contributors
Lynette Rae McAdams
Freelance writer Lynette Rae McAdams first arrived in Astoria as
a shipmate aboard the M/V Sea Lion in 1999. Instantly smitten
by the lush combination of river and sea, she’s been living,
working, and playing in the Columbia-Pacific region ever since.
When she’s not dipping her toes in a local tide pool
(“Following the tide,” pg. 16), or her spoon in the finest of
chowders (“In search of the perfect clam chowder,” pg. 57),
you can find McAdams rambling the coastline in her beloved
Volkswagen camper van (“Camping our coast,” pg. 52) — either
toasting the sunset or chasing her next story. She currently
resides on Washington’s Long Beach Peninsula.
Knute Berger
Knute “Skip” Berger is a Seattle author, columnist and radio commentator. He is the
award-winning “Mossback” columnist for the online daily Crosscut.com where he
focuses on local politics and heritage; Editor-at-Large for Seattle magazine; and a
regular news commentator for Seattle’s NPR affiliate KUOW-FM. He has authored
three books, the latest being the eBook “Roots of Tomorrow: Tales of Early Seattle
Urbanism” (2014). His others are “Space Needle, Spirit of Seattle” (2012) and “Puge-
topolis: A Mossback takes on Growth Addicts, Weather Wimps and the Myth of
Seattle Nice” (2009). He’s a Seattle native who is the most land-lubberly of a family
full of commercial fishers, a fact reinforced by his time spent in Astoria among the
region’s fisherpoets (“Astoria’s FisherPoet Gathering,” pg. 74).
John Goodenberger
Cassandra Profita
When writer Cassandra Profita isn’t reporting on the environment of
the Pacific Northwest, she’s out exploring it. Much of what she now
understands about the ecology of Oregon stems from her early
reporting on the North Coast Land Conservancy for The Daily Astorian
newspaper. In the land trust’s leaders, she found a deep well of local
knowledge and an intricate field guide to the coastal landscape
(“North Coast Land Conservancy,” pg. 80). It’s a guide that continues
to inform her current reporting at Oregon Public Broadcasting.
Matt Love
Matt Love lives in Astoria and is the publisher
of Nestucca Spit Press. He’s the author/editor
of 12 books about Oregon. In 2009, Love won
the Oregon Literary Arts’ Stewart H. Holbrook
Literary Legacy Award for his contributions to
Oregon history and literature. He visits the
beach about every other day and prefers if
one is around (“Finding yourself on Oregon’s
beaches,” pg. 28). His website is
www.nestuccaspitpress.com
8 • Our Coast 2015 • discoverourcoast.com
“Although we often think of high-style
buildings as being the apex of
architectural design, I find as much
interest — if not more — in vernacular
architecture,” says John Goodenberger,
whose life’s work is the preservation
and recordation of buildings within
the Columbia-Pacific region. He says
the architecture of local towns and
countrysides are defined by simple
buildings such as churches (“Beauty in
austerity,” pg. 34) largely constructed
by and for immigrants. “The rich social
histories associated with these
buildings more than compensates for
their lack of formal style,” he adds.
Trained in architecture, Goodenberger
is currently an adjunct instructor
within Clatsop Community College’s
historic preservation program.