8 // COASTWEEKEND.COM
Meriwether Lewis: soldier,
explorer … botanist?
COURTESY ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL
In November 2017, students from Astoria High School and Walldorf, Germany, have fun at
the South Jetty on the Columbia River.
A GERMAN FEAST AT
ASTORIA HIGH SCHOOL
ASTORIA — The Astoria Walldorf Ex-
change Program at Astoria High School is
offering an authentic German dinner and
silent auction 6:30 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 27,
in the Astoria High School Commons.
While enjoying bratwurst (German sau-
sage), spaetzel (noodles) and sauer kraut
schweinbraten (pork roast) among other
delicious menu options, you can bid on
many amazing items from local business
and beyond.
There will also be a raffle drawing for
a seven-day, six-night Alaskan cruise for
two. The cost for the dinner is $20 for
adults and $15 for children. Tickets are
available at Astoria High School.
This event is the main fundraiser for
students hoping to travel to Walldorf, Ger-
many, during spring break this year, as well
as part of Megan Schacher and Andrew
Schauermann’s Senior Project. Cruise
raffle tickets are also available for $20 at
the high school.
Sister cities since 1963, Astoria and
Walldorf high schools have partnered
together, under the direction of Jim Pierce
for the past 13 years, to create this one-
of-a-kind hosting and travel exchange for
students. For one week in the fall, Astoria
High School students host Walldorf stu-
dents in their home, which allows them to
experience American high school, family
life and our unique coastal community. Our
local students then travel to Germany in
the spring, to stay with a Walldorf family,
where they also attend school, experience
a new culture and represent Astoria as
student ambassadors.
If you would like to donate to the
program, donate a silent auction item, or
attend the dinner, please stop by the high
school Monday through Friday 7:30 a.m.
to 4 p.m., or contact Tiffiny Ploghoft at
Astoria High School (503-325-3911).
You can also mail donations to Astoria
High School: Attn: Astoria Walldorf Trip
1100 W. Marine Drive, Astoria, OR 97103.
Be sure to check out Megan and An-
drew’s website at astoriahighseniorproject.
com.
FORT CLATSOP — Lewis and Clark National
Historical Park, Fort Clatsop, is pleased to
announce the next In Their Footsteps free
speaker series event. “‘Altho’ no regular
botanist’ — Jefferson,” by Carol Lucas,
will be 1 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 21.
It would have been customary for Jef-
ferson to have sent a botanist on the Lewis
and Clark Expedition. One of the many
purposes of the trip was to assess what re-
sources, including plants, were in the lands
to the west. President Thomas Jefferson
knew Meriwether Lewis and that, “Altho’
no regular botanist,” Lewis had the ability
to catalog plant discoveries, due mostly to
his herbal knowledge.
Lewis’ mother was the local, well-re-
spected healer and herbalist. So, in addition
to identification, he had valuable healing
knowledge of plants that an orthodox
physician of his day might not possess. And
there was no doctor on the trip.
Lucas, an herbalist in Gearhart, consid-
ers herself a “plant person.” She became
serious about medicinal herbs after having
a major turnaround in a serious health
crisis, for which conventional medicine had
no answers. A search for good schooling
led her to Nature’s Sunshine Products and
their extensive educational system.
Since 1989, Lucas has been a Nature’s
Sunshine Manager, mentoring those who
just want more health and vitality, and
those who want to become professional
herbalists. She is a member of Gearhart
COURTESY LEWIS AND CLARK NATIONAL HISTORICAL
PARK
A sketch of an Oregon Grape from Lewis and
Clark’s journals
CERT (Community Emergency Response
Team), where she teaches people how to
use what grows around them at times when
a doctor can’t be reached or may be out of
medicines. She continues regular herbal
study and hopes to bring a nationwide
workshop on herbal use in emergencies to
Clatsop County.
In Their Footsteps is a monthly Sunday
forum sponsored by the Lewis & Clark Na-
tional Park Association and the park. These
programs are held in the Netul River Room
of Fort Clatsop’s visitor center and are free
of charge.
For more information, call the park at
503-861-2471, or check out nps.gov/lewi,
or Lewis and Clark National Historical
Park on Facebook.
Get your fix at Repair Cafe
COLIN MURPHEY PHOTO
Harold Gable sharpens a
knife at a Repair Cafe event in
Warrenton.
ASTORIA — Repair Cafe
will once again convene at
the Fort George Brewery’s
Lovell Showroom to fix
items — anything one person
can carry in — 6 to 8 p.m.
Wednesday, Jan. 24.
Repair Astoria hosts free
monthly repair events that
bring people with broken
stuff together with people
who know how to fix it.
These include opportunities
for mending, bike repair,
knife and scissor sharpen-
ing, general small appliance
repair, electronics repair and
other items you can carry in.
The Lovell Showroom
is located at the corner of
Duane and 14th streets. The
Taproom will be open for
beer and food purchases
during the Repair Cafe.
Join us to help create a
community around skill shar-
ing, repairs and diverting stuff
from entering our landfills.
Feel free to contact us in
advance of the event if you
have a questions about an
item for repair: 503-307-
0834 darlywelch@mac.com.
Find us on Facebook.