Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Covering Dallas, Monmouth, Independence, Falls City and surrounding areas since 1868

Into the Wild Blue

Paul Sieber, left, and Ernie Moreno demonstrate how stretched fabric will form the wing surfaces of their DH-2 replicas.

Photo by Pete Strong

Paul Sieber, left, and Ernie Moreno demonstrate how stretched fabric will form the wing surfaces of their DH-2 replicas.

On This Ranch ... Love Reigns

On This Ranch ... Love Reigns

WEST SALEM -- Joe Downes is ready for his first horseback ride.

Bagels by the book

Bagels by the book

MONMOUTH -- Wail El-Telbany said there was a period of self-pity that he couldn't shake during his first few years in the United States.

A handcrafted leap of faith

A handcrafted leap of faith

DALLAS -- Joe Huff expertly glides a hand-held planeacross the solid wood top of a custom-built desk he is building in his shop.

Tick Tock

Tick Tock

INDEPENDENCE -- It's not easy for more than one person to move about inside Ann Durley's workshop.

Racing to the Finish

Racing to the Finish

FALLS CITY -- Hidden in a workshop in Falls City is a unique piece of Oregon history.

Santa's Little Helpers

Santa's Little Helpers

Kenn Lehto gets a kick out of wearing red shirts and suspenders in public. And the glasses.

Distinctive Desserts

Distinctive Desserts

DALLAS -- Bittersweet Surrender Cupcake Cafe. The name itself sounds delicious.

Strength and Sacrifice

Strength and Sacrifice

MONMOUTH -- People tend to stop and watch whenever Alex Whitaker is strongman training around McArthur Stadium on the Western Oregon University campus.

Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal

DALLAS -- Mark Noll lines up a chisel over a dark red line drawn on a piece of copper foil and strikes it with a mallet.

Ballet is in their blood

Ballet is in their blood

MONMOUTH -- Holding your breath while performing an arabesque -- a ballet pose in which one leg supports the body while the other is outstretched to the rear -- is a pitfall Rena Richards said she was perpetually warned against in her mother's dance studio while growing up.

Family Forest

Family Forest

RICKREALL -- A quick glance around the mill at Zena Forest Products and you can see Oregon white oak in tree, log and lumber form.

Humanitarian at heart

Humanitarian at heart

MONMOUTH -- There's about half a dozen tasks going on inside the Ella Curran Food Bank during distribution hours on a recent Tuesday. Pat Jaffer seems to be involved in all of them.

A 'Wine'-ding Path

A 'Wine'-ding Path

DALLAS -- Van Duzer Vineyards winemaker Jerry Murray said to make wine you have to be half scientist and half chef.

A Growing Neighborhood

A Growing Neighborhood

MONMOUTH -- Eric and Eve Olsen envision apple and pear trees fronting Martin Way in the Edwards Addition neighborhood in South Monmouth.

Local author compiles stories of 'the Big Blow

Local author compiles stories of 'the Big Blow

INDEPENDENCE -- It's a question that's come up often for Betty Plude ever since she started running life-story writing workshops for seniors citizens.

A Family Matter

A Family Matter

DALLAS -- Most people who begin training for a triathlon are determined, but perhaps not as determined as Dallas resident Nona Archer and her daughters.

Ballroom Blitz

Ballroom Blitz

INDEPENDENCE -- Laura Archer remembers having to scoot sideways to get through aisles of junk piled high on the second floor of their building at 194 S. Main St. when they purchased it 12 years ago.

Maxine's Ballroom: Skeleton in the Closet

So, who's Maxine? And what's with the coffin?

Plant Paradise

Plant Paradise

PEDEE -- At the end of a 2-mile stretch of gravel road, surrounded by wheat fields and forest, sits a plant lover's paradise.

Vino and a View

Vino and a View

POLK COUNTY -- Rough trails carved out of gentle hills covered in wild blackberry bushes and white oaks on Left Coast Cellar's 300-acre vineyard don't make for the easiest passage.

Fat Tire Fantasy

Fat Tire Fantasy

FALLS CITY -- Ed Reilly pedals his dual-suspension mountain bike down a narrow wooden trestle, a mounted helmet camera recording his ride for posterity's sake.

Going Home

Going Home

Ex-residents, family members allowed into former Valsetz town site for three-day community reunion

This Old Barn

This Old Barn

INDEPENDENCE -- Standing under the web of heavy beams and cables that sustain the high-pitched roof of the Green Villa Barn, you might hear the sounds of history if you listen closely.

The Gift of Life

The Gift of Life

DALLAS -- Most moms expect gifts and quality time with their families on Mother's Day.

All the buzz

All the buzz

RICKREALL -- Warren Kester pries the top off a bee hive box, removes a honey comb-caked frame and studies it for about 30 seconds.

Canoe culture comes full circle

Canoe culture comes full circle

GRAND RONDE -- The mostly hand-carved shovelnose river canoe taking shape in a small shed off Hebo Road near Grand Ronde may only be 17 feet long, but it carries a tradition long dormant in the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde culture.

Alternative Antidote

Alternative Antidote

MONMOUTH -- Acupuncture has been helpful in relieving Erin Hesby's asthma and allergies. But the main reason for fitting a session into her weekly schedule is to ensure an element of calm and balance to her life, she said.