In the words of a Clatsop County pioneer woman Register for book publishing
LaRee Johnson to read from pioneer diary in honor of Women’s History Month workshop in Cannon Beach
ASTORIA — Astoria Public
Library is celebrating Wom-
en’s History Month with
readings from the diaries of
Clatsop County pioneer Mary
Riddle at 6 p.m. Friday, March
11 with local writer and pho-
tographer LaRee Johnson.
Adults and teens are welcome.
At 10:30 a.m. Saturday,
March 12, Johnson will also
read from the diaries in an in-
teractive program for families
with children ages 8 to 12.
The library is located at
450 10 St. Admission to both
events is free.
It took stamina and grit to
settle this area in the time pre-
dating the conveniences we
take for granted: electricity
IRU OLJKW KHDW DW WKH ÀLS RI D
switch, cars for transportation.
Riddle, an early homesteader
of Clatsop County, shared her
experience of pioneer life in
her diary, one of the longest
ongoing journals of everyday
life in Clatsop County and a
treasure trove of information
about the area we call home.
Johnson will assume the
persona of Riddle, reading se-
lections from the diary Riddle
kept from May 1878, when she
left Iowa to travel westward,
until July 19, 1924, when she
UHFRUGHG KHU ¿QDO HQWU\ IURP
her home in Swenson.
In 46 years of journals,
Riddle described her family’s
trip by wagon train across the
plains, over the mountains
and down the Columbia to the
harsh wilderness in the Swen-
son area where they built their
“Forest Home.” She described
her and her neighbors’ strug-
gles with family, health, and
clearing and planting their
properties. She related how
her husband journeyed to the
mines for work and how trav-
eling to Astoria was arduous.
In her entries, Riddle often
noted the weather, as it pre-
Johnson, a 26-year Astoria
resident, is an avid collector
and presenter of vintage fash-
ions. She authored and pho-
tographed “Ladies’ Vintage
Accessories,” a 333-page com-
SUHKHQVLYH YDOXH DQG LGHQWL¿-
cation guide on ladies vintage
fashion accessories from the
mid-1800s to the modern day.
In collaboration with her hus-
band Andrew Cier, Johnson
SXEOLVKHG ³'HVWLQDWLRQ 7KH
3DFL¿F´DJXLGHERRNDQGSHU-
Submitted photo
sonal journal listing the Lewis
Hear vintage clothing collector and author and Clark sites from the mouth
LaRee Johnson read from the diary of Clat- of the Columbia River north to
sop County pioneer Mary Riddle at Astoria Long Beach, Washington and
Public Library March 11 and 12.
south to Cannon Beach. She is
sented a constant challenge to active in the community with
obtaining necessities.
membership in the Clatsop
Near the end of her journal, County Historical Society and
she wrote a few words about the the Lower Columbia Preserva-
$VWRULD¿UHRI'HFHPEHU tion Society.
“How I pity the poor, homeless
For more information, con-
people in Astoria, what is left of tact library staff at 503-325-
it. Astoria has now had its worst 7323 or visit www.astoriali-
calamity of all.”
brary.org
Speaker to talk water quality Yoga Namaste to ofer
in the Nehalem watershed Iyengar yoga workshop
Watershed council hosts DEQ coordinator
MANZANITA — The Lower
Nehalem Watershed Council
will welcome York Johnson,
RI WKH 2UHJRQ 'HSDUWPHQW RI
(QYLURQPHQWDO 4XDOLW\ IRU D
presentation on water quality
Thursday, March 10.
The presentation will focus
on water quality data collect-
HGE\WKH7LOODPRRN(VWXDULHV
3DUWQHUVKLS DQG '(4 LQ WKH
Nehalem Watershed. It will re-
late water data to appropriate
State of Oregon Standards and
look at changes over time.
The presentation will be
held at the Pine Grove Com-
munity House, located at 225
/DQHGD $YH 'RRUV RSHQ DW
6:30 p.m. for refreshments.
At update from the Lower Ne-
halem Watershed Council will
be made at 7 p.m. The presen-
tation will start at 7:20 p.m.
This event is free and open to
the public.
Johnson is the North Coast
Basin coordinator for the
'(4+LVSRVLWLRQLVSDUWLDOO\
IXQGHGE\WKH7LOODPRRN(VWX-
aries Partnership, and he coor-
GLQDWHVWKH7(3:DWHU4XDOLW\
program in association with
'(4¶V70'/LPSOHPHQWDWLRQ
effort on the North Coast. He
has been living and working in
Tillamook County for the past
10 years and enjoys the unique
opportunities that the coast
KDVWRRIIHU²VXU¿QJ¿VKLQJ
clamming and beach combing.
Refreshments and snacks
will be served. Find more in-
formation on the speaker se-
ries by visiting Facebook.com/
lnwc1
8 | March 10, 2016 | coastweekend.com
Sharon Conroy to teach four classes
ASTORIA — Yoga Namaste
will welcome Sharon Conroy
for a three-day Iyengar Yoga
Workshop from Friday to Sun-
day, March 11 to 13.
A Iyengar yoga practitioner
and teacher for 30 years, Con-
roy has traveled to Pune, In-
dia, each year to study with
yoga teacher B.K.S. Iyengar
and his family.
Her long time involvement
with Iyengar yoga makes her
an invaluable source, show-
LQJZKDWGH¿QHV,\HQJDU\RJD
practice: developing clear
and continuous attention, and
bringing awareness to each
body part in order to explore
the effect of the mind on the
body and vice versa.
Conroy’s teachings are in-
fused with precise techniques,
effective sequencing and ap-
propriate timing. She is a dy-
namic, compassionate teacher
whose love for the practice
comes through in her teaching.
Conroy will teach four
classes over the course the
WKUHH GD\V 'XULQJ WKLV ZRUN-
shop, she will focus on “open-
ing” the chest. Students will
work with a variety of poses
that shed light on this region
so future neck and shoulder
problems can be avoided or
heal the ones already present.
The workshop is open to
people who have studied yoga
in the Iyengar tradition for at
least one year.
The workshop will be held
at Yoga Namaste located at
342 10th St.
For more information, call
Ute Swerdloff at 503-440-9761
or visit www.yoganam.com
CANNON BEACH — On March
26, the Tolovana Arts Cen-
ter will host “How to Publish
<RXU%RRNZLWK(DVH´DWZR
hour workshop led by Can-
QRQ %HDFK DXWKRU *UHJRU\ (
Zschomler.
The workshop will take
place from 1 to 3 p.m at the
Tolovana Arts Colony, located
at 3779 S. Hemlock St.
Zschomler will cover the
ins and outs of self-publish-
ing vs. traditional publishing,
writing, editing, typesetting,
formatting and layout, cover
design, publishing options,
SURR¿QJ PDQDJLQJ ¿OHV
building your platform, mar-
keting and distribution, and
more.
A member of the North-
west Independent Authors
Association, Zschomler is
the author of nearly a dozen
self-published books.
The class fee is $25. For
more information or to regis-
ter, contact gregory.zschom-
ler@gmail.com
CHIP-in, help to improve
Astoria parks this weekend
ASTORIA — Astoria Parks &
Recreation’s Citizens Helping
Improve Parks (CHIP-in) pro-
gram will host three opportu-
nities this coming weekend for
people to help enhance parks
in Astoria.
First, volunteers are en-
couraged to plant native wild-
ÀRZHUV DQG VKUXEV DW $OGHU-
brook Natural Area. Astoria
Parks & Rec and the North
Coast Watershed Association
will welcome participants
from 1 to 4 p.m. Friday and
Saturday, March 11 and 12.
Tools and gloves will be
provided. Volunteers should
dress for the weather. This
CHIP-in event takes place at
53rd and Ash streets in Alder-
brook.
Then, on Sunday, March
13, volunteers can help Asto-
ria Parks & Rec, the Friends
RI0F&OXUH3DUNDQGDQ(DJOH
Scout with a project to im-
prove McClure Park. The park
LVORFDWHGDW(LJKWK6WUHHWDQG
Grand Avenue.
If you are interested in
volunteering or sponsoring
a clean-up, contact Melissa
Keyser, CHIP-in volunteer co-
ordinator, at chip-in@astoria.
or.us or 503-741-5965.
Create art out of beach debris
Earth Day celebration to hold art contest
CANNON BEACH — Are you
looking for a fun civic activity
that combines beachcombing,
creativity and litter reduction?
,I VR WKH 0DULQH 'HEULV $UW
Contest is a perfect opportu-
nity.
This inaugural art contest
is part of Cannon Beach’s 12
'D\VRI(DUWK'D\FHOHEUDWLRQ
Participants are invited to
collect beach debris and use it
to make art; all materials must
be debris that is collected off
the beach. Bring creations to
the Cannon Beach Chamber
Community Hall between 10
a.m. and 5 p.m. April 11.
All artwork will be dis-
played at the hall and assessed
by a panel of judges. The win-
ner will be announced at the
City Potluck event April 15.
The winner will be presented
with the Steve McLeod award.
For questions or addition-
al information, email Jean at
gjeanwilliams@hotmail.com