Photo assignment-My Neighborhood

Fantastic products are for sale in back room at Grandpa's.

Grandpa's Fresh Market, owned by Chris and Mike Christensen, has been open in the Albany area at 36483 Hwy 226 for almost 20 years, selling Oregon grown produce, much of which is grown on the farm, surrounding the market. 

 Their business card says it all, "Farm fresh produce-we know  it- cause we grow it."

Right now the products, Oregon made, in the back room of Grandpa's are the biggest attractions.  There are so many treasures to be found from hand made aprons, home decor items, specialty oils and tinctures,  and other speciality items, made by artisans in Oregon.

Most of the produce will be ready for sale in the next two weeks to a month.  There is a blueberry patch, where the customer is able to have them picked or do the picking.

Another display of products goes in the back room at Grandpa's if the price is right.

When the customer enters the open market, they are met by friendly staff and often miss the backroom, as I did, and see the glorious profusion of craft that our citizens create.

Exceptional customer service is a given at this market, demonstrated by Megan, who works there.  Megan was very helpful with customers and handled all transactions as if each customer was the only one.  When a customer complained and wanted her vegetables washed right now, Megan did not even bat an eye and proceeded to the house beside the market and did it for her with a smile.  That is customer service.

Grandpa's is off the beaten path but well worth the trip, especially if you desire great produce and beautiful items for your friends, family and home at a reasonable price.

At a glance:

Grandpa's Fresh Market

36483 Hwy 226 (off hwy 20 on way to Scio), Albany

541-928-8778

grandpasfreshmarket.com

Open May 1 to Nov 15

Monday-Saturday 8:30 a. m. to 7:00 p. m.

Sunday 10 a. m. to 4 p. m.

http://www.localharvest.org/grandpas-fresh-market-M43784

Customers love shopping at Grandpa's.

Senior vouchers and WIC coupons are accepted at Grandpa's Fresh Market.  

Photos for photo essay

Margaret and Justin Henderson runs Peoria Road Farm Market.

Jim's Fruit Stand is still in business and  back in original owner's hands.

This customer is checking out baskets at Peoria Rd Farm Market.

Customer browses for plants to add to home at Davis Family Farm.

This display is in back of Grandpa's Fresh Market.

Farmer markets , some after 20 years, provide premier produce and products of Oregon and Washington.

Peoria Road Farm Market at 33269 Peoria Road, Corvallis (541-207-3327) is open for it's third season.  Run by Justin and Margaret Henderson, their market uses products by local farmers from Washington and Oregon. There are two greenhouses visible from their front door with fields all around from which they get a lot of their produce.
They gladly accept WIC, Oregon Trail, and Senior Vouchers.

Davis Family Farm, 4380 NE Hwy 20, Corvallis,(541) 752-0697)

After being greeted by Kelly Hasenfratz, a tour of Davis Family Farm, across from Trillium School on Highway 20, there was no doubt that the trip was worth the time and gas.
Besides being surrounded by a beautiful display of flowers outside and in the greenhouse, the farm sells all the produce you can want, along with a pumpkin patch with a hay ride in the fall.  Again, this market also shows great customer service and after 20 years, display the given ingredients for success which they have enjoyed.
When reading their reviews, customers from as far as San Francisco, are raving about the pumpkin patch with the hot apple cider and donuts for reasonable prices.

Albany Helping Hands Garden Market and Keep Warm Woodlot at 5150 Santiam Hwy SE, Albany (541-791-1190) is right next to the freeway.

 They accept WIC, Senior vouchers, and Oregon Trail cards, along with wood donated by the community.  Dan Bolger, the manager, explained how the lot sells the wood (three different varieties)  are sold at very reasonable prices and the proceeds go to Helping Hands.
Their produce is not yet ready to be sold but should be available in July. 

Jim Fruit Stand 29338 Hwy 34, Corvallis was another market shown abover, but the  manager was not available for comment.  The stand is now back in the hands of the original owner, Jim.

BATTLESHIP-The Movie

This movie does not live up to the hype from the trailers seen on television, during the Super bowl.  Based on the board game, the Navy is in the Pacific doing war games, when the message released into space is answered.  The aliens have the ability to isolate an area and both sides cannot see each other unless hit.

The subplot was predictable from the first scenes with the two brothers meeting in a bar and one being the responsible, military man who knows what he wants and how to get it, played by Alexander Skarsgaard as Stone Hopper.  While Taylor Kitsch plays Alex Hopper, the younger, irresponsible brother, although highly intelligent has no direction and true character with a cocky, I don’t care attitude.

Entering the scene is Brooklyn Decker, as Samantha, daughter of Liam Neeson as Admiral Shane, a by-the-book career military man, who is immediately entranced by the bad boy appeal of Kitsch.

Start with a new technology that can allow this planet to send out a signal to wherever in space and the military intelligence steps in to get communication, with aliens who are not dramatic or alien enough for most sci-fi fanatics. 

The aliens in this movie are so underplayed that is it almost human-like, similar to humans who had been affected by the atom bomb or Chernobyl on this planet, just taller and bigger with Predator-like suits.  The shield imposed by the aliens has been seen in such works as Independence Day, Eureka, and long forgotten Twilight Zone, should have been centered around the receive and send site for the satellite transmissions.

Battleship: Is it worth the cost of a movie ticket and snacks?

Tadanobu Asano, playing Nagata, a Japanese nemesis to Taylor Kitsch, shows the camaraderie and patriotism, which is possible when people work together for a common cause.

U.S. Army Colonel Gregory D. Gatson as Mick Bell, a double amputee, makes you proud to be an American, while seeing the struggles and triumphs of the veterans, returning from war with limbs gone, dignity lost, and little hope for the future.  This was one of the greatest triumphs in the movie and perfectly played by the highly decorated and brave Gatson.

Another great moment in the movie, which all Americans will love and want to own the movie, is the resurrection of the Battleship-USS Missouri, along with some of the original crew members from that era.

Hamish Linklater, who plays Cal said that when working with Pete Berg, who's directing Battleship, Berg would say, "This script is a blueprint! I want it all improvised, and whatever happens on the day is what we'll shoot."

With a $200 million dollar budget this movie should have rocked the house and the box offices.  Battleship is a movie you would want to rent or own, because paying $10 for admittance, adding 13.50 for popcorn and drink, seems a bit extreme. 

The plot is too predictable, the aliens too human-like and the main characters, like Peter MacNicol, as Secretary of Defense, totally unbelievable, especially when Liam Neelson, a mere Admiral, can hang up on him.  A Secretary of Defense should have been someone like Samuel L. Jackson, Bruce Willis or Sigourney Weaver.

It was disappointing that there were no nail biting, chair holding and scary gasping from the audience with so large a budget and cast.

At  A Glance:
$200 million budget movie with average appeal and acting, except for true military personnel, who performed above the norm.

Movie is worth renting or owning, especially for historical value of personnel and true historical props.

Sites to see reviews and trailers:
http://www.comingsoon.net/news/reviewsnews.php?id=90339

http://www.vulture.com/2011/07/hamish_linklater_the_future.html

http://www.battleshipmovie.net/battleship-facts.html

Arik Hesseldahl

An Alumni returns home

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Arik Hesseldahl visits LBCC journalism students.

Arik Hesseldahl, a former student at Linn Benton Community College, was on campus after more than 20 years to talk to journalism students about some of his career experiences and choices.

Hesseldahl works as a senior editor since December 2010 at AllthingsD, which is connected to but not owned by the Wall Street journal.   Dow Jones owns the web site, with a contractual agreement with Newscorp.

AllthingsD.com, per Wikipedia, is an online publication that specializes in technology and startup company news, analysis, and coverage.  It was founded as an extension of the D:All things Digital conference in 2007 by Kara Swisher and Walt Mossberg.

Hesseldahl is "enterprise dude" and writes a column, NewEnterprise, with a focus on information on corporate technology.


Having recently broke the story regarding the restructuring of Hewlett Packard, with loss of approximately 27,000 jobs and 5,000 of these forced retirement,  Hesseldahl was interviewed on CNN about Mike Daisey’s debacle in his monologue, in which Daisey lied about his story and his sources  with claims of the use of underage workers and about  meeting workers poisoned by a chemical called n-Hexane, used to polish screens for Apple, which adversely affected Apple, Inc.,  and the first release of the Hurd letter, which led to the resignation of Mark Hurd as CEO of Hewlett-Packard in 2010.

Hesseldahl was with BusinessWeek, then owned by McGraw-Hill Companies, when it was at its pinnacle of over 200 pages to its end as BusinessWeek to become Bloomberg Business Week of 72 pages with a poorer quality product.  After being a former senior tech writer for Bloomberg Business Week, a reporter for Bloomberg News, and former senior editor and tech columnist for Forbes.com, Hesseldahl, also, hosts two video podcasts, “Tech 101” and “The Wireless Way”, but got his start as a sports reporter for the Corvallis Gazette Times, in Corvallis, Oregon.


Talking about how he got where he is, Hesseldahl now lives in New York, with a masters in journalism from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism in 1997, receiving a BA in journalism from the University of Oregon in 1993, and after completing work at LBCC, working on The Commuter.

 Being on campus, along with his father, Norm, Hesseldahl came to Oregon this week on his way to a conference in California, admits that he has not been here often due to lack of work but loves and misses natural attractions and people here.


At A Glance:

Former student at LBCC, graduated from University of Oregon, with a masters degree from Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism and now works at AllthingsD.com.

http://allthingsd.com/author/arik/

Arik Hesseldahl (@ahess247) on Twitter

SPORTS FOTOS FOR CLASS

Tim Berg is really a fan with a real tattoo for Sick Town Derby Dames.

Jammer is in the thick of the pack

Jammer (Star on helmet) goes for back of pack.

More Sick Town Derby Dames Pictures

penalty box makes players a little hot under the collar

Announcers spark interest in the game

Kim Links and daughter, Lucy, watch the game.

Our Miranda skates to announce the scores at the games

Teams waiting for jammer to come up from rear

Tim Berg is a real derby fan, the tattoo shows it all

Tim Berg is a real derby fan, the tattoo shows it all

Velma Meana revs the crowd up with a description of the rules of the game.

Workers and fans of roller derby love the game and excitement.

Crowd congratulates team on 118 to 106 victory!!!

Sick Town Derby Dames vs. Rainier City Roller Dolls

Pack is fighting for position before jammer arrives.

Jammer with "Star" on helmet is only 1 can score.

Teams waits for jammer to come up from rear.

The Crowd of colorful characters, from 3 to 80 years of age, gathered at the Linn County Fairgrounds, Saturday, May19, at 6 p. m. for a rousing game of roller derby.

For those who don’t know the game, skaters proceed in a circle with a pivot, 3 blockers, and a jammer from each team.  The jams/sessions last up to 2 minutes but can be stopped at any time by the lead jammer, designated by a referee, who follows that jammer until play is cut off or time expires.

First whistle blast: The pack takes off.  Second whistle: the jammers take off.  The goal is to become the lead jammer, who is the only one who can score by lapping the pack, coming from the rear of the skaters.  And the jammer is the only one who can call off the scoring.

There are many rules to the game: including, no hands, elbows, forearms or heads can be used during play. No tripping, fighting, cutting across the track to better position or blocking out of bounds is allowed.

Kim Links (Obssessive Kimpulsive), with 3 year-old Lucy, said “ being a stay at home mom of 5 daughters, I wanted something to call mine.  I wanted something my girls would be proud of.  I have always loved to skate and I’ve always been one tough woman.  Derby saved my soul.”

At this bout, 50 percent of the proceeds from a raffle held for free passes to game went to the Susan G. Komen for the Cure.

The Sick Town Derby Dames were able to successfully defeat the Rainer City Roller Dolls 118 to 106 with a display of teamwork and respect, which other sports should try to emulate.

More works by Cynthia Spencer

Cynthia Spencer smiles all the time.

This is a collaboration with Jerri Bartholomew called Dream Tree,from slide show.

Another shape frequently seen in Spencer's work, using styrofoam peanuts,from slide show.

Cynthia's first booth at Showcase is displayed,from slide show.

Cynthia's studio  is located at 1105 NW 30th St., Corvallis, from slide show. 

sculpture is created with 23k gold leaf, from slide show .

This functional vase has flower opening in front, from slide show.

Many of Spencer's shapes are the shape of woman, called Trophy Wife, from slide show.

Ceramic work by Spencer displayed in friend's garden, from slide show.

Menopausal Mind is made with Edvard Munch decals over gold leaf (taken from her blog)

Cynthia Spencer’s Ceramic Slide Show

Cynthia Spencer smiles with her whole face

Cynthia Spencer, Corvallis ceramic artist and instructor did a presentation of her works in a slide show on Friday, May 18 at 7 p. m. at the LBCC Benton Center, Rm BC-244, at 757 Polk Ave. NW, Corvallis.

Approximately 20 people attended the presentation of her ceramic works from as early as 1989 to present, where she shows slides from her trip to London and other cities.

Starting her work with clay in the late 1970’s, Spencer states that for approximately 15 years she had  a good run marketing her work through galleries, fairs and trade shows all  over the U. S.  Using press releases and photos from older posts, Spencer uses every outlet she can to promote and sell her work, especially the galleries where she has had successful past sales experiences in consignments.

This shape appears in a lot of Spencer's work, from slide show.

Spencer reminisced about her first showing at the Oregon Potters Association - Ceramic Showcase, where she made a whopping $500 but she credits Showcase with a lot of her success and experience.  Workshops are being offered by Spencer to show new and old artist how to produce and sell the products.

Happy Child is a collection of “personality-filled” sculptures, having made 75 – 80, some with carved hearts or commemorative inscriptions, costing from $350-$500 each depending on size.

All her work is hand-built, cut from slabs of clay or pinch-coiled into shape by hand and then high-fired in her kiln for durability and longer usage.  Firing the pieces in a kiln after using Styrofoam peanuts to make the holes in some of her ceramic pieces as shown below, Spencer shows her ingenious talent.

Spencer makes functional sets of dishes, from slide show.

In the Willamette Ceramics Guild website, Spencer states “As Director of Corvallis Fall Festival I have a pulpit for preaching the benefits of art in our daily lives. Plus, I’m totally into helping potters know how to better market their work and making Corvallis an art destination.”

At A Glance:

Cynthia Spencer, sculptor, ceramic artist and teacher

Future show:  

 Art in the Garden, 19^th Annual Show

Along with Jerri Bartholomew and Louie Gizyn

Studio at 1105 NW 30^th St, Corvallis (around the corner from Sam’s Station)

Saturday, June 2

11 a.m. to 4 p. m.

http://vaseoftheweek.blogspot.com/

http://spencerworkinclay.com/

Photos for week 7-Art Auction



Contributors help raise nearly $10K for new art display cases needed at Benton Center in Corvallis.

This artwork by students at Benton Center in a display case

Exquisite art work sold at the silent auction May 18.

On Friday, May 18, 2012, Linn Benton Community College/Benton Center hosted a silent auction, selling beautiful ceramic pieces to build showcases to display student and community ceramic art from 5:30 to 6:45 p. m.  This special fundraiser celebrated Clay Hands and Heart and was sponsored by LBCC and the Willamette Ceramics Guild. 

Approximately 50 people came out to celebrate the healing art of clay.  Art was bought and funds were donated to build the showcases. 

The ceramic items were tastefully displayed on tables and in art showcases with an artistic eye to draw in the buyers.  

Tables were set up with a wide assortment of food, including prosciutto, different olives, fruits, vegetables and drinks (from water to wine) with music provided by a young quartet with a violin, viola, cello, and bass violin.

The artists contributing artwork are: Dale Donovan, Wally Schwab, Dennis Staats, Christine Federighi, Pat Webber, John Dix, Cynthia Spencer, Nobu Kousai, Nils Lou, Dave Shaner, Frank Boyden, and Lillian Pitt.  

After the silent auction, there was a joyful competition of contributions with one contributor giving $5,000.  Others asked audience members to match their contributions from $100 to $1000 and nearly $10,000 was successfully achieved with true giving from the heart.

When talking with Jeff Davis, Regional Director of Benton Center shared how important it is to have more cases for the artwork which is produced by students and members of the community and is on sale from $10 to hundreds of dollars.  Davis was very encouraging about students taking the classes at the Benton Center, especially the ceramics class taught by Cynthia Spencer, who is not only a teacher but owns a studio where her work is displayed at 1105 NW 30th St, Corvallis.

Some of the attendees and contributors  were Charles Widmer , Jason Widmer, an instructor at LBCC, Jim Birken, Planned Giving Manager, College Advancement/Foundation at LBCC, Cynthia Spencer, teacher and artist, Mark Childress, Ted Ernst, Aaron Reizes, Deb Sether, and Jeff Davis,Regional Director for Benton County, Benton Center.

At a glance:

Silent Art Auction at Benton Center

May 18, 2012 5:30 to 6:45 p. m.

Nearly $10,000 was raised to successfully build the display cases 

Chicken photos from Rosa Calabrese's home

Our coop is so neat and airy.

Spot dines in.

Rio talks to his ladies.

Rio, the rooster, is very possessive and got upset with Calabrese when she picked up one of his ladies.  Rio actually charged her to defend his ladies, even though they have picked out all of his tail feathers, which makes his appearance comical.

Rosa Calabrese's life is fowl

While others were complaining about the amount of homework in math class, Rosa Calabrese actually said "My chicken ate my homework" in class and she meant it. 

Calabrese is the proud owner of Spot and Ophilia, 2 chickens as seen below. Unfortunately, Spot had eaten her math homework and she was out of luck in trying to get it done before class.  Seeing these unusual animals and learning why someone would consider such an unusual pet seemed the ideal assignment.

Spot & Ophilia

Spot and Ophilia are actually trained to wear a diaper and will even let Calabrese know when they need to be changed.  Calabrese, laughingly, said she almost got her eye pecked when she tried to ignore Ophilia one morning when  she wanted her diaper changed.

When talking with Calabrese, she stated that chickens can be trained in a number of ways and to do a number of tricks and they don’t forget.  Calabrese got two of her outdoor chickens and had to keep them in the house for a few days until an enclosure could be made and they still want to sit on her lap.

Since she was a little girl, Calabrese has loved animals and fell in love with chickens.  This love of chickens has developed into a profession and she was going for a poultry degree but Linn Benton dropped this course and she will have to go to Arkansas in fall 2012 to complete her degree.

Calabrese plans to become a hatchery, meat and egg production inspector, whose job is to inspect any poultry production places and make sure they are following standards, such as how the animals are kept and treated.

Trying to improve the living conditions of the animals, since some places say their chickens are free range and they are not, since free range just means that the birds "Have Access" to the outdooors, but doesn't mean they go outside, per Calabrese.  Sometimes the farmers say the chickens go outside once a month, but can't even stand up as they are abnormally  large, which is unhealthy, and this cannot be true.

Another goal that Calabrese has is to raise her own poultry, hopefully, creating the largest breed of chicken, while creating her own exhibition (Show) poultry as well.

Rosa Calabrese. with Aurora & Piper

Having won state championship with her rooster, Diablo, who unfortunately was killed by two roosters she was babysitting for a friend, Calabrese has shown that she is very capable in this field and has many awards with Spot, her 2 year old.

Besides the two chickens and two snakes she has living with her in the house, there are two dogs and six other chickens (Araucana and Polish).  Per Calabrese, she lives with her dad, who isa state computer engineer, and her older sister, Angela, who is going to college for a biology degree and volunteers at the Chintimini Wildlife Center in Corvallis, where she is the head turkey vulture handler.

Although diagnosised with ADHD as a little girl, Rosa Calabrese has shown that each person has their own special talent and hers is with animals.  ADHD has never got in her way as she strove to find her way, even though she was picked on in school, which made making friends very hard. 

Losing her mother when she was 16, due to pnuemonia complications after chemo treatments for cancer. 

Calabrese has owned goats., alpacas, cows, cats, lizards, snakes, and parrots, but, also, rides horses almost every day with her best friend, Kat Conway.

Conway said Calabrese 

--> "has a genuine quality about her that is rare in people and sees the best in people and animals. She has a determination and an interest that I have only seen so strongly in my own horses. What Rosa and I have in common and has brought us together is not only our love for horses but our strong desire to protect their welfare and giving animals both the guidance and the opportunities to reach their full potential. Rosa’s dedication to her chickens and their care is something I admire about her and has given me the ability to trust her with my life’s work (my horses). Rosa never fails to put a smile on someone’s face or to help motivate others with her exceptionally cheerful attitude towards most projects.”

So, when someone tells you the chicken ate my homework, it just might be true.

UPDATE:
Again, Spot ate Rosa's math textbook (not homework).  Life has gone to the chickens.  But life has improved as Rosa has started making the diapers for her babies herself.

At a glance:
Rosa Calabrese, a student at Linn Benton, going for a Poultry degree.

Motto:

People have asked me "Why can’t you be normal?" and I ask in response "What is normal? I feel normal. The way I act is normal. I am normal just the way I am."

Animal lover, has two pet chickens, two snakes, 6 other laying chickens (of varying breeds) and one bad rooster.

Calabrese loves to ride and spends many hours at the stables with the horses.
When researching chickens as pets, it was astonishing to see that there are over 60 breeds in this country alone.
https://www.facebook.com/pages/MI-Chicken-Revolution/213406838671714#!/rosa.calabrese3  to reach Rosa and keep up with the latest escapades of her pets.

One site (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iKrFmgsf58w&feature=relmfu) which discussed in detail chickens as pets or for eggs is

Blue Hill Farms, a magical place situated in the foothills of Ventura, California!

Another site is http://www.mypetchicken.com.
and
http://www.livingthecountrylife.com/animals/chickens-poultry/

One of my favorite places to eat

The Depot, train depot before 1936, still serves Auburn customers

This is the ticket booth from over 36 years ago at original train depot

84 yr old mother enjoys dinner with her beautiful family.  I  hope to get a real interview from her, as I gave her all my information.

At least one of these relics is still in existence today

I am still reseaching this building which was moved 36 years ago to its persent location so that the viaduct on Lyons Street and the new train station in 1906.  More information to follow.....