10A
THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, MARCH 30, 2015
Revue: Saturday’s event raised about $14,000
Continued from Page 1A
Immortalized as part of
Astoria’s wicked past, Barnes
has been both mocked and
celebrated by historians as
WKH ³¿UVW ODG\ RI 2UHJRQ´
Whatever the truth of her sto-
ry, she most surely was more
fetching than the “Gentlemen
Jane” impostors Saturday
night.
The revue — which raised
about $14,000, according to
the historic district associa-
tion — featured a string of
impossibly named characters,
with many in need of dance
lessons, another stiff drink, or
a shave.
“Midnight Dawn” — Seth
Tichenor, a philosophy in-
structor at Clatsop Commu-
nity College — was a futur-
istic black, purple and silver
techno mess who rocked to “I
Fink U Freeky” by Die Ant-
woord.
“Danessa Rosewood” —
Jorge Gutierrez, the executive
director of the Lower Colum-
bia Hispanic Council — was
resplendent in a strapless
wedding gown, veil — and
full beard — as he cavorted to
“Then He Kissed Me” by The
Crystals.
“Opal Sunrise” — Brad
Blaser of Fort George Brew-
ery and Public House —
shimmied in a teal number to
“Single Ladies” by Beyonce
DQG WKHQ EHQW RYHU WR ÀDVK
pink underwear that read:
“Let’s Do It.”
Not all the performers
were novices. The Browns-
mead Flats, in drag, opened
the revue as “The Browns-
mead Floozies.” Marco Davis,
a chef at The Columbian Cafe
and an accomplished dancer
and drag queen, stunned as
“Daylight Cums” to the song
“Big Spender.”
“We live in a crazy town
that is so open-minded and
progressive,” Davis said af-
terward. “And you get here
for moments like this and you
realize how lucky we are.”
Jannusch, a Farmers Insur-
ance agent, was what Taylor
referred to as a “catwalk vir-
gin.” In the weeks before the
revue, he had some trepida-
tion. But he said the experi-
ence turned out better than he
thought it might.
“I don’t consider myself
an attractive woman, so it was
kind of weird having them
put money down my dress,”
Jannusch joked. “Yes, it was
awkward.”
Photos by JOSHUA BESSEX — The Daily Astorian
Rodney Merrill, performing as Taffy Ammonoosuc, dances down the stage during the Jane Barnes Revue at the Astoria Event Center Saturday. The
money from the event went to the Astoria Downtown Historic District Association.
‘We live in a crazy town that is so
open-minded and progressive.’
— Marco Davis
a chef at The Columbian Cafe and an accomplished dancer and drag queen ‘Daylight Cums’
Brad Smithart, performing as Lady Terrar, reacts while be-
ing motorboated by an audience member during the Jane
Barnes Revue at the Astoria Event Center Saturday.
ABOVE: As the Jane Barnes Revue came to a close, a dance party broke out on the
catwalk. LEFT: Jorge Gutierrez, performing as Danessa Rosewood, dances in a wedding
dress during the Jane Barnes Revue at the Astoria Event Center Saturday.
Lobby: ‘Coal to clean’ bills are next focus for group
Continued from Page 1A
A decade ago, the co-
alition decided to stop
playing defense and be-
gan proposing more new
legislation. Rhett Law-
rence, conservation di-
rector for the Oregon
chapter of the Sierra Club
and a registered lobbyist
for the group, said coali-
tion members started to
come up with annual lists
of bills they could agree
upon called “priorities for
a healthy Oregon.”
The environmental lob-
by’s top priorities today
are two bills they describe
as “coal to clean” — Sen-
ate Bill 477 and House Bill
2729.
Both would require
utilities to stop generating
or purchasing electricity
from coal power plants
by 2025. The Senate ver-
sion would also require
companies to replace
coal power with electric-
ity from sources “at least
90 percent cleaner than
coal-derived generating
resources,” according to a
legislative summary.
Splitt said other pri-
orities this year include a
bill to require private for-
estland owners to provide
notice to the state and keep
other records of their use
of pesticides, a bill to ap-
propriate money for the
Oregon Department of
Fish and Wildlife to spend
on conservation and leg-
islation that would allow
the state to end a mandate
to generate revenue from
timber harvests on some
public forests.
Environmental groups
are also pushing for the
Mogenson:&ROXPELD3DFL¿F
chapter relies completely
on grants and fundraisers
Continued from Page 1A
Pamplin Media Group
Activist protest against coal trains in the file photo. Environmental groups are taking
advantage of Democratic majorities in both houses of the Oregon Legislature to
advance their agenda this session.
Top priorities are two bills described as
‘coal to clean’ — Senate Bill 477 and
House Bill 2729.
passage of legislation that
would preserve or create
incentives for a range of
solar projects, from res-
idential to utility scale
facilities. Lawrence said
solar energy “still needs a
little bit of a hand in the
next step in putting it on
a level playing field with
fossil fuel.”
Splitt said environmen-
tal groups also want mon-
ey for public transit to be
included in any funding
package for street mainte-
nance and other transporta-
tion projects. The outlook
for that package is unclear,
since Republicans stopped
participating in talks af-
ter Democrats passed the
low-carbon fuel bill.
Some groups lobbying
on the coal power bills and
other environmental issues
are not strictly environ-
mental groups.
Bob Jenks, executive
director of the Citizens
Utility Board of Oregon,
said the group supports the
coal legislation because
governments will eventu-
ally regulate carbon emis-
sions and ratepayers could
save money if utilities be-
gin to more aggressively
reduce carbon now.
“We’ve got to work hard
because we don’t have the
money,” said Jenks, who is
not the utility board’s reg-
istered lobbyist but was in
Salem to testify in favor of
the coal bills on Wednes-
day. “But we’ve got people.
We can organize people.”
the clothes were brand new.
Another boy joyfully jumped
down the hall in his new Spi-
der-Man tennis shoes.
“It’s so cute,” Mogenson
said. “They are so excited.”
Almost always the children
are not embarrassed, but rather
excited and love receiving their
new clothes, Mogenson said.
They often check with their
counselor every day between
the time they are measured for
new clothes and the time they
receive the clothes.
“Having appropriate school
FORWKHV KHOSV WKH NLGV ZLWK ¿W-
ting in and with their self-esteem
and we think it helps keep them
in school,” Mogenson said.
7KH&ROXPELD3DFL¿FFKDS-
ter relies completely on grants
and fundraisers. The nonprof-
it’s budget is about $60,000, or
about $100 for each of the 600
children that are clothed each
year.
The groups hosts a variety of
fundraising events throughout
the year.
On Super Bowl Sunday
in February, the group hosts
“Accessorize with Assistance
League,” a large one-day sale
with thousands of gently used
items.
In May, the annual “Golf
Ball Drop” is held at the Astoria
Golf Club. A helicopter drops
2,000 golf balls that are played
for prizes.
In the fall, locals open their
homes for the Home and Chef
Tour. The public is invited to
tour local homes while enjoying
appetizers from local chefs.
Other programs include the
athletic participation program,
where funds are provided for
sports fees and gear, and the
duffel bag program, where fos-
WHUFKLOGUHQDUHJLYHQEDJV¿OOHG
with items they can call their
own.
Next month, the local chap-
ter will host Cinderella’s Closet,
a program that provides more
than 200 gowns for high school
girls to use during their school
dances.
The chapter also hosts shop-
ping nights during the year for
middle and high school students
to pick out their own clothes.
One of the nights is held at the
Nike outlet store in Seaside and
features a DJ and pizza.
Plans are in the works to add
even more events in the future.
“We are trying to get our
fundraising up so we can help
more kids,” Mogenson said.
“We are thinking about a new
event for next year.”
$V WKH &ROXPELD 3DFL¿F
Chapter continues to grow in
Clatsop County, the group is al-
ways actively looking for more
volunteers. A membership meet-
ing will be held at 11:30 a.m.
May 7 at the Astoria Golf Club
for those interested in joining.
The chapter meets at 5:30
SP RQ WKH ¿UVW 7KXUVGD\ RI
each month at Englund Marine
& Industrial Supply in Astoria.
Those interested in donating or
joining, can visit www.assis-
tanceleaugecp.org or contact the
chapter at PO Box 596, Astoria,
OR 97103.
Mogenson joined the As-
sistance League four years ago
after a friend kept telling her
about it.
“Now all my closest friends
are doing it,” Mogenson said. “It
is such a great idea for people if
they are new to the town. I have
met so many people working in
this organization.”
— Kyle Spurr