22 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Light up a life this Christmas
Ocean Beach
Hospital hosts
Tree of Light
ceremony Dec. 1
By PATTY HARDIN
FOR COAST WEEKEND
F
or many holiday
lovers, the lighting
of a Christmas tree,
whether in a private home
or public venue, marks the
official start of the Christ-
mas season.
The Ocean Beach Hos-
pital Foundation Board in
Ilwaco invites the public to
welcome the holidays with
a Tree of Light ceremony.
The event will take place
9:45 a.m. Friday, Dec. 1, in
the Ocean Beach Hospital
lobby.
Caregivers, who are
often family members,
give so much of their time
to care for others, and
sometimes their efforts are
overlooked. “This cere-
mony honors loved ones,
caregivers and family,” said
COURTESY PATTY HARDIN
An ornament hangs on the
Christmas tree at Ocean
Beach Hospital in 2016.
Nansen Malin, Foundation
Board president.
Valerie Bittner, a certi-
fied lab technician at Ocean
Beach Hospital, said the
ceremony is “a time we
would like to reflect on
what it means to be a pres-
ence in our community.”
“It’s a time to cherish,
commemorate, give thanks,
share thoughtful memories
and be blessed for each
day,” she said.
Why hold the tree light-
ing at the hospital?
“The hospital lobby is a
busy place,” Malin said. “It
is our hope that the Tree of
Light will brighten every-
one’s spirits.”
The holidays are a busy
time. It can be easy to for-
get the people who give of
their time to make others’
lives a little better.
“People will have time
to think of who has been a
light in their lives,” Malin
said. “They can purchase an
ornament and place it on the
tree in that person’s honor.”
Wondering what to get
someone for Christmas?
Consider one of the special
ornaments handcrafted by
Val Bittner. You can write
the name of the person
you are honoring on the
ornament and hang it on
the tree.
Ornaments are avail-
able in the hospital gift
shop. Donations of any
amount are welcome but
not required. Funds go to
the Ocean Beach Hospital
Foundation.
These ornaments will
be held for the donors after
the tree is removed if they
would like to have the
keepsake for their own tree
at home.
“This ceremony is an
important tradition for the
community,” Malin said.
“The Tree of Light bright-
ens the spirits of so many
who arrive at the hospital
to receive care or to bring
comfort to their loved ones.
The holiday season is a
time when we can reflect
on our lives and our loved
ones.
“Placing an ornament
on the tree is a tangible
representation of honoring
that person,” she continued.
“It is really fun to watch
people look at each orna-
ment. They read the names
and give thanks for those
people, too.”
The tree comes down
after Christmas, and the
ornaments will be held for
pickup. “People need to let
us know they want them,”
Malin said. “We will have
a list.”
Christmas isn’t Christmas
without music and special
treats. The Ilwaco High
School Choir will be singing
at the tree lighting, and there
will be coffee, tea, hot cider
and yummy treats. CW
Columbia Bar
Mediterranean Mule
By RYAN HUME
FOR COAST WEEKEND
A
s the sun drifts toward
the constellation of
Capricornus, aiming
to reach that celestial cluster
around late December, the local
bar and restaurant Capricorn,
in downtown Astoria, recently
achieved another milestone.
Nov. 29 was the one-year
anniversary of Elena Shern’s
pub in the space formerly
occupied by Blu Orchid Thai
on Commercial Street.
I recently visited Capri-
corn Pub & Fine Foods as
Shern was preparing to hold a
Thanksgiving feast in the spot
for customers as well as her
family.
Shern took a break from
stuffing cabbage rolls — one
of the Mediterranean delica-
cies her menu is known for
— to pour me a drink. Having
landed in Astoria by way of
Romania, Greece, Turkey and
Wisconsin, Shern’s bar has
a similar global appeal, with
some specific liquors and
liqueurs popular south of the
Balkan peninsula in Athens,
Istanbul and Tripoli.
The Mediterranean Mule
— a sweeter, sunnier version
of what they are pouring into
copper mugs in dreary Mos-
cow — gets its richness from
Figenza, a fig-infused vodka
NOW OPEN FOR LUNCH
11am-4pm
Tuesday-Saturday
carruthers
1198 Commercial Street
Astoria, Oregon 97103
503.975.5305
Happy Hour
Tuesday-Friday
4pm-6pm and
8:30-Close
240 11TH STREET
ASTORIA, OR 97103
that reminds her of her travels
through Greece and Turkey,
though it is imported from
Germany.
One of the nice things
about having so many inno-
vative bartenders in this town
is that they have to source
their booze through our local
liquor stores, which means
our local liquor stores have
plenty of high-quality imports
and domestics for the home
consumer to play around
with. Figenza is available at
the Astoria Liquor Store.
And Shern says, while
she is aware of the recent
health scare raised by copper
mugs, you shouldn’t forgo the
proper vessel. It’s not really a
Mule without it.
The Mediterranean Mule:
2 ounces Figenza, a fig-in-
fused vodka
Cock and Bull ginger beer
Fresh lime juice
Slice of lime for garnish
Ice
Pour the Figenza into a
copper mug. Add ice. Top
off the mug with ginger beer,
then squeeze in the lime juice
and garnish with a fresh slice
of lime.
—Recipe courtesy of
Elena Shern, owner and man-
ager, Capricorn Pub & Fine
Foods, Astoria, Oregon CW