NOVEMBER 17, 2016 // 9
Celebrate 10 years of Blue Scorcher
Worker-owned
cooperative puts
on community
contra dance at
Netel Grange
ASTORIA — The workers
at Blue Scorcher Bakery &
Cafe are throwing a party
to celebrate 10 years of
business.
The public is invited to
come dance with them at
Netel Grange on Saturday,
Nov. 19. The hall opens at 4
p.m. with fresh-baked treats
and non-alcoholic drinks for
sale, and the dancing starts
at 5 p.m.
No experience is neces-
sary — veteran caller Dave
Ambrose will give instruc-
tions before the first dance
to get everyone in step. Be
sure to come at 5 p.m. if
you’re new to contra or folk
dancing.
Live and lively string
band dance music will be
provided by John Fenton,
Dan Sutherland, Larry
Moore and Randy Weiss.
Cost is $5 to $10 per
person on a sliding scale.
Children under 12 are free
with adult admission. All
ages are welcome, and there
will be a play corner for
small children.
PHOTO BY JOSHUA BESSEX
Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe,
celebrating 10 years of op-
eration in downtown Asto-
ria, bakes homemade bread
and pastries, like this cream
cheese Danish and mini car-
damom almond roll.
FILE PHOTO
About Blue Scorcher
Blue Scorcher Bakery
& Cafe is a worker-owned
cooperative located at 1493
Duane St. in the Fort George
building in downtown
Astoria.
“We signed our lease
with then-owner Robert
Stricklin in June 2005,
providing the leverage for
him to get funding with John
Berdes at Shorebank,” re-
calls co-owner Joe Garrison.
“Back then the building was
unoccupied, and many of the
windows were broken out.
We had to duck under police
‘Do Not Cross’ tape to walk
the building with Robert.”
Blue Scorcher employs
30 to 35 workers, 15 (and
still rising) of whom are
owners, half of which are
women, and many of whom
Blue Scorcher Bakery & Cafe is located at 1493 Duane St. in the
Fort George Building in downtown Astoria.
got their training locally. For
example, Deer Island native
Brandon Sears came to
Astoria to attend the Tongue
Point Jobs Corps Center’s
culinary program, interned
with Blue Scorcher, and is
now an owner, elected by his
Scorcher peers as lead of the
kitchen department.
“As with the Community
Store (now Astoria Coop
Grocery) before us, it’s re-
markable for a rural commu-
nity the size of Astoria, with
the surrounding communi-
ties, to support businesses
like ours — one of the many
indicators of the uncommon-
ly fierce community spirit
here,” Garrison says.
“We’re carriers of a torch
that was lit in Astoria by
Michael and Emily Hender-
son at Home Spirit Bakery
Cafe: handmade organic
baked goods, back when it
was commonly considered
impossible to successfully
use such ingredients com-
mercially.”
Blue Scorcher uses
organic, often stoneground
flours to bake pastries such
as scones, chocolate crois-
sants, cardamom almond
rolls and oatcakes as well
as several kinds of bread,
including traditional French
breads, naturally leavened
hearth loaves, yeast-risen
pan breads and enriched
specialty loaves. The cafe
serves a seasonal menu of
breakfast and lunch plates
featuring produce and
eggs from local farmers.
Blue Scorcher’s mission is
three-fold: create seasonal
and sustainable foods, be a
worker-owned cooperative,
and foster strong commu-
nity.
About the venue
Historic Netel Grange
has been a central part of the
Lower Columbia farming
and country dance scene
for decades. Located about
7 miles south of downtown
Astoria alongside river,
forest and working farms,
the hall has been well-main-
tained and in regular use
since it was built. During
the birthday cake-cutting
ceremony, dancers will get a
chance to honor some of the
people who kept the local
farm, country dance, and
grange traditions alive: mu-
sicians, callers and farmers.
Netel Grange is located
at 90525 Logan Road. Ride
sharing will be available.
Call Blue Scorcher Bakery
Cafe for details at 503-
338-7473 or visit www.
bluescorcher.coop
A RT C ARDS ,
A RTISAN C RAFTS ,
G ALLERY &
W ORKING S TUDIO
1133 Commercial St. Astoria
503.468.0308
Buy direct fr om local farmers
this Th anksgiving!
Fresh fall produce, baked goods,
cheese, meats, $10 SNAP-match,
desserts and more!
TUESDAY
NOVEMBER 22 ND
2:30-5:30 PM
N ORTH C OAST F OOD W EB
577 18 TH S TREET
CARRUTHERS
240 11 TH STREET
ASTORIA, OR 97103
WWW .N ORTH C OAST F OOD W EB . ORG
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, Oregon 97103
503.975.5305
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Tuesday-Friday
4pm-6pm and
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