailhead – easy walk.

If these aren’t enough events to get you out of the house, check your local newspapers for more ideas!

March 1 – Damn Yankees – Columbia Theatre brings the Broadway hit musical to Longview for one night. Tickets available through the theatre box office.

Oleg Ulitskiy's exhibit of boat paintings will continue at Art on the Boulevard in March

March 2 – First Friday Events - Vancouver, Camas and Ridgefield always offer convivial evenings on the first Friday of the month. Downtown Vancouver will hold its First Friday Art Walk from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Downtown Camas will hold a Lucky Leprechaun Scavenger Hunt and restaurants, shops and galleries will be open in downtown Ridgefield.

March 3 - Arts and Culture Summit - Join colleagues and friends to build a vision for the future of the arts in Clark County. The day will include a host of speakers and panelists.

March 4 – Ft. Vancouver Run – Rain or shine, registration for the Fred Meyer Ft. Vancouver Run starts at 7 a.m. Details here.

March 9-31 – You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown – Who can resist the characters from Peanuts? Presented by Love Street Playhouse in Woodland.

March 10 – Still Walking: Bigfoot in the Dark Divide and Beyond. Author and lepidopterist Dr. Robert Michael Pyle talks about his book on the search for Sasquatch in Washington State and exciting new developments at the Willapa Hills Audubon meeting in Longview. Meeting details here.

March 10-11 - Razor Clam Dig (tentative) – Dates are always tentative but the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced morning digs at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Licenses are required. No clamming is allowed after noon. Go here to read a past ZEST blog post on clamming. For details read the official WDFW announcement. Here are the rules and regulations.

Maryhill Museum, photo by Nayland Wilkins

March 15 – Opening Day – Maryhill Museum – Although not all parts of the museum will be open (watch for a May opening of the Mary and Bruce Stevenson wing) the museum will open the 2012 season with Beside the Big River: Images and Art of the Mid-Columbia Indians. with 40 photographs by Lee Moorhouse, Thomas Rutter and J.W. Thompson. View the exhibit catalog here.

March 16-17 - 17th Annual Peninsula Quilt Guild Exhibition – Head to the Columbia Pacific Heritage Museum in Ilwaco to see the quilts by talented fiber artists of the Long Beach Peninsula.

March 17 - St. Patrick’s Day Teas – Pomeroy Living History Farm will offer formal teas to celebrate St. Patrick’s Day. Reservations are required.

Get your surfboards out. Beaches at Washington State Parks will be FREE on March 18-19!

March 18-19 – Washington State Park Free Day – In honor of Washington State Parks’ 99th birthday on March 19th, Washington State Parks will be free on March 18-19. Find Southwest Washington parks here. Parks along the Pacific Coast are here.

March 19 – Women’s History Month Tea and Luncheon – March is a month for drinking tea! The Clark County Historical Museum in Vancouver offers this event.

March 24-25 – Spring Release Weekend – Maryhill Winery – Stop by the gorgeous tasting room of Maryhill Winery with its spectacular view of the Gorge. Details here.

March 24-25 – Razor Clam Dig (tentative) – Second announced dig for March! Dates are always tentative but the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife has announced digs at Long Beach, Twin Harbors, Copalis and Mocrocks. Licenses are required. Digs are timed with morning tides. No digging after noon. Go here to read a past ZEST blog post on clamming. For details read the official WDFW announcement. Here are the rules and regulations.

Spring is coming! Enjoy your March!

Sometimes a simple yet impactful idea comes along that makes perfect sense. That’s what happened in 2003 when Marsha Wallace, a nurse and mother of four in South Carolina invited her friends for a birthday dinner with special instructions – no gifts please. Her friends instead shared a potluck and wrote checks to the organization Women for Women International. That was an “aha” moment for Marsha. Why couldn’t these dinners happen in other homes? She started spreading the idea of Dining for Women and did it ever spread. Nine years later and 250 chapters later, in February 2012, Dining for Women was featured on NBC Nightly news. View it here

Connecting Southwest Washington to the World
So what does this have to do with Southwest Washington? Once a month it has everything to do with our corner of the world. We, in fact, traveled the world without even dusting off our passports. For the past year, every 2nd Tuesday of the month, a Vancouver, WA Chapter of Dining for Women has gathered for a potluck dinner, short video and presentation about an organization offering life-changing programs for women and girls who often live on less than $1 a day. We eat, we drink and share good company. We learn about other cultures and international issues. And we get out our checkbooks and write checks for what we might have spent had we dined out. A giving circle is a simple concept with far-reaching effects.

Our first meeting, January 2011

It’s not just about our group of about 40 diners each month. Our donations are combined with the contributions of the other Dining for Women Chapters to raise funds for organizations that have gone through an application process and have been fully researched by Dining for Women volunteers. One group is funded each month with grants averaging about $36,000-$40,000. It is incredibly exciting to be investing in and empowering girls and women around the world.

Most DFW Chapters meet in homes. Our Chapter is larger than the average group so we meet in a church. We are hoping that more volunteers will start chapters throughout our area (or wherever they live!). For information on how to start a chapter click here . Use the same link to receive information about our chapter and others across the country and international locations.

Which groups did we fund in 2011?
In January 2011, we kicked off our local Dining for Women Chapter with a full house. By the end of the evening, we had raised $1100 for Matrichaya of India, which provides literacy and vocational training and micro-credit programs. It was a magical evening and the first of many sumptuous and inspiring dinners.

Matrichaya teachers

February drew even more women – 65! Our contributions supported PINCC (Prevention International: No Cervical Cancer) in El Salvador, where Dr. Kay Taylor uses our funds to train doctors and other health professionals to do life-saving cervical exams (with a simple vinegar wash) and treatment of cervical cancer. We also were reminded of the importance of getting our own pap smears done on a regular basis.

Dr. Kay Taylor provides training

We “traveled” to Africa in March to learn about, and fund, the work of Uganda’s Village Enterprise Fund, which is using our donations to fund startup capital and critical business skills training for 145 women entrepreneurs.

An entrepreneur from the Village Enterprise Fund

In April, we tackled sex trafficking by funding Lotus Outreach International in Cambodia. Our contributions will provide trauma counseling and reintegration assistance for Cambodian victims of rape, domestic violence and sex trafficking. Counseling services are rare in Cambodia. This is a breakthrough program.

Lotus Outreach classroom

We supported the women of Mujeres Aliadas in Mexico in May. We learned about their lack of access to quality, affordable health care. We raised funds to reduce maternal and infant mortality by supporting professional midwives and providing medical equipment in a women’s clinic and birthing center.

June took us back to Africa and the Shining Hope for Communities in Kenya. This program supports the Kibera School for Girls, which is located in one of the worst slums in Nairobi. Our funds are being used to operate the school and to invest in the Women’s Empowerment Project’s micro-enterprise initiatives. The photos of all those little girls who are now in school says it all. Don’t miss their charming video “I Know I Can.”

Students from the Kibera School for Girls

We learned about the lives of the young women being served by Emerge Global of Sri Lanka in July. These girls, ages 10-18, have been removed from their homes due to abuse such as rape and incest. The Emerge Global program provides them with skills and financial resources for their futures. Our funds helped support their expanding bead program, which creates gorgeous necklaces and bracelets. You can order their beautiful jewelry through their Etsy Web site here.

Helping the Sri Lankan girls of Emerge Global

August took us back to Africa and girls education at the Nurturing Minds Program in Tanzania. Our donations enabled the Sega Girls School to develop and manage its first school-run business—poultry farming—and develop related business and technical skills among its students. Kofi Annan, former secretary general of the United Nations has called the education of girls, “the single highest returning social investment in the world today.” Dining for Women is COMMITTED to the education and empowerment of those girls.

Girls from the Sega Girls School

Many of our hearts broke the night of September 13 when we heard the tragic stories of girls and women with obstetric fistulas. We raised funds ($1185 – our personal best for the year!) for the Fistula Foundation. Combined with the funds from other Chapters, our funds will help provide fistula repair surgery and post-op for 66 women in Ethiopia. We were all highly moved by the program. (We later learned that enough money was raised to fund even more surgeries.)

A young fistula patient

Guatemala has long been recognized for its beautiful crafts and textiles. But how do you get them to market? In October, we supported Mercado Global of Guatemala. This Fair Trade organization works with indigenous women in Guatemala’s highlands. The group connects the women with U.S. sales opportunities. Dining for Women dollars funded sales and training programs for the artisans so they could expand their businesses.

Mercado Global artisans

The India Literacy Project has a serious goal – 100% literacy in India. The group is tackling this issue one village at a time. Our funds raised in November will impact 26 villages in Sundargarh in the state of Orissa by providing girls’ scholarships and job skills, among other services. It is amazing how far our dollars can stretch through our funded programs.

India Literacy Project

We learned about Project Muso of Mali in December. We raised funds to provide matching grants, non-interest loans and financial management skills for 90 women entrepreneurs. We watched (and wanted to dance to the DVD soundtrack) the women creating beautiful mud cloth in their excellent video which shows the far-reaching impact of micro-loans as small as $60-$100.

Businesswoman from Mali

What a spectacular first year! Averaging $1,000 per dinner, we raised more than $12,000!

Onward in 2012
In the first half of 2012, we will fund programs in Nepal, Guatemala, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Vietnam, Afghanistan and Kenya. Programs funded in the second half of 2012 will be announced soon.

Thank about starting or joining a Chapter. Mentoring is available. If you are interested in more information about Dining for Women, check out the program Web site or fill out a member interest form. This is one evening each month where you can truly know feel that you are “changing the world one dinner at a time.”

Our February 2012 Meeting

Lee Rafferty, Executive Director, Vancouver's Downtown Association

What brought you to SW Washington?
I married a man who lived in Vancouver. I continued to commute to my job in Portland for several years and left that job and sold real estate for a bit and then started my own business, Spanky’s. We had that business for 28 years ago and sold it about two years ago.

What do you love about SW Washington?
I love that we have a rich history and a bright future and a lot of it is tied to the beautiful Columbia River. We also have sports available to us, all kinds of recreation. We have a community that values education. We have community that values giving back and has a great deal of community pride in the things that we support and the things that we oppose. We don’t take an elitist approach to life. Anything that has been accomplished in Vancouver has been accomplished with a great deal of hard work and seeing a vision through. Nothing has been handed to SW Washington. We have always sort of lived in the shadow of sparklier places across the river. We know who we are and we know what we are doing and we are not trying to emulate.

What is the best-kept secret about SW Washington?
I’m in the business of exposing secrets and making everyone want to come here! I’m in the business of making sure that people understand the opportunity on every level that is here. This is a great place to raise a family. This is a great place to bring a business. The tax structure is very favorable for people who want to start a business and this area is completely invested in making sure that economically this area thrives.

As far as downtown Vancouver, I have always said that it is our recent success is because we are a downtown of opportunity. People are coming here, buying buildings, launching businesses and making their own way because it’s possible. We not so priced out of the market yet. There is a real fervor for this reinvention and a new vitality that is palpable. You go out on the street and you can just know that if you have taken stock of what was here last year and you look now at the change of views, rehabilitation of buildings, the plans to rehabilitate, the new businesses that have landed. It is amazing the change. It has happened pretty quickly and we are in the midst of a huge change that is very positive.

Our organization (VDA) is uniquely placed. We’re not government but we work very, very well with government. We don’t own anything but we understand the pressures of owning a building that is underperforming. We understand what it is to have a business that needs more traffic or maybe could use some advice about how to merchandise or how to light and bring in customers. We understand what it is to have issues where you need to be able to navigate permitting issues or know how to bring an event downtown. We are uniquely placed to be able to hook people up with what they need. We are a conduit and that’s pretty exciting. We do have our fingers in a lot of pies.

What is your favorite place to relax or play in SW Washington?
I have a couple of little granddaughters. I have three now. I like the Waterfront Trail, along the Columbia River. One granddaughter is old enough now to ride a bike. And I have one is in a stroller and I’ll probably have one in a front backpack and it’s very fun to go along the river and enjoy that.

The other thing I love is the new library. I am so pleased about the library and how it is becoming ever more a hub for downtown activities and for all ages. (Editor’s Note: The new Vancouver Community Library was just named #2 on the Livability.com list of Top 10 Libraries for Children in the U.S.)

If you didn’t live here, where would you live?
My dad immigrated from Scotland and I always say when I go back to visit that I can see myself living there, not in the city but in the north of Scotland where he was raised, not far from Inverness.

What’s coming up that you are excited about?
I am really excited that we have several property owners who are going to be taking advantage of our façade improvement program, which is half loan and half grant. A mandatory piece of any project we fund is that it needs to include lighting. We are trying to make sure that downtown is a more walkable, safe, inviting place 24/7.

Columbia Credit Union very generously gave us about $5,000 so we put that money into lighting ridgelines and some trees so that is the beginning of hooking place to place together, strong node to strong node. We know which areas we want to light and why we want to light them. We know why we are putting trees along those avenues and flower baskets there and we know why we are putting more art on the streets and where we are placing it because we know which corridors need to be activated.

And it’s not just north and south. We need to be activating east and west as well, especially now that we have this strong node of the library. That needs to be hooked to Esther Short Park and we need to make it a walkable, very intuitive way That is our mission to make everything more connected.

What would surprise people to know about you?
I grew up in Eastern Oregon and excelled at showing and fitting Polled Hereford cattle as a 4-H member. I was usually pretty intimidated by those huge animals, but I knew I could never let them know it.

Somehow not surprising… Lee’s favorite quote is “Nothing is impossible when you work for the circus!” Her favorite part of the quote? “Nothing is impossible.”

February is a short month that offers a long list of activities. From quilts to chocolate, kites to Chalacha – no need to stay home.

February 1-29 – Castle Rock Quilt Show – Castle Rock Exhibit Hall, 147 Front Ave NW, More than 80 quilts All those tiny stitches! Don’t miss them at the quilt show.

Friday, February 3 – First Fridays in Multiple Cities!

February 3 - First Friday – Ridgefield, 5 to 8 p.m.- Alcove Art Gallery will feature nine artists for the month of February. The theme will be entitled “Passion for Art.” Shops and restaurants will be open, too.

February 3 – A Chocolate Affair to Remember – 5 to 8 p.m. in downtown Camas. Sample locally made chocolates, specialty chocolate drinks and more! Plus local quilters kick off 2012 with a show of their original work at Second Story Gallery in Camas. The annual open exhibit in February will begin with a reception on First Friday and remain on view inside the Camas Public Library through the end of the month.

February 3 - First Friday Artwalk – Downtown Vancouver, 5 to 9 p.m. Always a great celebration of community and fine art and a way to stroll with neighbors and friends. Downtown shops, restaurants and lounges welcome you as well. Art is leading the way for changes in downtown Vancouver!

February 3 – Wintertide – VSO Chamber Music Group – 7 p.m. Trinity Lutheran Church 309 W. 39th Street in Vancouver. The Columbia River Brass present various styles from composers including Wilke Renwick, Samuel Scheidt, Eric Ewazen, Dave Robertson and J.S. Bach. Concert is repeated on February 5 at 3 p.m. at Zion Lutheran Church in Camas.

February 3-4 – Indoor Market – Long Beach Grange, 5715 Sandridge Rd., 10am to 4pm. A variety of vendors will be selling farm fresh eggs, home-baked goods, handcrafted items, goat cheese and goat milk soaps, gift items, art, jewelry and more. Lunch will be served from the Grange kitchen.

February 4 – Stand up Comedy at the Old Liberty Theater - Downtown Ridgefield. 7:30 p.m. An evening of “honest comedy” featuring: Ian Karmel- From IFC’s “Portlandia” plus other comics. 21 and older. Tickets by phone: Don Griswold, don@oldlibertytheater.com, booking phone (360) 601-7549.

February 4-5 – Asian New Year at the World Kite Museum – Long Beach. This opening has special events to introduce the Bali Kite Exhibit. The exhibit lasts until March 25.

February 7 – Chocolate Confession by Joan Freed – Kiggins Theatre in downtown Vancouver. This hilarious one-woman show is a fundraiser for the Pink Lemonade Project. This is a perfect warm up for Valentine’s Day!

February 10-25 – Sense and Sensibility - Magenta Theater – downtown Vancouver’s theater troupe presents an adaptation of Jane Austen’s novel in their intimate theater.

February 11 – Valentine’s Tea – Pomeroy Living History Farm, 20902 NE Lucia Falls Rd., Yacolt. Noon. Reservations required (360.686.3537). Seasonal menu will include assorted tea sandwiches, scones, desserts and two kinds of tea. A tour of the historic log house can be added for a small, extra charge.

February 11-12 – Columbia Gorge Wineries Valentine’s Day Open House Weekend – Columbia Gorge Wineries in Washington and Oregon. Winery Open House Hours are 11am – 6pm. What a great opportunity to taste and purchase wine for Valentine’s Day.

February 12 – Bravo! Concert Series – Leonard Bernstein Mass – St. Joseph’s Catholic Church, 400 S. Andresen Road, Vancouver. 2 p.m. Leonard Bernstein’s Mass blends sacred text, human emotions and musical styles – from classical to sacred, rock, blues and jazz. The Bravo! Chorale, guest soloists, and Chamber Orchestra will perform.

February 14 – - Musical Dinner Theater – Historic Trout Lake Country Inn. Go up and play in the snow on Mt. Adams and then enjoy a dinner show.

February 16-19 – Cinderella – The Columbia Theatre presents Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella. February 16th at 7pm, February 17th at 7pm, February 18th at 2pm & 7pm, and February 19th at 2pm.

February 17-19 – Washington State Horse Expo – Horses and equestrians come together en masse at the Clark County Event Center at the Fairgrounds. Check out the full program schedule.

February 18-20 – Columbia Gorge Wineries President’s Day Open Houses – Yet another wine weekend as the Gorge wineries open up again to celebrate President’s Day. More than 30 wineries will be open with special releases and discounts. Live music at Maryhill Winery.

February 21 - Volcano Views & Brews – Tommy O’s Pacific Rim Bistro in downtown Vancouver at 801 Washington Street. Doors open at 5 pm. Speaker presents from 6:30 – 8 pm. Rick McClure, the Forest Archaeologist and Heritage Program Manager for Gifford Pinchot National Forest presents “The Place Called Chalacha – History Beneath the MSH Monument Headquarters and Chelatchie Prairie.”

What a great month! See you out there!