B2
Hood River News, Wednesday, July 8, 2015
Archery
Tag
event
benefits
BBBS
Observations
CASCADE
By PEGGY DILLS KELTER
Some other roadside attractions
W
hat do a flat tire, a cloth diaper, a nu-
clear cooling tower, a gargantuan jug
of maple syrup, and a poet’s grave have
in common? The answer is “road trip.”
On a recent family adventure via a sil-
ver Nissan, old memories of trips long past were re-
called, and new memories were made.
My passion for road trips began in 1979, when I
left Connecticut in a packed Chevrolet Vega and
headed out west via the asphalt Oregon Trail, ac-
companied only by an AM
radio and an AAA map. It
was an uneventful, scenic
trip until I was within sev-
eral hundred miles of my
final destination — Hood
River, Oregon. My trusty
Vega (which on this trip had
carried me over 2,500 miles
without a problem) began
shaking uncontrollably.
Climbing out of the car, I
discovered that I had a flat
tire. Thankfully, a Good Samaritan from northern
Idaho helped me unload the back of the car to ex-
tricate the spare, and then proceeded to jack up
the car and change the wheel. I continued on to
Les Schwab’s, and then to Oregon.
■
A 28-year old cloth diaper, which I now use to
clean the bathroom floor, once protected our
daughter’s bum. On one particular road trip to
Montana, Rose was at an age when potty training
had begun, necessitating cloth diapers at times,
and “big girl pants” at others. Traveling on a
highway in eastern Washington, Rose informed
us that she had to “go.” We pulled off onto the
graveled shoulder and battled the wind as we
opened up the car doors. Placing the potty seat on
the ground and our child on the potty seat, we en-
couraged her to poop. Blowing dust and tumble-
weeds were not her idea of an idyllic place to re-
lieve herself. No amount of coaxing could con-
vince her otherwise. We resorted to pinning her
into a diaper and continued on our way.
In 1982 my husband and I decided to take “The
Mother of All Domestic Road Trips.” We outfitted
our Dodge truck with a plywood bed, curtains,
and a camp stove and set off on a month-long ad-
venture around the U.S. We slept in highway rest
areas, public and private campgrounds, and when
we needed some pampering, inexpensive roadside
motels. We bought regional foods whenever we
could, including a bag of pine nuts we purchased
from a vender on the side of the road in New
Mexico. Days later, sitting on a picnic bench in
the shadow of a nuclear cooling tower in
Arkansas, we dined on Chicken Dardanelle, a de-
licious concoction which featured the prized pine
nuts.
■
This spring, our daughter and her husband in-
vited up to join them on a trip to Boston and Ver-
mont. With only a week available, we were forced
to travel cross-country via airplane. Of the four
of us, only my son-in-law travels with ease on a
plane. To survive the experience the rest of us re-
sort to positive visualization, distracting movies
and books, and once in a while, pharmaceuticals.
Happily, our flights were without incident, though
the sustained turbulence on the trip east had me
clutching my seat handles.
After a car-less evening in Boston, we rented
the silver Nissan sedan and headed north des-
tined for Vermont. We stopped in New Hampshire
at an elegant public rest area and attempted a
visit to Hanover. Every tourist in New England
must have had the same idea — after a frustrating
search for a parking space, we gave up and head-
ed across the river to White River Junction, Vt.
At a lovely café there, the occupants of another
table took up conversation with us. Our mention
of “Hood River” proved once again that there are
less than “six degrees of separation” in the mod-
ern world. The woman’s daughter had recently
met, and traveled with, Hood River’s own Barb
Williams, our intrepid mail carrier who recently
retired.
Daughter Rose and I had small bucket lists of
“must dos” while in Vermont. Rose wanted to
visit the Maple Syrup Museum, and I wanted to
find my grandparents’ graves, and their home, in
Bennington. The Museum proved to be more siz-
zle than steak, but the King-Kong sized maple
syrup jug was a perfect backdrop for family pho-
tos.
Arriving in Bennington, we used Tom and
Rose’s GPS talents to locate the Old First Church,
where my grandparents are buried. Thanks to a
sketch my brother made, it was easy to find my
grandparents’ understated gravestones. Just a
row away lays Robert Frost, a fitting eternal
friend for my grandparents. My mother intro-
duced me to poetry by reading Frost’s poems. On
this trip to Vermont we tried to follow “the road
less travelled,” and indeed it did make “all the dif-
ference.”
■
Rose would have appreciated traveling on “the
road more traveled” as the rural highway leading
to Bennington, full of curves and hills, caused
her to take Dramamine and close her eyes. She
was a trooper, though, and I was able to find my
maternal grandparents’ home, a place I last visit-
ed almost 50 years ago. To my surprise, it was al-
most unchanged, and I found myself in tears as I
gazed at the typical white Vermont house and
surrounding red dairy barns where the Palmer
family once lived.
On our return to Boston, our car began to make
small lurching motions when traveling at a slow
speed. We crossed our fingers that we’d make it
back across Massachusetts without incident, and
named the formerly nameless Nissan “Buck.” For
the rest of the trip, we offered encouraging words
to our silver steed. With a sigh of relief we pulled
into the rental car return lot and handed over
Buck’s keys.
■
Outside Northshire Books, a wonderful book-
store in Manchester, Vt., a chiseled slab of marble
read, “Nothing Is Written In Stone.” The clever
sidewalk message drew us into the store, where I
purchased Tom Robbins’s memoir “Tibetan Peach
Pie.” I first read one of Robbins’s zany novels in
1977, when the idea of a road trip was merely my
fantasy. Though the Washington author wasn’t
physically with us on this trip, he joined us in
spirit, as we travelled in search of “Another Road-
side Attraction.” Back home, we’re already plan-
ning our next excursion on four wheels.
Global Sessions, an event and desti-
nation management team specializing
in event coordination, hosted an
Archery Tag tournament on Saturday,
June 6 at Hood River’s Waterfront
Park. The event was a huge success,
with 11 teams raising over $2,000 to
support Big Brothers Big Sisters of
the Columbia Gorge.
M a t t S we e t i n g , c o - ow n e r a n d
founder of Global Sessions, says he
was “really stoked with the communi-
ty rallying like that.” He says Global
Sessions plans to hold Archery Tag
tournaments in Hood River every
quarter, rotating the recipient of the
proceeds. The next tournament will
take place in September and will raise
funds for the Columbia Gorge Dyslex-
ia Fund. The tournament is by invita-
t i o n o n l y, s o c o n t a c t M a t t a t
matt@globalsessions.org for informa-
tion about putting together a team.
Archery Tag is played similar to
dodgeball but with bows and patented
foam-tipped arrows. This thrilling, ac-
tion-packed game offers an engaging,
team-building experience for partici-
pants of all ages.
Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Co-
lumbia Gorge, a program of The Next
Door, will benefit from next summer’s
Submitted photo
SPECIAL THANKS to the teams who participated to make this event a bulls-eye: Copper
West, Sheppard’s, Andrew’s Pizza, Double Mountain, Full Sail, Insitu, Slingshot, Doug’s
Sports, Blue Collar, Global Sessions, and Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Archery Tag tournament. But in the
meantime, the best way to support the
program is to donate your time by be-
coming a Big Brother or Big Sister.
The program provides children ages
of 6 to 14 with one-to-one mentoring
relationships with adult volunteers.
To become a volunteer mentor, con-
tact Justine Ziegler in Hood River and
Klickitat Counties at 541-490-9979 or
Kateel Muhs in Wasco County at 541-
296-8118 ext. 216.
PARKDALE NEWS
‘It Takes a Community’ project makes progress
BY TAMARA EMLER BALL
es,” said Clarke. “So people
know their donations will go
directly to the person we are
all trying to help.”
Parkdale correspondent
When one of its own needed
help with a safe place to live,
■
the Upper Valley com-
The recent garage
munity responded
sale fundraiser in
with
donations,
memory of Parkdale
fundraisers and offers
resident Bette Ben-
of help.
jamin, who lost her
The process has
battle with pancreat-
taken several months
ic cancer this past
and is still in the
spring, was a big suc-
works, but organizers
are hopeful the house Tamara Emler cess.
Bette, always an
plans, being drawn
Ball
avid attendee at yard
up by local builder
sales, was remem-
Tobias Ammon, will be com-
pleted soon and all the per- bered in a very fitting way
mits will be in place to move with all the proceeds benefit-
ting the Pancreatic Cancer
forward.
Christie Clarke is one of Action Network.
“Between the sale and all
the volunteers helping Cedar
and his little dog Piper to those who donated directly
online, we raised nearly
have a home of their own.
“It’s taken longer than I $5,000 in my mother’s memo-
expected and has been an ed- ry,” said her daughter, Lind-
ucation for me, learning how say Holmson. “Thank you so
to get everything approved,” much to all of the wonderful
said Clarke. “Right now and hard-working volun-
we’re getting all the permits teers, to those who were so
pulled and are hoping to generous in donating items
build the home before win- and those who contributed
funds directly to the Pancre-
ter.”
The house plan is modeled atic Cancer Action Network
after the “Tiny Home” idea in memory of my dear Moth-
with just about 200 square er. She loved garage sales
feet, but it’s enough for and any way to bring friends
and family together, so this
Cedar and Piper.
The project has an esti- event was such a blessing
mated price tag of $25,000 and so fitting to do in honor
and so far nearly $8,000 has of her.”
Donations can still be
been raised online at
www.gofundme.com/gdxa98. made in memory of Bette on-
Over $10,000 was raised by line at www.pancan.org.
■
the community at a dinner
The Mount Hood Town
fundraiser sponsored by Sol-
era Brewery and Parkdale Hall will be showing “Big
Hero 6” at a free Movie Night
BBQ in Parkdale.
Donations are still being on the Lawn for the commu-
accepted online and at Cen- nity this Sunday, July 12.
Community Ed will do the
terPoint Community Bank
in Hood River, where donors honors of putting on the
can ask that their donation movie, which will start at
dusk, sometime between 8
go to “Cedar’s Account.”
“Any money left over from and 8:45 p.m.
Everyone is invited to
building the house will go to-
wards paying Cedar’s utili- bring their family and a
ties or other living expens- blanket to sit on or chairs for
Set your calendar for
July blood drive dates
Blood donations happen
on rare consecutive days in
Hood River this month.
The American Red Cross
urges eligible donors to
help offset a seasonal de-
cline in donations and pre-
vent a shortage this sum-
mer by giving blood.
During June, July and Au-
gust, there are about two
fewer donors than needed at
each Red Cross blood drive.
This can add up to more than
100,000 fewer donations dur-
ing the summer. Many
schools that host blood dri-
ves are out of session, and
vacation schedules can make
regular donors less available
— both contributing to the
seasonal decline.
Donors of all blood types
— especially those with
types AB, O negative, A neg-
ative and B negative – are
needed to help ensure blood
products are available to
hospital patients this sum-
mer. Type AB donors have
the universal plasma type,
which can be given to pa-
tients of all blood types.
Plasma helps maintain
blood pressure and supplies
critical proteins for clotting
immunity. It is often needed
for burn, trauma and can-
cer patients.
To make an appointment
to give blood, download the
Red Cross Blood Donor App,
visit redcrossblood.org or
call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-
800-733-2767).
Upcoming blood donation
opportunities in Hood River
County are:
■ Hood River — July 22, 1
p.m. to 6 p.m., Hood River
Inn, 1108 E Marina Way
■ Parkdale — July 23, 1
p.m. to 6 p.m., Mt. Hood
Town Hall, 6575 Highway 35
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the back row and join their
friends and neighbors on the
lawn in front of the Town
Hall to enjoy this family fun
night and friendly movie.
Popcor n, cotton candy,
soda, candy bars and water
will be for sale and all of the
proceeds will go towards the
planned kitchen remodel
project at the Town Hall.
If everyone enjoys this
event, the Mt. Hood Town
Hall board hopes to bring
more Movie Nights on the
Lawn to the community in
the future.
■
Lifelong resident Stephen
Nance was honored recently
for his 41 years of service to
Valley Worship Center as
Church Secretary-Bookkeep-
er and Church Treasurer.
Nance was born and grew
up in the Upper Hood River
Valley, attended Mt. Hood
Grade School, Parkdale Ju-
nior High School and
Wy’east High School and
only left the valley when he
served his country as a Unit-
ed States Navy Hospital
Corpsman from February 10,
1960 to January 25, 1965.
He began to serve the
church, first established as
the Mount Hood Assembly of
God, in 1974 and continues to
this day.
Membership and Leader-
ship of the church and Rev-
erend Don Howell, pastor of
the Valley Worship Center,
honored Nance on Father’s
Day, June 21, with a plaque
commemorating all his years
of service and a cake and
punch reception afterwards.
Pastor Howell said a one-
word summary of Nance’s
life would be “faithful.”
“Steve has f aithfully
served the church in the po-
sition of Secretary-Treasur-
er and Bookkeeper for longer
than most individuals have
attended the church,” said
Howell. “During this time
Steve has blessed the church
with his gifting and talents.”
■
If the community that
prays together stays togeth-
er, then the Upper Valley
should be doing very well!
Sunday, August 30 is the
date of this year’s annual
Joint Churches Sunday at
Toll Bridge Park presented
by Parkdale Community
Church, Parkdale Church of
the Nazarene, Parkdale Bap-
tist Church, Valley Worship
Center and Pillar Bible
Church.
The combined service will
be held at 11 a.m. and a
friendly neighbor potluck
lunch will follow.
Everyone in the communi-
ty is invited to attend this al-
most end-of-summer event
and bring a dish to share,
your own service, and chairs
if you would like.
■
Here are some additional
reminders for the rest of the
summer:
Five upper valley church-
es will hold Vacation Bible
School titled “Outrigger Is-
land” the week of August 3-7
starting at 5:30 p.m. at Park-
dale Community Church.
Children a g es pre-K
through fifth grade are invit-
ed to lear n about Jesus
through songs, bible stories
and crafts and families are
welcome to gather at the
church at 5 p.m. and enjoy a
light meal beforehand.
For more information con-
tact Pastor Mark at Parkdale
Community Church at 541-
352-7747 or 541-490-4511.
■
Every Thursday night this
summer is “Family Library
Night” at the Parkdale Ele-
mentary School Library
from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The evening events will in-
clude popsicles, fun activi-
ties and free books.
Students can check out
books, enjoy activities and
free books, and a Popsicle,
but must be accompanied by
adult supervision.
■
For those of you who don’t
already know, this reporter is
leaving our beloved communi-
ty to move to the Bellingham,
Washington area.
I want to thank all of you
readers who have supported
this column, and myself, for
the last five years that I have
been writing it.
I will dearly miss you all
and our beautiful mountain,
but I’m grateful I’ve had the
opportunity to live in such a
wonderful place and for the
friends I have made here.
Now it’s time for my next
big adventure.
To all of you … all the best
in what your lives bring you
next!
Jerry
J er r y
Jerr y goes
J
goe s above
abo v e and beyond
be y ond
“ Jerry
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xpect ed of
o f him. ”
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R e a d more
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