Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About East Oregonian : E.O. (Pendleton, OR) 1888-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 13, 2016)
Page 4C EAT, DRINK & EXPLORE East Oregonian Saturday, August 13, 2016 Why you should take a vacation and how to do it By SARAH SKIDMORE SELL AP Business Writer I Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian via AP Afternoon light hits the Flavel house, located at 15th Street and Franklin Avenue in Astoria. Historic Flavel house opens its doors to the public By ERICK BENGEL EO Media Group ASTORIA — The 115-year-old Flavel mansion, known for decades as a house of mystery and a symbol of faded glory, will open to the public in August. Greg Newenhof, who bought the iconic residence at 15th Street and Franklin Avenue last year and plans to make it his home, is hosting two fundraising tours with Clatsop County Historical Society Executive Director McAndrew Burns and John Goodenberger, a local historian and expert in historic preservation. Some people have waited many years to see the interior, Burns said. Only the basement will be closed to visitors, reported The Daily Astorian. “We’ve had people talking about: ‘We used to dare each other as kids to go up and touch the front door and run away,”’ he said. “We knew the interest factor was huge here. And for (Newenhof) to basically give us this gift, and allow us to have a signi¿ cant fundraiser because of this house — that’s incredibly generous.” Built in 1901 for Capt. George Conrad Flavel, the house strad- dles the Victorian and Colonial Revival periods and was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1986. In the early 1990s, Mary Louise Flavel, the captain’s granddaughter, and her now-deceased mother and brother, Florence and Harry, aban- doned Astoria and the family home. Boarded up and neglected, the house became a community curiosity, and the property a neigh- borhood blight. Finally, Newenhof, co-owner of City Lumber Co., purchased the property for $221,901 in cash six months after Mary Louise’s conservator put it on the market to help end a conÀ ict with the city over code violations. Time warp Newenhof dismisses the idea that the house is haunted. But, with a dumbwaiter in the kitchen, sinks in every bedroom, pastel paints and À oral wallpaper, old-fashioned cabinetry, small collections of antique books and household items dating from the 19th century through the 1980s, it’s hard not to feel the presence of the Danny Miller/The Daily Astorian via AP Forgotten items remain in the attic of the Flavel house in Astoria. The building is opening to the public for the fi rst time in decades. past. Though the attic has been largely cleared out, there are still artifacts of the Flavel lifestyle: a vintage bureau, a pile of rusty box springs, moth-eaten clothes hanging in the closet, and a broken bassinet that cradled the Flavel children. The class distinctions of turn-of- the-20th-century America appear in the architecture: The woodwork in the family area tends to be rather ornate, whereas, in the servants’ quarters, the door casings and stair- case are À at and ordinary. “Servants had just the basic stuff,” Newenhof said. “The family had the fancier stuff.” The tours offer a chance to see the progress Newenhof has made toward ¿ xing up the long-unkempt but structurally sturdy house. Inside, he has, up to the second À oor, restored the electricity and installed new plumbing. He dry walled the bedroom ceilings, rewired the original light ¿ xtures, replaced window glass and frames and set up a new gas furnace in the basement. He is refurbishing the stair railings and balusters. Outside, he put new cedar shingles on the roof, rebuilt the chimneys, replaced a section of the porch railing and, more recently, built a fresh set of steps leading to the portico. Newenhof said he works on the project a couple of hours most nights, and often all day on the weekends. He thinks he may be at it the rest of his life. “People ask me when I’m moving in, I say next week,” Newenhof said. “And also: I’m 6-foot-2 and have a full head of hair.” ‘Bringing it back’ Across the street lives former City Planner Rosemary Johnson and her husband, Curt. The couple moved into their 15th Street home in 1992, shortly after the Flavels skipped town, but remembers the family returning on occasion. “They would come back periodically and go through the house,” Johnson said. “In fact, they would call my kids and ask if there were any police hanging out in the neighborhood before they came. It was really weird. But they would just go in and check; they wouldn’t stay long.” Johnson, who has toured the house with her husband, reckons that the last time a signi¿ cant segment of the public was allowed into the mansion was probably when Mary Louise or her mother threw a dinner party there. Newenhof, she said, is improving the community. “Instead of just saying, ‘This is my private house, I’ll do what I want’ — I mean, he could; he could just say, ‘This is my home’ — but instead, he’s opening it up,” she said. “I think it’s a fabulous idea, and just exactly what I would expect out of Greg.” The ¿ rst tour — a private event that has already sold out — is Aug. 13 and will feature a special presen- tation by Goodenberger. The second, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Aug. 14, will be a self-guided public tour and costs $25 per person, or $10 for historical society members. Burns said that, as an Astorian and a lover of its history, he’s grateful that it’s Newenhof who bought the house. “Greg has respected the house,” he said. “(He’s) bringing it back to life and that takes a very special person to accept that challenge.” t’s summer time and the living is ... not so easy for some. American workers have been taking less and less vacation over the past 15 years. A study by Project: Time Off found that in 2015, more than half of American workers left vacation time unused. If you are among this unlucky group, consider our tips on why you should take a break and how to do it. RECOGNIZE THE PERK6 Vacation is a chance to rest your mind and your body from the demands of work. Doug Walker, manager of HR services at Insperity, said that these psychological and physiological perks can help an employee feel refreshed and more inspired at work and at home. However, he is quick to point out that a stressful vacation, such as one ¿ lled with work emails, may end up leaving a worker depleted. He suggests taking a real break that has no work duties or very limited ones, and allows for some tranquility. “It’s in stillness that life’s sediment settles and the murkiness becomes clear,” Walker said. CONSIDER THE H8RDLE The United States is the only developed country that does not require employers to provide vacation time, according to the Center for Economic and Policy Research. But workers are often entitled to days off that they simply aren’t taking. Project: Time Off found 658 million days went unused last year among those surveyed, the highest ever since the travel industry group began measuring it. Of those, 222 million days are simply lost — they are days that cannot be rolled over, paid out or banked for any other bene¿ t. Employees cite a variety of reasons for forgoing vacation time — they worry about returning to a mountain of work or feel no one else can do their job. Some cannot afford it and others simply want to show their complete dedication. But Walker points out there are very few true emergencies at work, and that in most cases someone else can handle it or a problem that arises can wait till you return. And taking a break can make you a better worker. “It’s important to remind yourself of that,” Walker said. :ALK THE :ALK If you are the boss, the pressure is on you to take a break. By actually taking vacation, you signal to employees that it’s OK to do so, too. Communicate with them about vacation policies and encourage them to take time off as needed. “A company’s success is all about the degree to which your employees are engaged and effective,” Walker said. “If they aren’t engaged because they are burnt out or they aren’t effective because they are burnt out, they need a break.” By MELISSA D’ARABIAN Associated Press Serving a couple of vegetables every night at dinner is a great strategy for families with picky eaters. Offering young kids a choice (“Would you like green beans or parsnips or both tonight?”) gives them a small but important sense of ef¿ cacy, while also helping to demystify ingredients that are served (non-threateningly) at the table. And for the rest of us, eating a couple of vegetables with each meal is a great opportunity to get in the variety of nutrients that keeps us healthy. But two vegetables a night adds up quickly, and we can ¿ nd ourselves a little lost for creative preparations, especially when time is short. One of my favorite ways to cook veggies quickly (even thicker root veggies) is the pan-saute/steam method. It’s quick and melds the best of sautéing (a little fat and À avor) and steaming (speedy cooking without bland boiling). Start by adding a little fat to a saute pan. I love coconut oil for the healthy bene¿ ts and slightly nutty and exotic notes it adds the veggies, but any neutral oil will do. Saute the veggies for a couple of minutes, adding in whatever spices or aromatics you have around the house that your family loves. You can go simple with shallots or garlic or more complex with curry paste or Chinese ¿ ve-spice powder. Next, add liquid — water, broth, citrus juice — and cover to steam for a few minutes. Once the veggies are crisp-tender from the steam, uncover the pan and allow the liquid to evaporate, leaving the veggies in a tasty and simple glaze. Top with some kind of acid — lime juice or tangy plain yogurt both work well with a variety of À avors. And the ¿ nal touch? Something crunchy (like pumpkin seeds or chopped nuts) and something fresh like chopped basil, cilantro or mint. The perfect veggie plan for weeknights. ——— Food Network star Melissa d’Arabian is an expert on healthy eating on a budget. MOROCCAN SPICED CARROTS WITH YOGURT SAUCE 6tart tR ¿ niVK 15 minutes 6erYingV 4 • 1 pound baby carrots, peeled and greens removed • 1 teaspoon coconut oil • 1/2 teaspoon mustard seed • 1/2 teaspoon ground cumin • 1/2 teaspoon granulated garlic • 3/4 teaspoon ras el hanout • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/4 cup chicken or vegetable stock • 1 tablespoon lime juice • 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt <RgXrt 6aXce • 1/4 cup plain Greek lowfat yogurt • 1 tablespoon lime juice • 1/4 teaspoon smoked paprika • 1/4 teaspoon salt • 2 tablespoons toasted chopped walnuts • torn mint leaves for garnish Heat a large saute pan over medium heat. Cook the mustard seed in coconut oil until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add the cumin, ras el Melissa d’Arabian via AP CarrRtV gR IrRm bRring tR ]eVt\ aIter a YiVit tR 0RrRccR hanout, paprika, granulated garlic and stir. Add the carrots and salt and stir to coat carrots with spices, and cook until the spices are deep in color, stirring, about 3 minutes. Then deglaze the pan with stock and lime juice. Cover the pan and let steam for 3 minutes, then uncover and cook until liquid evaporates, another 2 minutes. Meanwhile make the sauce by mixing yogurt, lime juice, smoked paprika and salt in a small bowl. Lay the carrots on a platter and spoon some yogurt over the carrots. Top with walnuts and mint leaves to serve. Nutrition information per serving: 97 calories; 35 calories from fat; 4 g fat (1 g saturated; 0 g trans fats); 1 mg cholesterol; 294 mg sodium; 13 g carEohydrate; 3 g ¿ Eer; g sugar; 3 g protein.
