Vista House
Views
FOVH NEWSLETTER - Summer 2008
Eagle Creek Bridge along the Columbia River Highway—a small portion of the beauty and history that are inspiration for this important project.
MILE POST 2016: RECONNECTING THE HIGHWAY AS A TRAIL
History has proven that the Columbia River
Gorge is a challenging place to build roads and
trails. Cutting the original roadway was a
daunting feat but threading a 16-foot wide
trail through the Gorge between Interstate
84 and the railroad in current times seems
just as challenging. The Friends of the
Historic Columbia River Highway (FHCRH) and
the Historic Columbia River Highway Advisory
Committee (HCRHAC) have jointly
spearheaded an effort to restore 1and
reconnect the 12 miles of abandoned sections
of the Historic Columbia River Highway as a
trail and have called that challenge, “Mile Post
2016” denoting the goal to have the project
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completed in time for the Highway’s centennial
celebration. This undertaking will require the support
of the local communities and trail advocates throughout
Oregon.
Samuel Lancaster began laying out the alignment for
the Columbia River Highway between Portland and The
Dalles in the fall of 1913. The first segment officially
opened in 1916. Simon Benson scattered the last
shovelful of asphalt pavement in 1922. That’s 73 Miles
of roadway constructed in nine years, through difficult
terrain requiring many bridges, viaducts and walls to
traverse the Gorge’s rugged landscape. We now have
less than nine years to connect 12 miles of trail by
2016.
The FHCRH and the HCRHAC recently completed a plan
(Continued on page 4)
PRESIDENT’S MESSAGE
As we all wind our way
through the mid-summer
activities with family and
friends and the Board,
staff and OPRD plan for
the upcoming August 17th
Annual FOVH Picnic at Guy
Talbot State Park, the
Board has also been very
busy with planning for our
near future investments.
These investments are in the form of an expansion
in the activities for our Friends and Volunteers
both present and future. Much of this activity
has been the focus of discussions over many years
and more recently brought to the forefront by the
membership survey distributed late last year.
In response to what we heard from all of you, we
have initiated a long-term strategy to increase our
outreach and educational opportunities for
members and volunteers. As Louse noted in her
column, “we are formally embarking on ways to
expand our educational programmatic outreach.”
In this regard we are engaging in several actions to
bring this vision to fruition by actively soliciting
grants from community-focused organizations that
will enable us to build the Friends’ capacity to
deliver member and volunteer services as well as
those to the general public.
the new programs will play an important role in
expanding the base of support for Friends of
Vista House, through increased membership, new
volunteers and private donations. Within four
years, Vista House expects to achieve capacity to
sustain the new program ventures without
reliance on project grant support.
Project activities are scheduled to begin January
2009 with anticipated early investment of
$140,000 grant funding over two years to
spearhead program expansion. The proposed
program expansion places a priority on activities
designed to engage children, youth and young
families, as well as initiatives that are likely to
engage socially and culturally diverse
constituents. The Board of Directors of Friends
of Vista House developed these program
concepts through a strategic planning process led
by Chair Henry Kunowski and Executive Director
Louise Yarbrough.
To all our members and volunteers, have a Great
Summer and I hope to meet many of you at the
annual picnic!
Thank you!
Henry Kunowski
While the exact details of this strategy will be
included in our next newsletter, I will briefly
describe the principal objectives.
The proposed investment expands the capacity of
Friends of Vista House to design and launch
innovative new programs at Vista House, which will
reach millions of people from all backgrounds and
walks of life. In undertaking creative, new
ventures, Friends of Vista House has an enormous
advantage in a guaranteed flow of visitors from
March through October. The new programs will
broaden and deepen the visitors’ engagement with
Vista House, at the same time promoting values of
Northwest community and citizenship. Over time,
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THE PERFECT SETTING!
Weddings, dinners, special events!
Vista House is available to make
your event memorable!
Call (503) 695-2230
for details.
[email protected]
www.vistahouse.com
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR’S MESSAGE
“What’s new with
you?” is a familiar
phrase we hear from
time to time. At
FOVH we have a
number of “new”
things in the works
that I want to share
with you and invite
you to learn more
about. While we
continue to recruit
new volunteers to join our extraordinary corps
of seasoned ones (you’re invited!) and continue
to expand and improve our Museum Shop and
Espresso offerings with outstanding local
artisans’ wares, we are formally embarking on
ways to expand our educational programmatic
outreach. We are working with some of the
local schools to develop materials and programs
that will better inform students (and their
parents) about Vista House and its important
role in Oregon’s history and are seeking
partners to help us reach our goals. We will
keep you posted on new programs as they
develop and let you know how you can join in the
adventure.
We are also developing an exciting new look
which you’ll see more of in the coming months.
Thanks to an amazing donation of time (a lot!)
and talent (a whole lot!) from Mark McCarthy
and his incredible team at PMSI (Planned
Marketing Solutions International), FOVH has a
beautiful new image that we can call “our own”
and that will soon grace our website and other
pieces of our public “persona.” The striking
image is available in the gift shop as a 13”X26”
poster suitable for framing. We are extending a
one-time limited invitation to members and
volunteers to purchase this beautiful poster for
only $10 each (retail $18). The offer is good
through September 30, 2008 so don’t miss out!
(See the flyer included with this newsletter or
call (503) 695-2240 for more details.) With
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the holidays coming, this will make an excellent gift
for friends or family or as a keepsake for yourself.
I hope you will take advantage of this unique
opportunity and expression of our appreciation to
each of you who support FOVH and its mission.
As always, we thank you for being part of FOVH.
Louise Yarbrough
Vista House Views
Friends of Vista House
Published Quarterly
PO Box 204 – Corbett, OR 97019
Ph 503-695-2230 / Fax 503-695-2250
[email protected]
www.vistahouse.com
Editor
Kathleen Overton
Publisher
Jim Johnson
Board of Directors
Henry Kunowski, President
Ernie Drapela, Vice President
Bob Woody, Secretary/Treasurer
Hal Gowing
Jeanette Kloos
Ken Manske
Marguerite Perry
Mark Stevenson (OPRD) – Ex Officio
[email protected]
Executive Director
Louise Yarbrough
Volunteer Coordinator
Sally King
www.vistahouse.com
3
(Continued from Mile Post 2016, page 1)
that provides a preliminary alignment of the
proposed trail with an up-to-date cost estimate.
This plan breaks down the 12 miles into 11 distinct
segments with a total cost in 2010 dollars of $55
Million. Additionally, a 13 minute DVD presentation
was recently produced further describing the
project. (This program was presented at the
FOVH 2008 Annual Meeting and is available to
interested groups to create awareness and support
of the project.)
Why Reconnect the Highway?
The Columbia River Highway history is a tale of
visionaries, civic leaders, skilled engineers, and
talented craftsman. In 1913, Multnomah County
hired Samuel Lancaster to survey and design 20
miles of highway from Chanticleer Point, Portland
Women’s Forum State Scenic Viewpoint, to the
Hood River County line. On paper, Lancaster’s
design seems a bit dry, though it was quite
revolutionary at the time: “a maximum 5-percent
grade, minimum 200-foot turning radius on curves,
and average of 24-foot roadway with its 18-foot
macadam paved surface with 3-foot gravel
shoulders.” The result of Lancaster’s design is
truly marvelous resulting in a National Landmark
highway that traverses the Columbia River Gorge,
providing wondrous scenic vistas and access to
many waterfalls along the way.
Unfortunately, the construction of Interstate 84
severed and demolished sections of the Historic
Columbia River Highway at many locations along the
route. In 1987, the Oregon Legislature recognized
the loss of this historic resource and directed
Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) to
develop a plan to preserve, restore, and maintain
extant portions of the historic highway, and to
reconnect missing segments with a State Trail
allowing recreationists on foot and bicycles to
enjoy a reasonable approximation of the original
historic highway.
To reconnect those extant portions of historic
highway we must follow Lancaster’s original vision
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and think like Lancaster to build a beautiful trail
through this rugged country, taking advantage of
the Gorge’s wild splendor. Upon its completion,
the Historic Columbia River Highway State Trail
will provide a unique regional route, connecting
local communities and encourage bicyclists,
joggers and walkers to park their vehicles and
enjoy a truly magnificent regional setting.
Reconnection of the Historic Columbia River
Highway State Trail will positively impact
individuals and improve the livability of the
communities along its route by providing not only
recreation opportunities and health and fitness
benefits but positive ways to influence local
economies within the Gorge. Across Oregon,
trails are stimulating tourism and recreationrelated spending.
Bicycle tourism in particular is a growing tourism
industry in Oregon as the baby boomers retire
and seek ways to stay active. Trail users and
vacationers will provide direct economic benefits
to hotels, restaurants and other business from
increased tourist activity and spending on
durable goods such as bikes and soft goods such
as gasoline, food, and drinks. This, in turn, will
revitalize businesses, create jobs, and increase
public revenue. As Sam Hill once envisioned, “We
will cash in year after year on our crop of scenic
beauty without depleting it in any way.”
Since 1987, eleven miles of the State Trail have
been completed. Of the original 73 miles of
historic highway, one can still access 61 miles
either by car on the drivable portions or by foot
or bike on the State Trail sections. As twelve
more miles await construction to complete this
world class recreational route between Portland
and The Dalles, we must ask ourselves, “Are we
up to the challenge?” Let’s hope so!
For more information or to join the effort please
contact Jeanette Kloos, President, Friends of the
Historic Columbia River Highway at
[email protected] or 503-227-5638. Visit
www.hcrh.org.
[email protected]
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The annual FOVH volunteer bus tour training was a
fascinating excursion into the past…and back to the
future! Our full bus of 50 volunteers stopped first
at Columbia Hills State Park (formerly Horsethief
State Park) in Washington. Here, we saw first-hand
some of the oldest pictographs and petroglyphs in
the northwest, including the familiar “She Who
Watches.” The site was formerly the largest burial
ground of Native Americans in the area and an
Indian campground for centuries, with the
Wishram, Cloud, and Lishkam fishing with nets and
spears between The Dalles and Celilo Falls. After
an informative introduction by our Park Ranger and
volunteer guides, we were led inside the restricted
areas to see and learn more about the images that
are such an important piece of Pacific Northwest
culture such as She Who Watches shown below.
VOLUNTEERS TOUR THE GORGE
L-R, Hein Linder, Julia Longbrake and, Dee Olcott at
Columbia Hills State Park, Washington.
ELECTRONIC NEWSLETTER—
PLEASE CONSIDER
In the last issue we began offering an additional way
to receive your newsletter—electronically. We have
heard from a few but would like to hear from more
of you who would like to receive your news this way.
Electronic delivery will help save FOVH $ in both
printing and postage (and is also kinder to the
environment) so please consider it. Just send an
email to [email protected] and put “Electronic
Newsletter” in the subject line. Thanks! (Vista
House Views will still be mailed to those not choosing
the electronic newsletter option and will also be
available on the website, www.vistahouse.com.)
From there we traveled into the future to visit
several wind
farms where
windmills
were busy
swooshing
their
enormous
wings to
create the
“green”
power that is
a growing
part of our
energy
resource
that will be even more important in the future.
Our volunteers were well-informed along the way
thanks to Dave Olcott, our geology guru and
Clarence Mershon, local historian and well-published
author. It wouldn’t have been complete, however,
without the final important stop at the Little Viking
Ice Cream Shop where we enjoyed the delicious
treats that sustained us on our short leg back
home!
Jim and Sharon Dean enjoy the beautiful day and interesting tour
of petroglyphs and pictographs at Columbia Hills State Park.
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5
GIFT SHOP OFFERINGS BOOKS AND MORE!
The Penberthy family reading together in the VH Gift
Shop; Maya, Bella, Tom, and Ava.
Now that summer is here and many of our readers
will be out enjoying the beauty of Oregon, and
visiting Vista House, we thought people may be
interested in what is new in the Gift Shop this
season. As usual, the merchandise made by our
local artists is constantly changing due to the
uniqueness of their work. There are also a number
of new artists whose work contributes to the
variety of choices for the customer. Because
vacation time may offer an opportunity to catch up
on some reading, this article will focus on some of
the newer titles that have been added to the book
section of interest to both adults and children.
For adults, On the Trail of the Ice Age Flood
(Bruce Bjornstad) is a field guide to the geology
created by the Ice Age floods of the Mid-Columbia
Basin. The book is filled with maps and
illustrations in both black and white and color that
show clearly the geology being discussed and
provides both hiking and driving tours. This is the
book recommended by Steve Ominski, speaker at
this year’s volunteer training whose beautiful
illustrations are included. Indian Rock Art of the
Columbia Plateau (James Keyser) is a wellillustrated book with photographs and drawings of
Northwest rock paintings and carvings with
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discussion of the theories of their origin and
meaning. Oregon’s Great Natural Disasters is
the latest book from the bestselling Oregon
author, Bill Sullivan, and covers stories about
Oregon’s floods, fires, earthquakes, tsunamis,
and volcanic eruptions. Berry Bible by Janie
Hiber is a lovely book that provides 175
straightforward recipes while telling the history
of 41 berries and the differences between
cultivars. There are 68 full-color photos that
help with berry identification – a guide book to
the cooking, caring and health benefits of our
delicious berries. Glacial Lake Missoula and
Its Humongous Floods (David Alt) is a book
about the Ice Age floods that devastated the
land from Missoula, MT to the Willamette Valley
and the Pacific describing the event in lay
terms. Illustrations, photos and colored maps
show how the Bretz floods reshaped the
landscape of the Northwest and the Columbia
Gorge. A Chef’s Bounty: Celebrating Oregon’s
Cuisine is a book about cooking using fresh,
organic proteins and produce from Oregon’s
seven different regions and that is chocked full
of recipes for everyday home cooking. It is
complemented with beautiful photographs by
Rick Schafer, a well respected Oregon
photographer. Author, Chef William King, is
Vice President of Culinary Development and
Training and was named Oregon Seafood Chef of
the Year in 1987. Other new titles of interest
include Touring Washington and Oregon Hot
Springs (Jeff Birkby), Soldier to Advocate –
The Nez Perce Conflict (George Venn), The
Restless Northwest – A Geological Story,
Berries (Roger Yepsen), and Hiking Hot
Springs in the Pacific Northwest (Evie Litton).
Children’s books are very popular with our
visitors as well. Intended for young children and
enjoyable for all ages, Do Animals Have
Feelings Too? (David Rice) is a thoughtprovoking collection of true stories that
provides insight into animal behavior that would
be difficult to prove as being instinctive. Pass
[email protected]
(Continued on page 9)
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FOVH 2008 CALENDAR OF EVENTS
~ August
~
15 (Fri)
-
Volunteer Development Committee – Xavier’s Restaurant – 10 am
17 (Sun)
-
FOVH Annual Picnic – Guy Talbot Park – 3:30 – 7 pm
~ September ~
01 (Mon)
-
Labor Day
06 (Sat)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Maxine Terrill, Pine Needle Basketry
07 (Sun)
-
National Grandparents’ Day
10 (Wed)
-
FOVH Board Meeting – Xavier’s Restaurant – 5:30 pm
12 (Fri)
-
Volunteer Development Committee – Xavier’s Restaurant – 10 am
13 (Sat)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Dick Aaron, Wildlife Woodcarving
14 (Sun)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Steven Kenney, Local Historic Photos
21 (Sun)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): June Jones, Oregon Pioneer Wool Spinning
22 (Mon)
-
Autumn Begins
24 (Wed)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Steven Kenney, Local Historic Photos
29 (Tue)
-
Rosh Hashanah (Sept. 29 – Oct. 1)
~
October ~
04 (Sat)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Maxine Terrill, Pine Needle Basketry
05 (Sun)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Clarence Mershon, Author Book Signing
08 (Wed)
-
FOVH Board Meeting – Xavier’s Restaurant – 5:30 pm
08 (Wed)
-
Yom Kippur (October 8-9)
10 (Fri)
-
Volunteer Development Committee – Xavier’s Restaurant – 10 am
11 (Sat)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): Dick Aaron, Wildlife Woodcarving
13 (Mon)
-
Columbus Day Observed
19 (Sun)
-
Folk Art Demonstration (Noon-4pm): June Jones, Oregon Pioneer Wool Spinning
25 (Sat)
-
Begin Winter Hours – 10 am–4 pm – Sat & Sun ONLY – Weather Permitting
31 (Fri)
-
Happy Halloween – Booooooooo
~
November
~
Vista House - Open Weekends Only – 10 am-4 pm – Weather Permitting
01-02 (Sat-Sun) - Annual Member/Volunteer End-of-Season Sale
02 (Sun)
-
Daylight Savings Time Ends
04 (Tue)
-
Election Day
11 (Tue)
-
Veterans’ Day
14 (Fri)
-
Volunteer Development Committee – Xavier’s Restaurant – 10 am
22 (Wed)
-
Volunteer Appreciation Dinner – Persimmon Country Club
27 (Thu)
-
Happy Thanksgiving Day
~ December
21 (Mon)
-
Hanukkah (Dec. 21-29)
25 (Thu)
-
Christmas Day
~
Vista House Winter Hours ~ Open Weekends Only ~ 10 am-4 pm ~ Weather Permitting
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7
DID YOU KNOW?
Visitors are often interested in how many
waterfalls there are along the scenic highway east
from Vista House until it reconnects to I-84.
Amazingly, there are 21 in all: 6 are relatively easy
for people to access - they can be seen from the
car or require just a little walking – and 15 demand
a little more effort. Let’s “visit” our treasure of
beautiful falls as we leave Vista House.
The first is Lower Latourell Falls, easily accessible
from the Latourell parking lot. Next, Upper
Latourell Falls is about a 2-mile round trip hike.
Sheppard’s Dell Falls (#3) is easy access from
Sheppard’s Dell State Park and the lower part of
the falls can be seen from the highway bridge;
park and walk a short path to see the upper falls.
Bridal Veil Falls (#4) is easily accessible with a
good trail down about 1/3 of a mile to a viewing
platform. Coopey Falls is next (#5) and an easy
access when viewed from the grounds of a convent
owned by the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist.
Be sure to ask for permission to walk around their
grounds to see the falls. Mist Falls (#6) is best
seen from Highway 84 just west of Multnomah
Falls. Wahkeena Falls (#7) can be seen from the
Historic Columbia River Highway and is easily
accessed from the parking area. Neck Tie Falls
(#8) is a steep hike about 0.8 miles up Wahkeena
Falls trail, and there you follow a 0.3 mile spur trail
that goes to Fairy Falls (#9). Multnomah Falls
(#10), upper and lower can be seen from the
parking lot. There is a paved walk up to the lower
falls (you have a spectacular view from the Benson
Bridge) and a trail to the top of the falls. To see
other falls on Multnomah Creek you need to
embark upon Larch Mountain Trail #441 which is
accessed to the left of Multnomah Falls Lodge. It
is a steep trail that is about 1 mile long. At the
viewpoint at the top you need to look upstream to
see Little Multnomah Falls (#11). If you continue
on this trail for about 0.2–0.3 miles you will see a
trio of falls referred to as Dutchman Falls (#12).
Further on are two more falls, Weisendanger Falls
(#13) and Upper Falls (#14). Access to Lower
Oneonta Falls (#15) is difficult since you need to
8
wade up the creek and climb or crawl over a log
jam for about 0.3 miles one way – on a hot
summer day it is well worth it. Oneonta Falls
(#16) requires a 0.9 mile one way hike up trail
#424 and is seen from the foot bridge over
Oneonta Creek. If you backtrack a few hundred
feet and then travel on up trail #424 for about
another 0.8 miles you will see Triple Falls (#17).
Horsetail Falls (#18) is viewable from the
parking lot. Continuing up Horsetail Fall trail
#438 about 0.4 miles you will find Ponytail Falls
(#19) which you can walk behind. Elowah Falls
(#20) is accessed from Yeon State Park on the
east end of the Historic Columbia River Highway.
Take Gorge Trail # 400 and turn left at the first
junction. At the second junction (about 0.2 miles
from the parking area) you have a view looking
down on the falls by turning right on Elowah Falls
Trail. This trail is about 0.6 miles of a relatively
steep climb. You can continue on to the end of
the trail which is about 0.2 miles past this
viewpoint and you will see Upper McCord Creek
Falls (#21). To go to the base of Elowah Falls
stay on Trail # 400 for an easier 0.4 miles.
Hard to believe we have so many falls within 14
miles of Vista House! If you haven’t taken the
ride recently, this is the perfect time to bring
family and friends to share our natural wonders.
Beautiful Triple Falls (#17) is shown below,
courtesy of WaterfallsNorthwest.com.
.
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WILDFLOWER FOR SUMMER 08
The wildflower that is being highlighted for
this issue is the Sedum oreganum, or
commonly known as the Oregon stonecrop. It
is of particular interest at this time of year
because of its stunning bright yellow flowers.
The flowers are so thick that the plant looks
(Continued from Gift Shop Offerings, page 6)
the Energy Please (Barbara Shaw McKinney) is a very
well done book telling a story about how each of the
creatures of the earth has a role in the circle of life,
illustrating in a sensitive manner the connection
between herbivores, carnivores, insects and plants
and how they “pass the energy “ on to support our
planet. It is intended for children ages 6-12 and used
for grades 3-6 curriculums. River Song (Steve Van
Zandt) is a delightful book that focuses on the music
of a river and the ever-changing nature of a stream.
It provides an introduction to the water cycle in a
very fun and entertaining way and includes a CD by
the Banana Slug String Band that is a delight for
children and helps support their learning.
Salmon Stream (Carol Reed-Jones) is a great book to
totally yellow although it is really a lovely
green succulent herb that belongs to the
crassula family. The flowers have 5 petals
that are lance shaped and long-pointed,
looking like little stars that appear in clusters
on a single stem. The alternate succulent
green leaves are somewhat flattened but still
remain fleshy and are arranged in rosettes
that make them look like miniature Jade
plants. The leaves are green colored unless
exposed to the sun where they become more
bronze. The plant grows as a spreading mat in
full sun or partial shade in well drained soils.
It is found on rocky ledges, and talus slopes
and often at the edge of a forest. Look for it
at most elevations in the west Gorge around
lower Tanner Creek Road; Sr-14 east of Cape
Horn; and east of Crown Point.
Resources: Plants of the Pacific Northwest
Coast by Jim Pojar and Andy MacKinnon,
copyright 1994 and Wildflowers of the
Columbia River Gorge by Russ Jolley,
copyright 1988.; www.perennials.com
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help children ages 6-12 learn about the life cycle of
the salmon. Beautifully illustrated, it has information
and resources for people of all ages who want to learn
more about the salmon. Seaman’s Journal is a
fictional but soundly researched story about the
Newfoundland dog that traveled with Lewis and Clark
on their expedition to the Pacific. Using Lewis and
Clark’s journals, as well as other manuscripts, the
author tells Seaman’s story in an entertaining story
geared for ages 8-12. For ages 4-10, The Tree in
the Ancient Forest (Carol Reed-Jones) is an
appealing story that shows the interdependency of
the plants and animals living around a single old fir
tree with skillfully done illustrations that help show
the ecological concepts. A choice book for ages 6adult, Wonderful Nature, Wonderful You (Karin
Ireland) is a beautiful book that uses nature’s lessons
to teach us about each person’s uniqueness and uses
the qualities in nature to explore the relevance to
positive values and self-esteem.
We also offer two excellent DVDs that we have
trouble keeping in stock! Paradise Road, an OPB
production using archive photos and early motion
pictures, is a unique documentary on the building of
the Columbia River Highway and NOVA’s Mystery of
the Mega Flood: Examining the World’s Most
Catastrophic Flood, about the Bretz Floods.
Pay a visit—you won’t be disappointed.
9
VISTA HOUSE “COOKIE DAYS”
A SWEET SUCCESS!
FEATURED VOLUNTEER –
BONNIE JEPSEN
Where to start to describe
such a treasure? Bonnie
Jepsen has been an
incredible volunteer
for FOVH since 1987.
You might find her at the
volunteer desk, greeting
visitors from points near
and far – or you might find her spearheading our
Volunteer Development Committee. In that role she has
led this wonderful and creative group to fine-tune the
volunteer program, edit and revise the volunteer
handbook and initiate a more formal volunteer “trainthe-trainers” program. This new piece of the program
ensures that new volunteers who join after the annual
training in April are fully introduced to the building,
understand their responsibilities as a FOVH/OPRD
volunteer and have the opportunity to work with
seasoned volunteers as they learn the ropes.
Bonnie is a bundle of energy who also finds time to
volunteer for Multnomah Falls, the Portland Convention
Center and the Gresham Historical Society. Word has
it that she’s “retired 3 times” as a Guidance Counselor
for Mt. Hood Community College and you can bet that
those students fortunate enough to have had her
interest and support have done well in pursuit of their
goals. When she’s not volunteering, she’s a world
traveler, visiting such exotic places as Peru’s Machu
Picchu, Europe and many African countries. She’s an
avid gardener, has a son and daughter, each giving her
the opportunity to be a doting grandmother.
FOVH is so fortunate to have Bonnie’s enthusiasm,
expertise and love for Vista House that has made such a
difference for the organization. Her zest for life
makes everything she does so much fun to be a part of
and we are so fortunate to have her as part of our team.
Thanks, Bonnie! We don’t know what we’d do without
you!!!
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[email protected]
The Volunteer Development Committee,
chaired by Bonnie Jepsen, and its Special
Events Sub-committee, led by Sharon and
James Dean, wanted to do something special
for our many visitors—and promote FOVH,
volunteerism and Vista House. Their idea of
offering home-baked cookies and coffee
once a month in June, July and August has
proved quite successful and has had the
hoped-for outcome of garnering new
volunteers and increasing donations from the
grateful “cookie monsters” that were drawn
to the delicious array of sweet temptations
when they entered Vista House.
Cookie Days have been such a success with
such positive visitor response and comments
that the Committee plans to make them an
annual summer happening. One Arkansas
visitor commented that this was the best
“Southern hospitality” he had received on his
entire trip!
Not only did the committee members and
other volunteer bakers contribute their
delicious creations, August visitors enjoyed
the variety of cookies—to the tune of 35
dozen—from Crown Point Park Manager,
Mark Stevenson and his new bride, Emily and
OPRD District 2 Manager, Kevin Price, and
Teresa Anderson. They have even agreed to
do it again next year!
Special thanks go to committee member
bakers, Sharon and James Dean, Bonnie
Jepsen, Susan Hanson and Mark Stevenson.
In addition, thanks to volunteers Bev Law,
Betty Beranek, Ashley Dean (Sharon and
Jim’s granddaughter), Martena Pennington,
Paulina Updyke, Helen Tippen, Bob and
Sherilyn Foley, Susan and Robert Lillegard ,
Ashley and Melissa Young, Jean Aubel, and
Marilyn Dearixon. Apologies if anyone was
forgotten. Thanks, everyone, for your
wonderful contributions!
2008 ROSE FESTIVAL PRINCESSES VISIT VISTA HOUSE
Back Row: Lisa Midlam (OPRD), Princess Marshawna Williams, Princess Taylor Smith, Henry Kunowski (FOVH
President), Princess Kim Pham. Center Row: Princess Jill Tremblay, David Cassidy (volunteer), Princess Rose
Nabehet, Princess Dulce Salgado; Front Row: Princess Tonita Cabrera, Princess Vy Nguyen, Princess Brenda
Olmos, Princess Molly Ronan, Princess Chelsea Deloney.
It was a regal day for Vista House when the lovely Rose Festival princesses paid a visit. FOVH
President Henry Kunowski, and OPRD Regional Manager, Kevin Price, gave the young ladies a tour and
talked to them about Vista House’s role in Portland’s history and its connection to the Rose Festival and
the Royal Rosarians. Lisa Midlam, OPRD Park Ranger and David Cassidy, interpretive volunteer, added a
bit of historic flavor to the visit in their period dress.
WANTED!
YOU!!! FOVH is seeking volunteers to help in many
areas – the Information Desk, the shop, the office.
Join our wonderful volunteer corps and share your
time and expertise to make FOVH an even better organization. Call Sally King, Volunteer Coordinator at
(503) 695-2240 or (503) 695-2746 to sign up or for
more information.
Vista House Views
503-695-2230
[email protected]
www.vistahouse.com
11
PO Box 204
Corbett, OR 97019
BECOME A FRIENDS OF VISTA HOUSE MEMBER!
Friends of Vista House is a private non-profit organization with tax exempt status. Become a member!
With membership, you receive a newsletter and a 10% discount at the Vista House Gift Gallery. All contributions are tax deductible and can be made by check or credit card. Make checks payable to Friends of
Vista House.
Friends of Vista House * PO Box 204, Corbett, OR 97019 * 503-695-2230 * vistahouse.com (You can join online!)
Membership Status:
New
Renewal
Following are the different levels of membership:
¨ $10 – Junior (under 12)
¨ $100 – Emerald
¨ $1000 – Lancaster Circle
¨ $25 – Individual
¨ $250 – Diamond
¨ $2500 – Lazarus Society
¨ $50 – Family
¨ $500 – Crown Jewel
¨ $5000 – Thor’s Crown
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