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About Cannon Beach gazette. (Cannon Beach, Or.) 1977-current | View Entire Issue (Aug. 28, 2015)
August 28, 2015 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com • 9A Bite of Oregon is ‘a big fundraiser’ for Special Olympics Chef from Page 1A Event benefi ts Special Olympics The culinary compe- tition served up not only good food, but funds for Special Olympics Oregon. Special Olympics Mar- keting and Communications Director David Warner said the event surpassed the $135,000 raised last year. The organization relies on donations and fundrais- ers, such as the Bite and Rip City 3-on-3 with the Portland Trail Blazers, to provide free classes, train- ing and sporting events to those with disabilities. “We serve the largest disability population in the state of Oregon,” Warner said, with 12,000 partici- pants statewide and a lo- cal coordinator in Clatsop County. Some of the athletes, age 8 and up, face bullying or neglect. “We use sports to bring change to lives,” Warner noted. The program provides a nonjudgmental environ- ment and opportunities to participate in multiple events year-round. “We try to change the perception of the athletes,” Warner said. “Some just see their disabilities, not their abilities. They’re phenom- enal people. They’re not different from you and me. Rather than what they can’t do, we focus on what they can do.” SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Astoria chef Sean Whittaker. The Bite of Oregon is “a big fundraiser for us,” he said, and will help the or- ganization steadily grow so none are turned down. Hoffman said he met “some neat kids and young adults” who are amazing athletes during the event. Around 40,000 people attended Bite of Oregon this year, Warner said. Hoff man ready for the next competition Hoffman said it was a fun atmosphere with “a lot of energy in the air,” but added that he looked for- ward a bit to getting it over with. “I think that’s a com- mon feeling for a lot of people in the food service industry, especially in like catering and with big events,” he said. “You al- most have this regret be- fore, like ‘Why did I do this, this is going to be really hard.’ But then you SUBMITTED PHOTO/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE Competitors at work at the “Bite of Oregon” event. Hoff man is at the far right. get into it, you get to your event or you start doing it, and you realize this is your passion, what you’re sup- posed to do. Then you’re excited you’re doing it.” A graduate of the Scott- sdale Culinary Institute in Arizona, Hoffman started in Cannon Beach 14 years ago at the Christian Con- 5 Minutes with… Eeva Lantela A milder climate, the beauty of the Oregon coast and proximity to family members in Vancouver, British Columbia, drew DragonFire Gallery owner Eeva Lantela to Cannon Beach 14 years ago. With those, Lantela found fulfi lment interacting with artists and customers at the South Hemlock Street location. Lantela lost her partner, artist Mari Rockett, six years ago, but their mission continues as Drag- onFire heads into its 15th year. “We wanted a beautiful, artistic coastal town,” she said. “And I think we picked well.” Q: How did you get started in the art community? A: My partner Mari and I relocated from New Jersey. When we moved here, we were looking to start some kind of business. We started out with paint-your-own pot- tery, and the upstairs in this building carried some local art. But this is too small a town to sustain a paint-your- own pottery business. We found that out pretty quick. So over the years, we just attribute DragonFire’s success and longevity? A: I think it’s having a very unique persona. We never went around looking at what other galleries were like. We just wanted to do what we thought was cool. So we de- veloped this very colorful place. We wanted to have a lot of mixed media. We wanted anyone to be able to afford to buy something. And we wanted it to be original art. Partly because we have a very strong identity. And partly because I have this saying, “Even if it’s a dark, miserable day out, you walk in here and there’s so much cation from life cause it’s pretty hectic here,” he said. They plan to try out a few new dishes and are in the process of forming a supper club, a “pop-up” restaurant in which they’ll rent vaca- tion homes for dinner par- ties. A week after the contest they were still sending each A: We have everything from garden art to large paintings. We have lighting, we have sculptures — there’s some- thing for pretty much anybody. You’re not going to see what you just saw down the street. Probably the biggest thing we have to offer is that variety, that array of artwork. ists. I don’t want to just do things by mail. We really love when the artists come in. Many come to events even when they’re not featured. We’re like a family. Q: Explain how you work to kept expanding more into art. Q: To what would you ference Center, and began Chef’s Table about four years ago. Despite the loss, he and his business partner, Des- tiny Dudley, utilized the weekend well, making con- nections and researching food across Portland. “It’s not often I have a weekend free where I can just va- support area causes through the gallery. DANI PALMER/CANNON BEACH GAZETTE A: I just don’t have the time or energy to volunteer. So we decided to create “Wild,” our own little area where we sell books and cards and different things for animal organiza- tions: Clatsop Animal Assis- tance, the Wildlife Center of the North Coast and the North Coast Land Conservancy. Last year we raised $7,600. Eeva Lantela, owner of Drag- onFire Gallery, shows off a woven basket made by the gal- lery’s new artist Kaia Crowell. color and brightness and peo- ple feel happy.” We’re not tough salespeople. I don’t want anyone buying anything they don’t want to buy. We’re totally unpretentious. We let people come in with their dogs and encourage people to get engaged. So I think it’s partly the welcoming, because we have really great artists and because we have an affordable price range. Q: Are all of the artists you work with from the Pacifi c Northwest? A: Ninety percent. There are artists from further away that we’ve somehow met that are doing things nobody else is do- ing. We like to have more of a direct relationship with the art- Q: What does DragonFire have to off er? Cannon Beach Arts Association issues call for volunteers The Cannon Beach Arts Association is seek- ing volunteers to assist the organization in fulfill- ing its mission to support, fund and enhance the arts and artists in Cannon Beach and the surround- ing region through educa- tion, events and exhibits. A 501(c)(3) nonprofit since 1986, the arts asso- ciation operates the Can- non Beach Gallery, locat- ed at 1064 S. Hemlock St., in a space shared with Bald Eagle Coffee House and Eatery. The Cannon Beach Gallery hosts exhibits that feature the work of emerging and estab- lished career artists and is staffed by volunteer docents. Docent responsibili- ties include interacting with gallery visitors and patrons, making art sales, answering phone calls, and light clerical work. Gallery retail experience is not necessary; training is provided. Docents may be eligible to show art- work on the gallery’s ded- icated docent wall space with a sustained commit- ment of six hours of vol- unteering per month. Volunteers with ac- counting skills, grant writing ability, as well as those with an interest in fundraising and in- teracting with the local business community, are needed to meet the ad- ministrative needs of the organization. Additional programs of the CBAA include a high school scholarship award, summer art camp, individual artist grant, summer internship and arts in education program for supporting the arts in area schools. There are many ways to get involved and help W ! O N N support the arts on the north Oregon coast. For more information contact CBAA program director Jane Brumfield at cannonbeacharts@gmail. com or 503-436-0744; www.cannonbeacharts. org. IN WARRENTON next to Big 5 & Fred Meyer E P O www.americasmattress.com 503-861-6085 HOURS M-F 10-7 SAT 10-5 SUN 11-5 FREE DELIVERY FREE SET-UP The Sleep You Need w/minimum purchase local delivery GUARANTEED other photos and messages about food. “We’re looking forward to doing another competition in the future,” Hoffman said. Those interested in Hoff- man’s culinary creations and supper club can sign up for his mailing list at chef- stablecb.com or check out epicsupperclub.com. and the Stormy Weather Arts Festival. We used to do a Chinese New Year’s Cel- ebration every President’s Day weekend, but we did QRWGRLWWKLV\HDU,¿QGWKDW Q: What’s new right now in the if you do too many special events, they start to be less gallery? special when you have them. A: I have some new artists who ,¿QGWKDWWKHPRVWLPSRUWDQW came in this year. I have some thing is to always just be pre- artists who have been with us senting the gallery the best VLQFHWKH¿UVW\HDURIRSHQLQJ that we can and the artists Everybody is always creating the best that we can rather new pieces of artwork. I have than doing event after event this really great fused-glass art- after event. Sometimes we ist named Jenn Ferrante. She do things spontaneously. We does this really unique type of often have artists come do art. Kaia Crowell does woven demonstrations because they baskets. She’s the newest artist want to come to town and we’ve taken on. they want to interact with customers. Q: What sort of events do you Q: Any big plans for hold over the year? A: Of course we do the Spring Unveiling Art Festi- val, which all the galleries do, the Plein Air and More DragonFire’s 15th anniversary? A: I don’t know yet. But I will do something. Fifteen is kind of a big number. The 12th Annual Cannon Beach Cottage Tour T W O S E P T E M - D A Y E V E N T B E R 12 & 13 Satu rd ay, Septem ber 12th: P R E -T O U R L U N C H E O N & L E C T U R E w ith a R O U N D T A B L E D ISC U SSIO N M O D E R A T E D by C B H C M B oard P resid en t, K im berley Speer-M iller N oon at T olovan a In n , cost $25 H O M E & G AR D EN TO U R F R O M 1- 5 P M • $30 F ollow ed by a w in e reception an d con cert from 6 - 8:00 p.m . w ith live m usic, d oor prizes, an d raffle of a han gin g quilt Su n d ay, Septem ber 13th E N G L ISH ST Y L E G A R D E N T E A at 11 am Tolovan a In n w ith G ard en P resen tation by D ebbie Teashon T ickets m ust be purchased by Sept 8th O fferin g Tour Packages too! PL AT IN U M S PO N S O R S : Tolovan a In n , C oaster C on stru ction , E scape L od gin g (T he O cean L od ge, T om ’s F ish an d C hips, D riftw ood In n ) , K im berley Speer-M iller an d C ity of C an n on B each L u n cheon & L ectu re T ick ets $25 • G ard en Tea T ick ets $20 H om e & G ard en Tou rs T ick ets $30 (in cludes Saturday post-tour reception ) F OR TICKETS CALL 503-436-9301 OR VISIT WWW . CBHISTORY . ORG Featuring: Canaan Hill Farm Cannon Beach Sea Salt Casa de Tamales Dough Dough Wholesale Bakery Fosse Farms Gales Meadow Farm Hello Waffle Jacobs Creamery Lance’s Farm Vittles Nature’s Wild Harvest Ofalafel Olympia Provisions Portland Food Company Reverend Nate’s Hard Cider River Rock Farm. SIX TH SEA SON ! Skamokawa Creamery Join us between the Rock and a Sleepy Monk Chard place! Fresh food & music! Starvation Alley DATE: Tuesday, June 16 – Sept 29, 2015 Sweet Treats by George WHERE: Hemlock & East Gower St. (Midtown/City Hall Parking TbeeS Lot) TIME: 2 – 5 pm, Dining open The Hummus Stop at 1 pm! SNAP/EBT accepted with a Wild for Lavender $10 match courtesy of CB Food Pantr y! ZK Flowers