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
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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
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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