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THE VALLEY’S PEOPLE, WINE & FOOD November 2011 $3.95 Ashley Trout wine people Supplement of the Walla Walla Union-Bulletin

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Page 1: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

t h e va l l e y ’ s p e o p l e , w i n e & f o o d novemb er 2011 $3.95

Ashley Troutwine people

supplement of the walla walla Union-Bulletin

Page 2: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

2011 Kelley Blue Book Brand Image Awards are based on the Brand Watch™ study from Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence. For more information visit www.kbb.com Kelley Blue Book is a registered trademark of Kelley Blue Book Co., Inc. Subject to availability through 10/31/11 on approved credit through American Honda Finance Corp. Closed-end lease for 2012 Crosstour 2WD EX AT. MSRP $31,150. Actual net capitalized cost $29,862. Total monthly payments $11,550. Option to purchase at lease end $19,002. Closed end lease for 2012 Accord LX Sedan AT MSRP $22,950. Actual net capitalized cost $22,252. Total monthly payments $8,750. Option to purchase at lease end $13,770. Closed-end lease for 2011 CR-V 2WD LX MSRP $22,705. Actual net capitalized cost $22,460. Total monthly payments $9,450. Option to purchase at lease end $13,851. Closed-end lease for 2011 Odyssey LX. MSRP $28,885. Actual net capitalized cost $28,271. Total monthly payments $12,950. Option to purchase at lease end $17,331. Closed end lease for 2012 Pilot 2WD LX MSRP $29,280. Actual net capitalized cost $28,954. Total monthly payments $11,900. Option to purchase at lease end $17,568. Requires dealer contribution, which could affect final negotiated transaction. MSRP includes destination, excludes taxes, license, title fees, options, insurance and dealer fees. Lessee responsible for maintenance, excessive wear/tear and up to 20¢/mile over 12,000 miles/year. See participating dealer for complete details. © 2011 American Honda Motor Co., Inc.

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Page 3: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

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Page 4: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Mor e Lifest yLesPlease like us

Please follow us

12wine people ashley trout “i fell in love with the job before i fell in love with wine.”

4 Walla Walla LifestyLes4 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Page 5: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

NOVeMBeR 2011

table contentsof 8 Chef’s TAble

Manila Bay Café – The little Dayton eatery where food is love.

18 WhAT’s neW in W2 Blue Palm Frozen Yogurt, Real Deals on Home Décor and Mama Mia’s “Pasta on the Go.”

22 WAllA WAllA PeoPle Before he was a winemaker, Dean Derby was an NFL star, but in those days, even stars were humble.

28 WAllA WAllA PeoPle Arborist Andy Asmus has his head in the clouds and his arms around our trees.

32 ArT AT lArge With the holidays fast approaching, Margaret Jamison looks at the lore and lure of gingerbread houses.

36 MusiC Seattle Opera Students visit Walla Walla Community College for a bravura performance.

38 soundWorThy For such a young man, Texas troubadour Quincy Harper has lived a pretty hard life — and it’s all in his songs.

40 neW digs Debbie and Chris Shaffer’s home on Pranger Road is an inge-nious blend of styles — starting with its unique exterior.

46 CAn’T-Miss evenTs

47 Where in WAllA WAllA?

Walla Walla LifestyLes 5Walla Walla LifestyLes 5Walla Walla LifestyLes 5

Phot

o by

Gre

g L

ehm

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Page 6: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

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Page 7: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Editor’s CommEnts / b y Robin Hamilton Lifest yles managing editor

fall is here in earnest and the valley is gearing up for the holidays with parties, parades and celebrations of every stripe.

lifestyles has been gearing up too, featuring more stories about food, wine and the people who make walla walla the interesting place that it is.

harvest is behind us and we’re in the mood for enjoying the fruits —especially of the grape variety — of our local growers’ labor. to celebrate, lifestyles is introducing a new series on the men and women who produce walla walla’s wine. “wine people” is written by sarah Kokernot, a newcomer to walla walla — and to wine. we think her refreshing take on the topic will inspire all our readers — whether they are long-time aficionados or neophytes.

though signs of Christmas appear before hallow-een these days, i figure november is the best time to, reluctantly, start planning for the holidays. Margaret Jamison’s piece on the lore and lure of gingerbread houses will help get you in the mood.

when the weather gets cooler and crisper, some of us begin to think about football. not me, of course, but writer andrew holt, certainly. his story on former national football league great dean derby recalls the good old days of the gridiron, when players tried not to get hurt, played as a team, and were paid next to nothing. derby, who went on to found spring valley vineyard, remembers those days fondly.

diane Reed wears out some serious shoe leather in her quest to find the latest retail trends in her monthly column, “what’s new in w2.” this month, she tips us off to a great new frozen yogurt shop, a store that of-fers tasteful home décor for less, and an italian bistro.

for foodies, writer addison Magness offers a conversation with the chefs at the Manila Bay Café in dayton. the tiny café serves up heat and spice in perfect measure — just what the doctor ordered for a chilly fall day.

Karlene ponti leads us through Chris and debbie shaffer’s cleverly designed home for “new digs,” our column which features houses built after 1950. Camou-flaged as a farm, but with a surprising sophistication, the rooms throughout the shaffer’s home are both airy and substantive.

we’ve added a section on entertainment, and our new music writer, Janna dotolo, interviews Quincy harper, a young musician whose self-revelatory songs offer an uncompromising passion and purpose.

and our arts correspondent Margaret Jamison fills us in on the seattle opera’s young artists program at walla walla Community College, where music lovers will now be able to attend live opera performances by up and coming opera stars. Bravo and brava!

lastly, we welcome steve lenz, our new art director and designer, to the fold. steve is a graphic artist and professional photographer. we’re lucky to have him!

p U B l i s h e R

Rob C. Blethen

e d i t o R

R ick doyle

a d v e R t i s i n g d i R e C t o R

Jay Brodt

M a n a g i n g e d i t o R

Robin hamilton

p R o d U C t i o n M a n a g e R

vera hammill

d e s i g n e R

steve lenz

C o n t R i B U t i n g w R i t e R s

Janna dotolo, Robin hamilton, andrew holt, Margaret Jamison,

sarah Kokernot, addison Magness, Karlene ponti, diane Reed

p h o t o g R a p h e R s

Margaret Jamison, Colby Kuschatka, greg lehman, Kim Miner

s o C i a l M e d i a a n d w e B s i t e

Jennifer henr y

p R o d U C t i o n s t a f f

Ralph hendri x, Chris lee, steve lenz, sherr y Burrows

s a l e s s t a f f

Masood gorashi, Jeff sasser, donna schenk, Colleen streeter,

Mike waltman

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Karlene ponti

a d M i n i s t R a t i v e a s s i s t a n t

Kandi suckow

Cover: photo by greg lehman

f o R e d i t o R i a l i n f o R M a t i o n

R ick doyle rickdoyle@w wub.com

Robin hamilton

robinhamilton@w wub.com

f o R a d v e R t i s i n g i n f o R M a t i o n

Jay Brodt jaybrodt@w wub.com

November 2011

Union-Bulletin.com

PLease Like us

PLease FoLLow us

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Page 8: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Manila Bay Café Justin Jaech and Roger Tumbocon, owners

traditionally one of the most popular seats in a restaurant, the Chef’s table offers the diner an opportunity to talk to the chef one-on-one — to discover his or her favorite local hangouts, predilections and food philosophies — while enjoying a specially prepared dish.

near right: Chef Justin sautees the chicken for his signature dish.

Middle: fresh salad that comes with every dish.

far right: Roger always focuses on beautiful presentation.

8 Walla Walla LifestyLes8 Walla Walla LifestyLes

b y Addison Magness / photos b y Kim MinerFood

Page 9: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

LIFeSTYLeS: looking at the menu, i can see that you’ve got you’ve got an array of cultures represented. i can’t help but wonder where your influences come from. what is your original cooking background?

JUSTIN: well, Roger is the main chef.

ROGeR: no, no, we’re partners.

JUSTIN: i was in the navy for a long time, went all around the world cooking food wherever we went. plus, i was the main cook at home.

LIFeSTYLeS: so, you traveled all over and picked it up from everywhere?

JUSTIN: yeah, that and from both grandmothers.

LIFeSTYLeS: and what about you, Roger?

ROGeR: My father was a chef back home in the philippines, and so that’s how i learned. and, of course, growing up in a third world country then, everything was organic. i don’t know why everything is organic now, but

that’s all we did then. we couldn’t afford pesticide. so, everything is fresh from the garden. that’s something we try to strive for here, the freshest that you can get.

JUSTIN: we do a lot of shopping at andy’s and go to the tri-Cities every other weekend.

LIFeSTYLeS: so, what was your vision with this restaurant? to get people oriented with all types of food?

ROGeR: well … no.

JUSTIN: it used to be more asian. then we went to this “world eclectic” theme, and now we do things like pizza, so there is something for anyone who walks in. dayton is too small to have a specific cuisine.

Roger: so, we cook international food to cater to everybody.

LIFeSTYLeS: how did you get started?

ROGeR: Justin retired as a commander in the navy. so, we wanted to move to a small town just to raise ducks and chickens.

But, then, somebody found out about our background and that we could cook, and said,

“why don’t you open a café?” which was not at all in our plans because we have no idea how to run a business! But we know how to cook, and we know how to entertain. and so, the owner of the village shop, Candie Jones, encouraged us to start a café. we started in the back of the village shop, but we never had the intention of doing this or opening a café.

LIFeSTYLeS: well, clearly it’s worked out. with so many cuisines represented on the menu, how do you manage to keep quality up?

JUSTIN: actually, all we have in the back is a home kitchen stove — it’s a really small kitchen. we don’t have a lot of tables, and we get overwhelmed quickly.

ROGeR: another way we manage quality is that we have a lot of “Closed” signs or

“Reservations only” because we only cook for the few people that we can handle. we’re not doing this just for the money; we are doing it for the fun.

In 2005, Justin Jaech and Roger Tumbocon opened Manila Bay Café in the back of a shop in Dayton. Justin, having just retired from the U.S. Navy, had moved to Dayton to find a quiet place to raise ducks and chickens with Roger Tumbocon. Nearly six years later, the little café has overcome the recession and is thriving in a tiny space in downtown Dayton.

an initial glance at the menu is quite overwhelming. asian dishes dominate, but there’s a definite emphasis on international cuisine. Justin and Roger only cook for the small number of people they can accommodate. the food is fresh, de-

licious and all made-to-order. if they run out of food, their doors close for the day, so reservations are highly recommended. the duo uses local and organic ingredients whenever possible. their motto? love people, cook them tasty food.

Continued on pg. 10 >

Walla Walla LifestyLes 9

Page 10: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

JUSTIN: we usually just do groups of 20 or so with advanced reservations, and limit them to three items or so.

ROGeR: some people are surprised that they need a reservation in dayton, and that’s so we can accommodate them, and we cook everything as ordered.

JUSTIN: we don’t keep anything warm. there’s nothing we can just dish out.

ROGeR: when you order salad, i start cutting the vegetables. we don’t waste food. we don’t have anything pre-made. we only cook small amounts at a time, and if we run out, we close the doors.

LIFeSTYLeS: it seems like a very cosmopolitan mentality — a passion for food and cooking.

ROGeR: that’s right!

JUSTIN: it’s very Japanese, also. i was stationed in Japan, and there are restaurants that are only open for half an hour a day or something.

LIFeSTYLeS: why is dayton chicken formaggi your signature dish?

JUSTIN: Because it was totally invented here. there is a very wide range of ingredients in it, and it’s my recipe. it’s very rich, but also flavorful.

addison Magness is a senior student at whitman College, just getting her feet wet in journalism. Follow her blog at http://addyswwsummer.blogspot.com.

<continued from pg. 9

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Food

Page 11: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

R eC i P e

DAYTON CHICKeN FORMAGGIserves 4

Ingredients:

4 tablespoons wheat flour 2 tablespoons yellow instant masa de maiz flour 2 tablespoons baking powder 2 tablespoons refined sugar 2 tablespoons panko 4 teaspoons dried dill 4 teaspoons dried tarragon leaves 4 teaspoons dried rosemary 4 teaspoons fine-ground white pepper 2 sliced chicken breasts 4 tablespoons rendered pork fat

4 teaspoons butter 1 thinly sliced yellow onion 1 sliced summer squash 1 cup broccoli florets 1 sliced red bell pepper Chinese rice wine Heavy cream Cooked egg noodles Capers smoked cheddar

Method:

Mix the wheat flour, masa flour, baking powder, sugar and panko together with the dried herbs and white pepper. Dredge the sliced chicken in the mixture to coat it. in a large, non-stick frying pan, heat the pork fat and butter on high heat. Lay the coated chicken and vegetables a single layer deep and cook until browned. turn each one over and cook until browned on both sides. Deglaze the pan with some rice wine, being careful not to fully cover the chicken so its crisp coating will not become soggy. immediately heat the cream, pouring it between the chicken and the vegetables. Again, don’t submerge the chicken. turn the heat off or very low to a simmer so the cream starts to thicken. if you have not sliced your chicken too thick, it should be cooked by now, but your first time through, you might want to double-check with a meat thermometer.

serve over egg noodles, garnished with capers and some thinly sliced smoked cheddar.

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Page 12: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

b y Sarah Kokernot / photos b y Greg Lehman

I grew up in the “Bourbon Country” of Kentucky, so I al-ways pictured “wine people” as French. If they were not French, they probably wanted to be French. The women carried small dogs; the men wore polo shirts and boat shoes. The wine people of my imagination knew how to sail but didn’t know how to defrost hamburger meat in the microwave. They would take one look at my Ken-tucky Ale and do their best to not to wrinkle their noses.

i met my first real-life winemaker at a casual backyard wine tasting a few weeks ago who proved my assumptions shamefully inaccurate. ashley trout neither wore a polo shirt nor carried a shih tzu. she carried her six-month-old daughter in an elaborate cloth sling, rocking back and forth to lull her to sleep as the party buzzed away. her strawberry-blond hair was pulled back into a pony-tail, and she had the glow of someone who spends a lot of time in fresh air. around her neck was a gold necklace of a pre-Columbian figurine, given to her by her husband’s Costa Rican side of the family.

i had been in walla walla for three weeks and was dying to ask someone the question: why wine? i mean, it’s tasty and mildly euphoric, but really, how did all this winemaking stuff happen? why wine and not something else?

“it could be carrots,” says trout. “it could be anything.”

the love of winemakers, i would soon learn, has as much to do with the alchemy of wine as it does with the wine itself.

ashley trout did not set out to be a winemaker. she first came to walla walla as a whitman student and soon started working at Reininger winery. she was initially drawn to wine because it seemed like something unique to the region, and making it was a job she would have never been able to do back in her hometown of washington, d.C. this was 1999, when the wine business was just budding, and sweet onions were the crop that put walla walla on the map.

“i fell in love with the job before i fell in love with wine,” says trout. the physical work of wine-

12 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Ashley TroutWine People

Page 13: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

making places a demand on the senses which immediately appealed to her. “there’s a kind of intelligence required in winemaking which we no longer think of as intelligence.” this sort of intelligence requires attention to all the senses — taste, smell and touch are put to use in a way that normally isn’t applied in a nine-to-five office job. for instance, to make a rosé, the winemaker must be on the lookout for the right color of must, the pulp that undergoes fermentation. when the must turns a pinkish color, it’s the signal to move on to the next process.

taste and smell are involved, not just in the final result, but during the crush season. trout and other winemakers make rounds at vineyards to test the quality of grapes, mostly by sampling them. Rather than coming with a preconceived set of expectations, the winemakers let the grapes dictate the qualities of the wine. trout asks, “what’s this grape going to give me?” the answer is partly determined by taste. one essential aspect of choosing the grapes is sampling the seed, which is responsible for producing the wine’s tannins. if the grape isn’t ready, the seed will leave an acidic taste in your mouth like an under-ripe banana. when a grape is harvested later in the year, the seed will have a flavor resem-bling bitter almond. the grapes trout chooses will then be processed into tero estates and flying trout wines. her namesake label focuses on torrontés and malbecs — wines popularly produced in argentina, trout’s seasonal home since 2005.

trout began her yearly migration to argentina when she was injured in a severe climbing accident while traveling in Japan. the fall left her with a broken jaw, knee, hand and femur. the physical pain was difficult. the dullness of sedentary life was worse. she was in a wheelchair for three weeksand missed the washington harvest for the first time since she was 18. trout describes missing the harvest as “a void.” she realized how important winemaking was to her, and, as soon as she recovered, she set her sights on Mendoza, argentina, to work the february crush.

this year she’ll be taking her daughter, alice, to argentina for the first time. they’ll stay with their friend norma, an art teacher who has a

Continued on pg. 14 >

A Washington, D.C., native, trout came to the area as a Whitman student and began working harvest at Reininger Winery. With one notable excep-tion — a climbing accident that left her in a wheelchair — she’s worked harvest ever since.

Top: With the Windrow Vineyards below, Ashley trout enjoys a glass of flying trout wine on the roof of the main winery building.

Walla Walla LifestyLes 13

Page 14: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

“beautiful house and makes marmalade all day.” norma is the aunt of friend who first invited ashley to stay with her so that she could practice english. “we spoke english for maybe two days,” trout laughs. it’s been spanish since then. trout was tempted to travel to argentina while she was eight months pregnant, but norma talked her out of it.

alice, who turned six months old in septem-ber, will also be accompanying her mother to work during the washington crush. like all working mothers, trout wonders how she’ll manage her job with tending to the needs of a small child. “it’ll be curious to see,” she says.

“it won’t be pretty or fun … but i love my job, and i love alice.”

trout’s love of winemaking began with the job, but it wasn’t long before she also fell in love with wine. the life of a winemaker is a seasonal one, with months of frenetic work followed by months of fatigue and hibernation. late one night at the Reininger winery, during the exhausting end of harvest, trout sat out on the porch with her co-workers, worn-out but

content. she tried a Reininger cabernet franc, and that’s when the magic happened. “it was beautiful,” says trout. “it completely validated the exhaustion i was feeling.” the cabernet franc is the lighter “granddaddy” of cabernet sauvi-gnon. this particular incarnation had traces of spice, leather and old cherry. “like drinking velvet,” says trout. the alchemy of winemak-ing had paid off. she says, “you could taste how well-integrated nature had become.”

at the backyard wine tasting, my husband ran off to get a diet Coke and some cookies. i listened to a friend remark on an elusive grassy finish to a chardonnay. people nodded in agree-ment. i stuck my nose in my glass (everyone else had their nose in their glass) and i wondered,

“grassy finish?” a while later the party began to wane, and

we gathered underneath a giant maple lit by a blue paper lantern. i was feeling a little sleepy when someone offered me a glass of red wine. and that’s when i found it, resonating warmly in my mouth. i could feel it in the space under my tongue, something like the forest floor, rich

and muddy. people don’t just make up this stuff about wine – it’s really there. “what is this one called?” i asked around. it was flying trout’s Cutthroat Blend.

sarah kokernot is a freelance writer and walla walla newcomer.

<continued from pg. 13

“there’s a kind of intelligence required in wine-making which we no longer think of as intel-ligence,” trout says, that includes using one’s sense of smell, taste and touch.

“I fell in love with the job before I fell in love with wine.”

14 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Wine People

Page 15: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

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Page 16: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Highway

12

2nd Ave.

1st. Ave.

125

3rd Ave.

Mai

n St

.

Rose

St.

Sum

ach

St.

Alder St.

Park St.

WHITMANCOLLEGE

Palouse St.

Colville St.

4th Ave.

Main St.

Pine St.

Poplar St.

Birch St.

Spokane St. Boyer Ave.

Rose St.

Poplar St.9th St.

13th Ave.

Cherry St.

Highway 12

E St

.

Beech Ave.

Lockheed Ave.

Piper Ave.

G St.

Mill Creek Rd.

Isaacs Ave.

AirportTerminal

Highway 12 Last Chance R

d.

Frog Hollow

McD

onald Rd.

Lowden - G

ardena Rd.

LOWDEN

Detour Rd.

Mojonnier Rd.

Sw

eagle Rd.

To Touchet Detour R

d.Frenchtow

n Rd.

Hoon R

d.Short Rd.

S. G

ose St.College A

ve.

To Walla Walla

To M

ilton

-Fre

ewat

er

To Walla Walla City Center

Airp

ort W

ay

Grumman Ave.

Fairchild Ave.

Cessna Ave.

Aeronca Ave. F St

.

Lear Ave.

Douglas Ave.

Curtis Ave.

C St

.

Republic Ave.

Ryan Ave.

F St

. Stinson Ave.

B St

.

Boeing Ave.

F St

.

D St.

A St

.

ToWaitsburg,

DaytonLewiston

125

Peppers B

ridge Rd.

Pranger R

d.

Old M

ilton Hw

y.

Old Milton Hwy.

Braden R

d.

J.B. George Rd.

Whiteley Rd.

Stateline Rd.WASHINGTON

OREGON

Larson

To Milton-Freew

ater

To W

alla W

alla

125

27

1. AMAVi CeLLARs 3796 Peppers Bridge Road (509) 525-3541 www.amavicellars.com

2. BAseL CeLLARs estAte WineRy 2901 Old Milton Hwy. (509) 522-0200 www.baselcellars.com

3. BeRgeVin LAne VineyARDs 1215 W. Poplar St. (509) 526-4300 bergevinlane.com

4. BunCHgRAss WineRy 151 Bunchgrass Lane (509) 540-8963 www.bunchgrasswinery.com

5. CAstiLLo De feLiCiAnA 85728 Telephone Pole Road Milton-Freewater (541) 558-3656 www.castillodefeliciana.com

6. Don CARLo VineyARD 6 W. Rose St. (509) 540-5784 www.doncarlovineyard.com

7. DunHAM CeLLARs 150 E. Boeing Ave. (509) 529-4685 www.dunhamcellars.com

8. fiVe stAR CeLLARs 840 C St. (509) 527-8400 www.fivestarcellars.com

9. foRgeRon CeLLARs 33 W. Birch St. (509) 522-9463 www.forgeroncellars.com

10. founDRy VineyARDs 13th Ave. and Abadie St. (509) 529-0736 www.wallawallafoundry.com/ vineyards

11. foRt WALLA WALLA CeLLARs 127 E. Main St. (509) 520-1095 www.fortwallawallacellars.com

3

9

24

21

62 3

2031

2 2

37 38

1141

12. gLenCoRRie 8052 Old Highway 12 (509) 525-2585 www.glencorrie.com

13. gRAntWooD WineRy 2428 Heritage Road (509) 301-0719 (509) 301-9546

14. L’eCoLe no 41 WineRy 41 Lowden School Road and U.S. Hwy. 12 (509) 525-0940 www.lecole.com

15. Long sHADoWs 1604 Frenchtown Road (Formerly Ireland Road) (509) 526-0905 www.longshadows.com By invitation only. Requests accepted on a limited basis. Please call to inquire.

16. LoWDen HiLLs WineRy 1401 W. Pine St. (509) 527-1040 www.lowdenhillswinery.com

17. noRtHstAR WineRy 1736 J.B. George Road (509) 524-4883 www.northstarmerlot.com

18. PePPeR BRiDge WineRy 1704 J.B. George Road (509) 525-6502 www.pepperbridge.com

19. RoBison RAnCH CeLLARs 2839 Robison Ranch Road (509) 301-3480 robisonranchcellars.com

20. sAPoLiL CeLLARs 15 E. Main St. (509) 520-5258 www.sapolilcellars.com

21. seVen HiLLs WineRy 212 N. Third Ave. (509) 529-7198 www.sevenhillswinery.com

22. sinCLAiR estAte VineyARDs 109 E. Main., Ste 100 (509) 876-4300 www.sinclairestatevineyards.com

13 1412

10

19

23. sPRing VALLey VineyARD 18 N. Second Ave. (509) 525-1506 www.springvalleyvineyard.com

24. suLei CeLLARs 355 S. Second Ave. (503) 529-0840 www. suleicellars.com

25. syZygy 405 E. Boeing Ave. (509) 522-0484 www.syzygywines.com

26. tHRee RiVeRs WineRy 5641 Old Highway 12 (509) 526-9463 [email protected]

27. teRtuLiA CeLLARs 1564 Whiteley Road (509) 525-5700 www.tertuliacellars.com

28. tRust CeLLARs 202 A St. (509) 529-4511 www.trustcellars.com

16 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Page 17: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Highway

12

2nd Ave.

1st. Ave.

125

3rd Ave.

Mai

n St

.

Rose

St.

Sum

ach

St.

Alder St.

Park St.

WHITMANCOLLEGE

Palouse St.

Colville St.

4th Ave.

Main St.

Pine St.

Poplar St.

Birch St.

Spokane St. Boyer Ave.

Rose St.

Poplar St.9th St.

13th Ave.

Cherry St.

Highway 12

E St

.

Beech Ave.

Lockheed Ave.

Piper Ave.

G St.

Mill Creek Rd.

Isaacs Ave.

AirportTerminal

Highway 12 Last Chance R

d.

Frog Hollow

McD

onald Rd.

Lowden - G

ardena Rd.

LOWDEN

Detour Rd.

Mojonnier Rd.

Sw

eagle Rd.

To Touchet Detour R

d.Frenchtow

n Rd.

Hoon R

d.Short Rd.

S. G

ose St.College A

ve.

To Walla Walla

To M

ilton

-Fre

ewat

er

To Walla Walla City Center

Airp

ort W

ay

Grumman Ave.

Fairchild Ave.

Cessna Ave.

Aeronca Ave. F St

.Lear Ave.

Douglas Ave.

Curtis Ave.

C St

.

Republic Ave.

Ryan Ave.

F St

. Stinson Ave.

B St

.

Boeing Ave.

F St

.

D St.

A St

.

ToWaitsburg,

DaytonLewiston

125

Peppers B

ridge Rd.

Pranger R

d.

Old M

ilton Hw

y.

Old Milton Hwy.

Braden R

d.

J.B. George Rd.

Whiteley Rd.

Stateline Rd.WASHINGTON

OREGON

Larson

To Milton-Freew

aterTo

Walla

Walla

125

27

29. VA PiAno VineyARDs 1793 J.B. George Road (509) 529-0900 www.vapianovineyards.com

30. WALLA WALLA VintneRs Vineyard Lane off Mill Creek Road (509) 525-4724 www.wallawallavintners.com

31. WALLA WALLA WineWoRks 31 E. Main St. (509) 522-1261 www.wallawallawineworks.com

32. WooDWARD CAnyon WineRy 11920 W. Hwy. 12, Lowden (509) 525-4129 www.woodwardcanyon.com

33. JLC WineRy 425 B. St. (509) 301-5148

34. sAViAH CeLLARs 1979 J.B. George Rd.

35. Le CHAteAu 175 E. Aeronca Ave.

36. ReiningeR WineRy 5858 Old Highway 12 509-522-1994

37. PLuMB CeLLAR 9 S. First Ave. (509) 876-4488 www.plumbcellars.com

38. MAnsion CReek CeLLARs 9 S. First Ave. (253) 370-6107 www.mansioncreekcellars.com

39. WAteRMiLL WineRy 235 E. Broadway, Milton-Freewater (541) 938-5575 www.drinkcider.com

40. BLue MountAin CiDeR 235 E. Broadway, Milton-Freewater (541) 938-5575 watermillwinery.com

41. WALLA fACes 216 E. Main St. 877-301-1181, ext. 2 www.wallafaces.com

7

25

30

9

8

33

35

32 1412

15

26

36

13

4

6

29

34

40

1

2

17 18

27

28

39

Walla Walla LifestyLes 17

Page 18: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

W2WHAT’S NEW IN

THERE’S ALWAyS

SOMETHING NEW

HAPPENING IN WALLA

WALLA IF yOU kNOW

WHERE TO LOOk

Blue Palm Frozen Yogurt1417 Plaza Way, Walla Walla 509-876-2389

Monday to Thursday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. friday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. saturday, 8 p.m. to 11 p.m. sunday, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. hours vary seasonally

www.bluepalmyo.com follow them on facebook

yo, this stuff is good!If you’ve been wondering about that big, blue palm tree on Plaza Way, it’s time to pull in for a taste of sublime and sensible frozen yogurt.

18 Walla Walla LifestyLes

by Diane Reed / photos by Diane ReedPlaces

Page 19: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

owners paula elsom and heather threadgill, who met at walla walla University, were big fans of frozen-yogurt shops in California and hawaii. they decided that walla walla needed one, too, and Blue palm frozen yogurt was their answer to that need. although the shop has the put-together look of a franchise, the style and panache are paula and heather’s own creation.

to get the finest product, they selected yoCream yogurt, made in portland from all-natural ingre-dients and featuring live yogurt cultures. it tastes yummy, and it’s good for you!

Blue palm frozen yogurt allows you to fashion your own yogurt creations. first, pick from their ever-changing selection of flavors (10 every day, and you can sample any flavor). daily temptations may include “Cable Car” chocolate, alpine vanil-la, peanut butter, original tart, very strawberry, cake batter, cookies and cream, greek-style with honey, and cappuccino. seasonal offerings include huckleberry, pumpkin pie and eggnog. paula and heather also offer nonfat, nondairy and no-added-sugar versions with flavors such as “mango tango,” raspberry and blueberry. you can even swirl two flavors together. then embellish your creation with

any of their 50 dry and fresh toppings, including hand-prepared, in-season fresh fruit. toppings include a wide variety of familiar candies, as well as exotics like green tea mochi and bursting boba. top with sauces like hot fudge, peanut butter and caramel. Blue palm also offers homemade granola, which makes a wonderful late breakfast topped with yogurt and fresh fruit. so, go crazy with your creation! and, since you pay by the ounce, you can have as little or as much as you want.

then, kick back and enjoy the whimsical island feel of the shop and its seasonal patio, designed to be a gathering place where you’ll feel like you’re on vacation on a tropical island — you’ll definitely want to linger for a while. take advantage of their free wi-fi, catch some sports or the weather on tv, and enjoy a cup of coffee or their free fruit-infused water. the shop is available for special events, in-cluding birthday parties. they’re also planning special events for seniors and other groups and clubs, so stay in touch.

paula and heather are dedicated to giving back to the community by supporting local causes. so, enjoy your creation and think about all the good it’s doing!

left: Co-owners of Blue Palm frozen yogurt Heather threadgill and Paula elsom.

bottom left: Raspberry-pomegranate with fresh fruit at Blue Palm frozen yogurt.

right: Blue Palm fro-zen yogurt’s whimsical palm tree.

Continued on pg. 20 >

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Walla Walla LifestyLes 19

Page 20: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

let’s Make a deal! An unassuming strip mall tucked behind a car wash on east Isaacs is home to an unexpected treasure trove of decorator delights. Real Deals on Home Décor, which is only open two days a week, provides a selection of wall art, clocks, mirrors, accent furniture and accessories sure to please your budget and your style.

ginny perry and her daughter Kyla nunes joined forces several years ago to open Real deals on pine street. they recently relocated to larger quarters on east isaacs that provides them with an economical and spacious showroom and 3,000 square feet of ware-house space for their fast-moving inventory. (one of Kyla’s newest skills is driving the forklift in the ware-house.) shipments are received ever y week, and new items are added to the store every day.

Real deals is a fran-chise, which gives gin-ny and Kyla access to a wide variety of inven-tory at favorable prices. But they’ve personal-ized the store to fit the tastes of their loyal customers, who come from as far away as la grande and pendleton. (note to west siders — you won’t find a Real deals store anywhere near seattle.) one corner of their showroom is devoted to wine-country accessories, another features rustic, cabin-inspired pieces, and there are seasonal displays. among their best sellers are their moderately priced lamps, clocks

and mirrors. accessories, candles (including led candles), decorative signs and flowing organza are among their offerings. their furniture ranges from elegantly formal to shabby chic and includes large and accent pieces.

even though their everyday prices are reasonable, ginny and Kyla hold discount open houses four to five times a year, and members of their “fan club” get e-mails and postcards with special offers. you can also fol-low them on facebook at Real deals home décor — walla walla to keep up with new developments.

for ginny, the best thing about Real deals is the chance to work with her daughter, and Kyla has also enjoyed decorating her own house on a budget. her

advice to novice or nervous decorators is to find a piece that you love — an “inspiration piece” — and develop your decor from that piece. sounds like good advice, and Real deals on home décor is a good place to start!

Real Deals on Home Décor1917 e. isaacs Ave., Walla Walla 509-529-7100

Thursday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. saturday, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.

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<continued from pg. 19

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Places

Page 21: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Mama Mia! that’s some spicy Meatball!If you’re looking for homemade goodness, pop in to Mama Mia’s Pasta “On the Go,” tucked in next to the Tiki Teriyaki Grille, just off Rose Street across from the Blue Mountain Mall. (Tiki Teriyaki Grille is owned and operated by Patti Cordeiro and her sister Melissa Locati.) Mama Mia’s is Patti’s newest venture, inspired by the recipes of her extended family — the Palermos and Locatis. She’s made it a family affair with her son Spencer and nephew Shawn Harris on the staff, under manager Tacy Smiley-Benzel.

stepping into Mama’s is like stepping into an intimate italian bistro, with stools crafted from wine barrels at the pasta bar and old family photos on the walls, not to mention the original sausage-making equipment. as you watch the sauces and pasta being prepared, let your mind wander into the tile mural of the amalfi coast behind the stove. patti wants you to feel like “you’re sitting in your auntie’s or mama’s kitchen.” and you will.

Mama Mia’s offers a va-riety of fresh-made pasta

— fettuccine, linguini, pap-pardelle, penne, radiatori and pastas incorporat-ing vegetables. the sauces — including meat sauce, alfredo, marinara and vodka — are all made from scratch.

Complement your dish with delicious meatballs or homemade italian sausage made from the locati family recipe. vegetarians, Mama

Mia’s homemade meatless meatballs are so tasty, you won’t believe they’re meatless, and all their sauces — except the meat sauce — are vegetar-ian. top your meal off with hot breadsticks and

one of their fresh salads including Mama’s salad and Caesar salad, all featuring homemade dress-ings. or try one of their tasty sandwiches, like guido’s meat-ball or pa’s italian sausage. how about a flatbread pizza?

look for mouth-watering daily specials like baked lasa-gna (every friday), pepperoni pizza boats and baked spaghetti. dishes are available to eat in or for takeout. you can also take home

their wide selection of freshly made pasta or specialty raviolis.

Mama’s offers family-style takeout so you can put together your choice of pasta, sauces and sides to serve at home. they can also prepare

a fabulous meal for large parties (something to keep in mind over the holidays), and deliv-ery is available from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., tuesday through saturday. sounds like a good excuse for an office party!

Mama Mia’s is a great place to enjoy a taste of italy or take it home with you. as Mama would say, Buon appetito!

Diane Reed is a freelance writer, photographer and observer of life. if you know about something new in w², e-mail her at [email protected]. Between columns and when the spirit moves her, she blogs at www.ponderingsbydianereed.blogspot.com

Mama Mia’s Pasta “On the Go” 203 Wildwood st. (off rose), Walla Walla 509-529-4828

Tuesday to saturday, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

follow them on facebook

Manager tacy smiley-Benzel pre-pares sauces at Mama Mia’s Pasta

Mama Mia’s meatballs and meat sauce, house salad.

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Meatballs, biscotti, pan forte, pastries & more.

Gift Shop & Greenhouse Linens, candles, home & garden decor – plus handmade holiday wreathes and container plants.

Walla Walla LifestyLes 21

Page 22: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

22 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Page 23: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

In a time when many professional athletes’ salaries and behavior often seem absurd, former NFL star Dean Derby serves as a reminder of a simpler time in American professional sports.

prior to this professional football season, the national football league experienced its longest work stop-page in league history as the players association and the owners quibbled over how to divvy up the league’s an-nual revenue of $8 billion. the reve-nue over which they fought comes not only from ticket sales and television rights, but also nfl merchandise.

this is all very different from the late 1950s and early ’60s when walla walla’s own dean derby starred for the pittsburgh steelers and Min-nesota vikings. “the owners were just struggling to survive, then,” he says. the idea of $8 billion floating around to stuff in their coffers was unthinkable. the all-pro defensive back signed a lot of autographs for adoring youngsters after games, but there were no $100 dean derby jer-seys hanging in sports shops at malls or in stadiums back in his day, and his first contract was for $8,000 (non-guaranteed), with a $500 signing bo-nus. and no semblance of a players union existed.

yes, it was a very different world when the University of washington husky star entered the nfl in 1957, nothing like the super corporate atmosphere of today’s game.

“i never had any idea it (the nfl) would be like this,” derby says with a shrug. “it was great, and we (the players) thought it would be around and become suc-cessful … but nothing like this.” as derby sits in his living room, musing about the obscene escalation of professional football salaries, there is no resentfulness in his voice. he sees it as capitalism at work — the american way.

and although he never signed a guaranteed long-term contract for multi-millions, he is very content with his days in the nfl. “football has been wonderful to me,” he says. “it gave me the most wonderful experiences — like the cama-raderie.” that feeling of camaraderie does not exist in today’s game, he says. today’s players

have their own agents, their own rooms on the road, and many have their own entourages that shuttle them everywhere. derby had his teammates.

he recalls that after his first professional game, the unbreakable bond with his teammates immedi-ately became apparent. derby had been asked to play running back (not his normal position) and had never

“been hit so hard in my damn life,” he says. Bruised and exhausted, he had limped back to his boarding room to collapse. Minutes later, there was a knock on the door. “get up, derby, we’re going out for beers!” one of his teammates yelled. “i told him that i was too tired and bruised to go out, that i just wanted to sleep. But he’d have none of it. he said, ‘you’re a part of this football team, and we stick to-gether, so get your clothes on because you’re coming with us.’”

derby says that pittsburgh play-ers would go bowling together every Monday night. they always had beers together after the games, especially the steelers defensive players, and always had each others’ back. derby, who in 1959 led the league in inter-ceptions, attributes the loss of cama-raderie in today’s nfl to free agency. in his era, players could not move around from team to team like they

can today. “if you were pretty good, you were going to be with the steelers a long time, and you built friendships with these guys. today, guys may only be on a team for a year, and then they’re gone.”

the current players’ enormous earning power has changed the nature of the game in other

when the Nfl was Rough and Humble

far left: At spring Valley Vineyard, Dean Derby holds a favorite photo from his playing days with the Pittsburgh steelers. Above: Derby played running back on two Wa-Hi state Championship teams before heading to uW.

Walla Walla LifestyLes 23

People

by Andrew Holt / photos by Greg Lehman

Continued on pg. 24 >

Dean Derby

Page 24: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

24 Walla Walla LifestyLes

<continued from pg. 23People

Page 25: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

ways, says derby. he believes long-term guar-anteed contracts have led to more injuries. in his day, if a player was seriously injured in mid-season, he was given money for a train ticket home and never saw the balance of his contract. so, players didn’t take unnecessary risks. al-though they played hard and racked up their fair share of injuries, they didn’t have the same sense of security as the present-day player does. today’s professional athlete knows he’ll receive his healthy salary even if he suffers a season- or career-ending injury.

there are also more injuries today, derby as-serts, because limited roles allow players to go at

“full speed.” they are fresh for the 15 or 20 plays for which they are on the field. in the ’50s and

’60s, not only did many players start on both offense and defense, but there were very few substitutions. “you had to pace yourself, and you got tired. you didn’t recklessly throw your body into someone. you just tried to get them down.” Current nfl rosters carry 57 players. in derby’s day, there were only about 30. you couldn’t afford to get injured.

when the nfl management and the players association signed their new Collective Bargain-ing agreement this past summer, it contained a

clause that prohibited two practices in one day in pre-season training camp – a staple of derby’s summer days preparing for the season. today’s players say they don’t need the grueling “two-a-days” because they are already in top shape from their off-season workouts. some train all year long. this was not the case when derby played, for then players had to carry off-season jobs to pay the rent. training camp was used to get into shape.

derby worked as a salesman for a trucking company in the off-season, and with a burgeon-ing family, he didn’t have time to work out. “we needed two months of training camp.” and training camp was a whole different story back then. players roomed together in small college dorm rooms with no air conditioning in the dead of summer. there was a strict curfew, and the only form of entertainment was a cold beer at the lone bar in town.

now, players have two weeks of camp in rooms that are tooled with hd televisions, in-ternet and air conditioning. Camp is only two weeks long, and a variety of entertainment is housed within the mega training complex itself.

was the game better then? has it been poi-soned by ungodly sums of money? derby isn’t

inclined to make that judgment. But it has brought a change in the player, he believes. all the celebrating that occurs on the field today never entered a player’s mind in his era. a great example was the Cleveland Browns’ running back, Jim Brown, considered by many to be the greatest player ever. “he was phenomenal,” says derby, who entered the league the same year as Brown. “But he never said a word. he never said anything negative, and he never said anything positive. if he ran over you for twenty yards, he didn’t say anything, and if you caught him for a loss, he never said anything. he was tight-lipped.”

derby pauses. “the most important thing,” he says, “is that you knew that you played well and that your teammates respected you. even when we lost, if the defense played well, we’d say, ‘hey, let’s go out. we deserve at least a beer.’”

andrew Holt is a freelance writer. He can be reached at [email protected]

far left: Derby led the league in intercep-tions earning him a trip to the Pro Bowl in 1959.

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Page 26: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

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Page 27: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

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28 Walla Walla LifestyLes

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Man hugs treeb y Robin Hamilton / photos b y Colby Kuschatka

Arborist and organic farmer Andy Asmus knows his way around this “City of Trees.”

andy asmus can pinpoint the exact moment when he fell in love with trees.

he was eight years old and visiting his grand-father, who had a garden with a glorious graven-stein apple tree with apples as big grapefruit.

one day, asmus’ grandfather handed him a hatchet. he told his grandson to climb up in the tree and chop off a bunch of branches. like any respectable youngster, andy loved to climb trees and this was his favorite.

“the fact that my grandfather trusted me enough to do this big job made a huge impact on me,” asmus says.

no matter that after working for a while, as-mus’ hand got tired and he dropped the hatchet, which bounced off a limb and hit his cousin in the leg (the flat side, and she wasn’t wounded). from that moment on, andy was hooked.

with his wife, emily, andy started welcome table farm, which provides food for dozens of local families through its community-supported-agriculture program. they also sell their produce and flowers at walla walla farmers Market.

looking for a way to support the farm during its early years, asmus began doing some landscap-ing and trimming trees. then came walla walla’s epic windstorm in 2008.

“i had rented a chipper two days before the storm and ended up keeping it for three weeks,” he says.

the storm was a wake-up call for many of walla walla’s homeowners: trees are wonderful and add property value, but they need regular main-tenance. suddenly, asmus was in high demand.

what many of his storm-struck clients dis-covered was a bonus. asmus is a highly educated arborist who uses advanced tree-climbing tech-niques to trim and maintain residential trees.

asmus went to school to study horticulture and graduated with a degree in organic farming and orchard systems, which paved the way for his future careers as an organic farmer and arborist.

these days, asmus works with Kirk huffey as second-in-command. huffey began working on the farm when asmus asked if huffey would like to tag along on a “tree doctor” call. now as smitten with tree-climbing as his boss, huffey will be taking his arborist exam this december.

“Most people call for an assessment of their trees,” asmus says. “we see trees with disease, pest conditions, those that interfere with utilities, and those that are just thick and overgrown. we work to both reduce hazards and improve overall health and balance.”

Rather than using a bucket truck, asmus climbs the tree, using soft-soled boots. he relies on a sturdy sit harness, ropes and ascenders to get into the upper branches. Many of the trees he works in are 100 feet tall. “Most of the work is in the upper canopy,” he says. “with bucket trucks, you’re limited in gaining access to that part of the tree.”

among the things he carries are a Japanese handsaw, a 14-foot pole saw and a chainsaw, when necessary. “nine out of 10 accidents involve a chainsaw,” asmus says. “it’s more weight around your hips, so i use them only when they make sense.” Mostly he uses the pole saw.

it’s hard, physical work, but asmus and huffey love this vertical world. like asmus, huffey has taken to climbing trees with a fervor only rock climbers would understand. there’s something about being way off the ground that sharpens your senses and gives you perspective.

Continued on pg. 30 >

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People Andy Asmus

Page 30: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

tree tips for homeowners November is a great time to take care of tree-trimming and other tree maintenance. Arborist Andy Asmus offers the following information for homeowners:

<continued from pg. 29

Top Photo: the sycamore is slowly swal-lowing this basketball hoop, an interesting

case of nature’s dominion over man.

Middle Photo: for safety reasons, Asmus has to take his wedding ring off when he works. for sentimental reasons, he has a

band tattooed on his ring finger.

bottom Photo: Dad (Asmus is about to be a father for the second time) loves his work.

1 Mature, well-maintained trees increase property values, reduce summertime cooling bills and reduce water run-off.

2 when planting new trees, consider the height and breadth of the trees at maturity. Make sure the tree is placed where it will not interfere with power and phone lines, other trees or land-scape features. also, make sure that it is far enough away from your house to prevent excess root pressure against the foundation.

3 Misapplication of herbicide and lawn fertilizer (i.e., "weed and feed") can cause tree damage and death, particularly among younger trees. Be aware when apply ing these chemicals yourself, and/or ask your yard crew to avoid the root zone of your trees.

4 the most common cause of decline in mature trees is construction damage (including installation of lawn irriga-tion). damage or removal of structural roots reduces a tree's ability to take up water and nutrients, and increases the risk of blow-down in high winds. this damage can be minimized with some brief planning and communication with contractors at the beginning of construction projects.

5 topping trees is illegal within the city easements, and for good reason. it is very difficult to convince a tree to be smaller than it wishes to be. topping leads to rapid and weak re-growth, in-troduction of rot in the main trunk of the tree, and an eventual increase in hazardous conditions.

6 Maintenance pruning should be per-formed every three to five years on ma-ture trees (when a tree is kept in good shape, the costs of continued upkeep are minimal). thinning in the upper canopy can reduce the movement of the tree in high winds by a third or more, reducing the risk of breakage and blow-down by a similar degree — something to really consider given our winter weather.

7 when shopping for a tree service, choose contractors who are certified arborists. they have been endorsed by the interna-tional society of arboriculture as those who have up-to-date knowledge and the relevant experience within the field of tree care.

andy asmus can be reached at www.wallawallatreecare.com.

30 Walla Walla LifestyLes

People

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The winter holidays bring an attendant load of miscellany – Christmas cards, gift lists, coat drives and New Year’s resolutions. Add to that plenty of angst and lots of arts and crafts, from Hanukkah dreidels and Kwanzaa fabrics to Styrofoam snowmen and handmade tree ornaments.

one particularly charming form of this sea-sonal kitsch is the gingerbread house. this fra-grant folk art developed in germany on the heels of the 1812 publication of “hansel and gretel” by Jacob and wilhelm grimm, who, of course, did not invent the story, but simply preserved an old folk tale. Clearly, people had been fan-tasizing about nibbling away on shingles and windowpanes for generations.

eighty years later, engelbert humperdinck produced his famous opera of the story, which was an instant success. inspired by the opera

sets, people began to create their own fanciful hexenhäuser, or witches’ houses, out of ginger lebkuchen dough, white icing and festive candies. and since the opera had premiered on decem-ber 23, it became a Christmas tradition, forever linking the gingerbread house to this particular holiday season.

But why was gingerbread used in the folk tale to begin with? Because it has a tantalizing aroma? Because it’s a reasonable color for a house? Because it is delicious? i think there’s a much more practical answer. the kind of gingerbread

people had been baking for centuries was hard stuff — and probably not so delicious. it was pressed into wooden molds and baked into cakes that were used to aid indigestion, the way we use ginger tea or ginger ale for stomach upsets. it would have been a perfectly believable building material for a fairy-tale house, closely resembling what modern bakers call “structural” ginger-bread, an unleavened cousin to the cookie dough.

structural gingerbread pieces are on display during the month of december at the Marcus whitman hotel, created by architects, pastry

looking good enough to eat: gingerbread houses have ancient foundations

32 Walla Walla LifestyLes

b y Margaret JamisonArt at Large

Page 33: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

chefs and other interested people as a fundraiser to benefit the Blue Mountain Community founda-tion. if you’ve ever attempted your own construc-tion, you will doubly appreciate the skill and planning that goes into these elaborate scenes.

people were not always permitted to make their own gingerbread. as early as the 16th century, guilds were established to regulate its production and sale. to be considered for member-ship, bakers had to create a masterpiece display-ing their skills and own their own ovens; they often employed carpenters, sculptors, painters and goldsmiths to build molds and decorate the finished products. only at Christmas and easter were ordinary people allowed to bake their own gingerbread.

once people began to eat gingerbread for its flavor and not for its medicinal properties, a demand grew for shaped cookies. Queen eliza-beth i essentially invented the gingerbread man by presenting visiting dignitaries with ginger cookies in their own likenesses. hearts and bells, decorated and hung on ribbons, were favorites at fairs and as gifts; they are still immensely popular at Christmas and easter markets throughout germany and eastern europe. these lebkuchen are virtually indestructible and remind me of the springerle brought to us every Christmas by a great-aunt. another form of molded northern cookie, these were an annual childhood disap-pointment. they looked so pretty, but eating them was like trying to eat bricks. we called them “esther’s cement cookies” and learned to dread their arrival.

now that we have the right to bake our own gingerbread — and the glorious spices to fla-vor it with (brought by returning crusaders in the 12th century) — we must figure out how to put the materials together to make a hexen-haus. Underbaked dough can cause your walls to bow and collapse; overbaked material can crack. one of the ironic keys to a successful gingerbread house is the use of structural gingerbread rather than regular ginger-cookie dough. this guaran-tees rigid walls, but is not particularly edible (which seems to defeat the whole purpose of the original endeavor).

left: gingerbread creations by professional pastry chefs show impressive construction skills and expert planning. Photo courtesy of Down-town Walla Walla foundation.

right: traditional lebkuchen mold from nuremburg, germany, which is one of the gingerbread capitals of the world. Photo by Margaret Jamison.

Continued on pg. 34 >

Walla Walla LifestyLes 33

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then there’s the icing, which is used as the glue to hold the structure together, as well as for decorative details. Royal icing (the tra-ditional icing for fruitcakes, the preferred wedding cake among english royals) and a pastry bag are the recommended materials — great for experienced pastry chefs but not so easy for novice engineers. holding up walls while squeezing a bag full of sticky, stiff paste requires coordination and strength. there is also much drying time necessary between steps or the whole thing can slide into a pile. this is not a project to be slapped together in an afternoon with small, impatient children hanging about. they are likely to eat up your bowls of decorating candies before you can get the roof on.

for those small people, god gave us gra-ham crackers and squirtable frosting. there are also kits available for would-be builders; some have even done the baking for you. these may lack the stamp of originality, but they al-low busy people to participate in this age-old folk art just the same.

Margaret Jamison is an artist, writer and teacher living in walla walla. Contact her at [email protected].

<continued from pg. 33

the Pioneer Park bandstand, crafted by professionals, even had edible railings. Photo courtesy of Downtown Walla Walla foundation.

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34 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Art at Large

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seattle opera young artists program Thanks to three enterprising music professors and the Seattle Opera’s Young Artists Program, Walla Walla Community College is now able to host live opera performances.

the college’s involvement with opera began in the spring of 2009 when Julie Jones, vocal music director at wwCC, and Kristin vining, who teaches music at wwCC, whitman and walla walla University, took a group of com-munity college students to see the seattle op-era’s production of Mozart’s comic masterpiece,

“the Marriage of figaro.” the students were so enthralled that Jones and vining enlisted a third music professional, Christine Janis, who teaches at wwU and directs both the walla walla Choral society and st. silouan’s church choir, to help them bring opera to walla walla. together, the three women raised enough funds to contract with the seattle opera for one of their young artists program performances that fall. pro-moted only through their students, and with a walla walla Union-Bulletin Marquee cover story, tickets for the one-night-only performance of another great Mozart comic piece, “Cosí fan tutte,” sold out within two hours. walla walla was definitely ready for opera.

the young artists program is essentially boot camp for emerging opera singers, according to aren der hacopian, the program’s director. founded in 1998, it has been the springboard for many singing careers. More than 640 ap-plicants vie for between three and five spots annually. the winners come to seattle for 21 weeks of intensive vocal, stage, acting and lan-guage coaching. they present concerts and re-citals, play smaller parts in mainstage seattle opera productions, and cap the experience by performing a full opera on their own, which they present at six different venues in washington and British Columbia.

the purpose of the program is twofold: to bring opera to communities that otherwise do not have access to this experience, and to develop in the next generation of opera singers a level of confidence that will lead to successful professional lives. (an added bonus is the op-portunity to watch future stars develop.) they must be polished and packaged into a product

that sells well in an unforgiving business, during a formative and difficult time of life. a typical opera audition lasts from four to 10 minutes

— there is no other interview process — and from the first moment they appear before the judges they must prove that they are right for the job. the young artists program, with its demanding schedule and rigorous standards, is the best training these young artists could have to enter this harsh, real world.

vocal students at walla walla Community College now have a rich catalogue of opera ex-periences in which to participate. Jones and vining continue to take groups to the seattle opera each spring, they host the young artists program performance in the fall, and during the winter, community college students pro-duce their own original opera. the first two of these, “Cendrillon” and “Cartes postales,” were written by vining, who is currently at work on her third, for this winter’s production. she also wrote “alice: an opera in two acts” for the new

b y Margaret Jamison

36 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Music

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summer opera camp for kids, which had its debut at walla walla high school in august.

students are enthusiastic. last fall Janis hosted a master class at wwU, where they could sing for the yap music director and re-ceive feedback; the yap artists themselves attended to demonstrate their interest and support. students were impressed to learn that last year’s pianist (the yap performances are accompanied only by piano, not a full or-chestra) was a young man from hermiston, now making a musical career for himself.

Because the young artists production is a compact road show, there are no elaborate sets or costumes. a few black cubes serve as the only props, and the singers perform in their street clothes. Jones says that fancy costumes can distance the artists from the audience, and this minimalist approach makes the produc-tion very present to students. the singers also remain after the performance for a Q-and-a session, making a real connection with the college community.

at last spring’s seattle opera production of Mozart’s “the Magic flute,” students were thrilled to see that one of the soloists had twice been to walla walla with the young artists program. after a trip backstage to meet the conductor, the college contingent exited the opera house at the same time as this performer, who thrilled them further by exclaiming, “why, there are my walla walla people!” she still knew their names.

the partnership will continue with the november production of Massenet’s “werther,” the first serious opera to be staged here. with generous sponsors and more sellout perfor-mances, it will be just the first of many.

Margaret Jamison is an artist, writer and teacher living in walla walla. Contact her at [email protected].

far left: young Artist eric Anstine working with coach-accompanist sean kelly. © Alan Alabastro photo near left: Amanda opuszynski and Andrew stenson during a staging rehearsal for the young Artists 2010 fall tour. © Bill Mohn photo Above: David krohn, Amanda opuszynski, and eric Anstine, perform-ing in the 2010 young Artists production of “Viva la Mamma.” (David and Amanda return for the 2011/12 season) © Bill Mohn photo

If you go“Werther” will be performed in the original french, with super-titles, at 7 p.m. on nov. 16 in the WWCC Performing Arts Audito-rium. Tickets are $5 for students, $15 for adults, and will be on sale in the WWCC bookstore begin-ning the first week of november.

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Singer-songwriter and self-professed wayfarer Quincy Harper is a long way from his native Fredericksburg, Texas. But no matter the setting or venue, Harper’s booming, growling voice, achingly poignant and intimate acoustic ballads, and masterful guitar-playing manage to find refuge in the heart every audience member. His broad musical and emotional range seems to leave listeners transfixed and hanging onto his every word. They celebrate and toast to his rousing, upbeat tunes; they slip into unblinking, faraway musings listening to the nostalgic narratives of his past. As far as Walla Walla is concerned, Mr. Harper is home, and Texas can’t have him back.

harper was born and bred into a life of music, his family being what folks back down south might call a musical dynasty. his grandfather, James victor “vic” harper, played fiddle and various other instruments with such legendary texan musicians and bands as the light Crust doughboys. But harper’s earliest memories of playing music onstage are from when his family

briefly ran the Cherry springs dance hall. his father, Boyd harper, who is also an accomplished singer, songwriter and bandleader, would bring his little, wrangler-jeans-and-cowboy-hat-wear-ing son onstage to accompany him with a blue, miniature toy guitar, much to the delight of their adoring audience.

around the age of 13, harper’s father gave

him the tools he needed to become the accom-plished guitarist he is today. “My dad taught me four chords and told me to learn them in every rhythm. he said, ‘learn ’em every way you can play ’em, and then i’ll teach you more.’ so that’s what i did.”

But it was a much less wholesome set of cir-cumstances that gave harper the ability to write,

b y Janna Dotolo / Photos b y Jeff Randall

walla walla’s texan troubadour

Quincy Harper

38 Walla Walla LifestyLes

Soundworthy

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compose and record his own music. he says, “i got into some trouble when i was 16 and was put on house arrest, and i started playing like crazy then. we had a recording studio in our garage, so i started recording all kinds of stuff. the house arrest was probably the only reason i really got into music, because i got to sit there every single day, drinking whiskey, smoking cigarettes and just playing music.”

By the time harper turned 18, a time when other kids his age were going to school or work-ing in fast-food joints, he was getting paid to play music in bars. he describes it as a time spent “lying about my age, getting away with murder and drinking like a madman.” in 2004, he recorded his debut album, “hole in the wall,” with renowned bassist spencer starnes’ Bee Creek studio. following the Cd’s release, harp-er played gigs with members from his studio band for a short while before going back to his solo act. doing anything else was never even an option, according to harper. he says, “i don’t do anything else. i’m not good at anything else.”

with more than 18 years of musical expe-rience under his belt and countless perfor-mances in locations across the country to his

name, harper has seen his fair share of trouble, heartache and pain. his late teens and early 20s saw “dozens” of failed suicide attempts, each thwarted by intervening friends, family members or powers unseen. But little did he know his body was already self-destructing. harper suffered three lung collapses in four years and had to undergo chest surgery.

it only makes sense, then, that his songs — with their straightforward, mournful medita-tions on life, death and love — are sung with the world-weariness and heartfelt angst of someone lifetimes older. these same songs that are at once so emotionally wrenching, intimate and contemplative, but with such simple lyrics as

“it’s the past that’s put me where i am today, and i wouldn’t have it any other way,” manage to hint at all the experiences and close calls he’s packed into his mere 30 years. he now approaches the microphone with a brashness that comes not only from experiences off the stage, but from so much time spent in front of an audience. and with cigarettes, whiskey and each passing year, the voice that was once more redolent of alter-native blues artists like eric Bibb or John Mel-lencamp is now inching toward the distinctive,

gravelly roar of tom waits. harper credits his journey from the south to

the pacific northwest to sarah isely who, after meeting the singer at one of his performances in texas, helped him book shows and found him a place to live in walla walla. he’s only been in this region a few short months, but in that time he’s thoroughly endeared himself to its people, been given their support and encouragement

— which he is incredibly grateful for — and made family members instead of friends.

Janna Dotolo is a freelance writer and live-music aficionado who lives in College Place. she can be reached at [email protected]

If you goQuincy harper performs midnight to 2 a.m., nov. 11 at Public house 124, 124 e. Main st., Walla Walla.

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40 Walla Walla LifestyLes

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nestled into the Countryside Chris and Debbie Shaffer at 3640 Pranger Road have a newly built home that looks as though it’s existed for years, blending with the surrounding agricultural area.

an interior designer for 25 years and owner of dgs interiors, with a background in engineer-ing, debbie served as general contractor for the project. “i love the real design and engineering aspect of it,” she says. the shaffers worked with architect Jon sayler from sand point, idaho, who had collaborated with debbie on several other projects. Completed in 2008, the new home looks as if it’s lasted generations in the countryside.

the house fulfills several purposes; it was a great creative project, and it’s home. “it also serves as my showroom. i can show products and design,” debbie says.

the home achieves the look that the shaffers had desired, using architectural features that suggest a farmhouse. “we wanted the hip roof structure to resemble what may have been an old schoolhouse that had existed on the property for years. the exterior was designed to look as if several buildings had been assembled together.”

Chris and debbie felt it was important that the home integrate into the land. in the midst of 11 acres of agriculture, they felt the obliga-

tion to have a structure compatible with the surrounding landscape. the varying cupola designs on each building reinforce the agricul-tural atmosphere. the agricultural influence is very important to Chris and debbie; Chris is a fifth-generation wheat farmer and still farms the family homestead in addition to other properties.

the backyard is surrounded by privacy fences made from weathered-looking steel panels. “My husband built the steel fences,” debbie says.

“they were in the shop during the winter and knocked all those panels out.” the landscaping was designed by don and Cyndi thompson with input from debbie, who also enjoys gardening. the design of the surroundings and the home relies on clean lines and use of space to achieve the desired look and practical functionality.

at 3,000 square feet, the house is about 1,200 square feet smaller than their former home on Bellevue street. so, although it doesn’t seem ap-parent, the shaffers have actually downsized. the house is all on one level, with a large open area in the center containing kitchen, great

room and living room. then, on either side of the open concept area are hallways leading to the master- and guest-bedroom suites. the south side includes a “powder room” and a room that will be converted into a library and office.

the home looks larger than it is because the cathedral ceiling with exposed beams in the center adds more spaciousness to the great room.

“we had decided, ‘no stairs; we want it all on one level,’” debbie says. again, they were being practical and thinking ahead about staying in the home as the years go by.

“it’s a fun house, it’s comfortable and it’s easy,” debbie says. “it’s a great house to entertain. we’ve had 30 to 40 people here for Christmas eve, and it flowed really well.”

the shaffers enjoy cooking, and the kitchen is part of the large center area of the home. there are no upper kitchen cabinets to block out light and isolate the room. the kitchen does have plenty of lower cabinets and a walk-in pantry for storage.

debbie’s favorite area is the open concept room in the center of the home, with separations

Walla Walla LifestyLes 41

by Karlene Ponti / photos by Greg LehmanNew Digs

Continued on pg. 42 >

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Chris and Debbie shaffer’s home looks as if several structures were assembled together.

the patio offers plenty of room for guests to socialize and enjoy dinner.

the hip roof structure and cupolas resemble what may have been an old schoolhouse on the property.

the shaffers enjoy comfortable outdoor living in the warm seasons.

42 Walla Walla LifestyLes

New Digs <continued from pg. 41

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and room definitions achieved through furniture placement. to one side is a more intimate living area, with casual furniture and wood-burning fireplace. it’s part of the center section of the home, but, like the kitchen, it is defined in its own way. the couple have all the creature com-forts at hand, with music and television right by the fireplace. they chose the wood-burning fireplace rather than gas because they wanted the sounds and smells of a real wood fire.

the floors are old-growth eastern white pine in wide planks procured from Carlisle wide plank floors. Chris and his friend dave pellicer installed the wide-plank flooring and had home hardwood do the staining and five finish-coats of tung oil.

debbie designed a special area for the piano that used to belong to her mom and dad, with floor-to-ceiling windows in a defined, yet open, space. above the white piano is a hand-tooled

-and-hammered iron chandelier that matches

those in the living room area. this chandelier is more formal, accented with clear and amber swarovski crystals. the crystals catch the light, giving the area more warm-color highlights.

this type of attention to detail gives the whole house the look and feel debbie wanted. she chose the softness of honed Carrara marble kitchen counters, not highly polished. “it’s meant to look old,” debbie says. the bathrooms are fin-ished with marble, the powder room and fireplace are finished in tumbled quartz.

the wine room is adjacent the great room, close to the kitchen, perfect for entertaining. everything necessary is designed to be within reach, exactly where you’d expect it to be.

the shaffers did much of the work them-selves and stayed true to their practical natures by maintaining a budget. they knew what to attempt and the projects not to do. “we didn’t do the tile in the kitchen, we hired out for that,” debbie says. the décor is in harmony with the

rustic theme, it’s also sentimental and family oriented. they have quite a few oil paintings done by Chris’s grandmother throughout the house.

although no remodeling is planned, and she loves the house, debbie said she could change the whole thing and do it all again. if they were to do it over, she’d have the large window in the great room extend clear to the ground. “i love change,” she says. “Change is what keeps you creative. when you get stuck and you don’t change, then you’re no longer creating.”

she loves to come home, settle in and relax. “home is everything to me,” she says. “it’s com-fortable and makes it a pleasure to enjoy and embrace friends.”

karlene Ponti is the special publications writer for the walla walla union-Bulletin. she writes about homes and gardens, and compiles the calendar for walla walla Lifestyles. she can be reached at [email protected].

the open-concept room is the center of the home.

the bedrooms are spacious and relaxing.

Walla Walla LifestyLes 43

Continued on pg. 44 >

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the large master bath is designed with ample amounts of storage.

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44 Walla Walla LifestyLes

New Digs <continued from pg. 43

Page 45: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

509.520.1120www.peterswant.com

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Walla Walla LifestyLes 45

Page 46: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Nov. 1Walla Walla Symphony concert “Autumn Fanfare” features work by Saint-Saens, Edward Gregson and William Berry. Cordiner Hall, Whitman College. Details: 509-529-8020.

Through Dec. 12“Curiously Aligned: Contemporary Drawing Practic-es,” featuring Kris Hargis, Angela Katona-Batchelor, Scott Kolbo, MaLinda Poulsen and Charles Timm-Ballard. Sheehan Gallery, Whitman College. Details: 509-527-5249.

Through Dec. 17The exhibit “Contemporary Metal Sculpture and Photographic Imagery of Rural Columbia County” with featured artist Nathan Riley, is hosted by the Palus Museum, Dayton. Details: 509-382-4820.

Through JaN. 31An exhibit honoring our veterans continues on dis-play at the Tamástslikt Cultural Institute. Details: 1-800-654-9453.

Nov. 3The First Thursday concert at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will feature a jazz performance by David Glenn and Pete Crawford, trombonists. 12:15 p.m., 323 Catherine Street. Details: 509-529-1083.

Dayton celebrates with its annual Chamber Awards Banquet. 6 p.m., Seneca Activity Center. Details: 509-382-4825.

The Whitman Visiting Writers Reading series con-tinues with Terrance Hayes, Professor of Creative Writing at Carnegie Mellon University and author of several books of poetry. Details: www.whitman.edu

Nov. 4Fall Jazz Ensemble Concert. 7:30 p.m., Chism Re-cital Hall, Whitman College. Details: 509-527-5232.

The 30th annual Walla Walla Wine Auction ben-efit for Planned Parenthood. 6 p.m., Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center. Details: 800-904-7721, ext. 8016.

Nov. 4-6The annual Fall Release Weekend gets you in to sample new wines at area wineries. Details: 509-526-3117.

Nov. 5-6, 11-13The Walla Walla University drama department pres-ents a performance of “The 39 Steps” by John Buchan. Details: 509-527-2641.

Nov. 9Fall Wind Ensemble Concert, conducted by Peter Crawford. 7:30 p.m., Chism Recital Hall, Whitman College Hall of Music.

Nov. 9-13A performance of “The Altruists.” 8 p.m., Harper Joy Theatre, Whitman College. Details: 509-527-5180.

Nov. 10-12, 17-19Walla Walla Hgh School Drama Department pres-ents “Radium Girls”, by D.W. Gregory, directed by Brian Senter. Based on true events, “Radium Girls” centers around a group of young women who painted watch dials for the war effort in the 1920s. They fell ill from radium exposure and eventually took on US Radium in the courts. This is the story of the women, their lawsuit and the outcome. Wa-Hi Performing Arts Auditorium. Details: 509-526-8613.

Nov. 11, veTeraNs DayIn Milton-Freewater, at 11 a.m., the annual parade honors our veterans. At 6 a.m., there’s a breakfast for veterans at the American Legion, a chili feed at noon at the Elks Lodge, and, at 2 p.m., a ceremony honors veterans who have passed away. Details: 541-938-7634/ 509-301-6050.

Annual parade, 11 a.m., Nov. 11, Downtown Walla Walla. Details: 509-529-8755.

Whitman College’s “Fridays at Four” features a performance by Katherine Lee, violinist. Chism Recital Hall. Details: 509-527-5232.

Nov. 11-12Get read y fo r the season w i th the an -nual Mary Stewart Christmas Craft Show. 9 a .m. to 4 p .m., Communi t y Bu i ld ing , 109 N.E. Fifth St., Milton-Freewater. Details: 541-938-6401.

W Each month, the Blue Mountain Artists Guild in Dayton sets up a new exhibit at the Dayton Public Library. Details: 509-382-1964.

W Most Monday and Saturday nights, there’s live music at Vintage Cellars, 10 N. Second Ave. Details: 509-529-9340.

W Plateau Restaurant at Wildhorse Resort & Casino hosts wine tasting the first Wednes-day of each month. Wildhorse Resort & Ca-sino, Pendleton. Details: 800-654-9453 or 541-966-1610.

W Wednesdays at 5 p.m., you can record your own music at the Walla Walla Recording Club at Sapolil Cellars, 15 E. Main St. Details: 509-520-5258.

W There’s music every Wednesday at Wal-la Walla Wine Works. 7-9 p.m. Details: 509-522-1261.

W On Wednesday, 8 p.m., there’s an open mic at Laht Neppur Ale House, 53 S. Spokane St. Details: 509-529-2337.

W Wednesdays, enjoy karaoke, 8 p.m., at the Wildfire Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort & Ca-sino, Pendleton. Details: 800-654-9453.

W Thursdays, 7-10 p.m., at Walla Faces Tast-ing Salon: first Thursday of the month, enjoy Salsa Night. The second and fourth Thurs-days, there’s an open mic, the third Thurs-day, records are played during the Spin and Pour. Walla Faces, 216 E. Main St. Details: 877-301-1181.

W On Thursdays, you can taste wine at Walla Walla’s Harvest Foods. 3:30-6:30 p.m., 905 S. Second Ave. Details: 509-525-7900.

W Every Thursday, the Charles Smith Winery, 35 S. Spokane St., hosts the Blues and Barbecue with live music and West of the Blues BBQ. Details: 509-526-5230.

W Thursdays, 5 -11 p.m., dinner by in-house Bis-tro 15, with entertainment, at Sapolil Cellars, 15 E. Main St. Details: 509-520-5258.

W Thursdays, 8 p.m., the Wildfire Sports Bar hosts the Comedy Jam. Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Pendleton. Details: 800-654-9453.

W There’s an open mic every Thursday, 7-10 p.m., and, occasionally, live music on the weekends, at Walla Walla Village Winery, 107 S. Third Ave. Details: 509-525-9463.

W Thursday means karaoke, 8 p.m., at the CrossRoads Steakhouse, 207 W. Main St. On weekends, there’s often live music. Details: 509-522-1200.

W Thursday is Trivia Game Night at the Red Monkey Downtown Lounge, 25 W. Alder St. Details: 509-522-3865.

W Thursdays and Saturdays, 9-midnight, there’s live music at the Anchor Bar, 128 E. Main St., Waitsburg. Details: 509-337-3008.

W Fridays, 5-7 p.m., Sapolil Cellars features pianist Carolyn Mildenberger. 15 E. Main St. Details: 509-520-5258.

W Fridays, 6:30-9 p.m., Bob Lewis plays piano at the Oasis at Stateline, 85698 Highway 339, Milton-Freewater. Details: 541-938-4776.

W The first Friday of each month, there’s free admission at Tamástslikt Cultural Institute, Pendleton. Details: 541-966-9748.

W On Fridays, there’s music at the Dayton Wine Works, 507 E. Main St. Details: 509-382-1200.

W From May-December, the first Friday ArtWalk Walla Walla gets you into area galleries. 5-8 p.m. Details: artwalkwallawalla.com.

W The second Friday each month, Skye Books & Brew, Dayton, hosts the acoustic jam. Details: 509-382-4677.

W Friday and Saturday, 7 p.m., live music at Walla Faces, 216 E. Main St. Details: 877-301-1181.

W Friday and Saturday, live music at the Back-stage Bistro. Details: 509-526-0690.

W Friday and Saturday, 9 p.m., live music at the Wildfire Sports Bar, Wildhorse Resort & Casino, Pendleton. Details: 800-654-9453.

W Live music every Saturday , 8 p.m., Laht Nep-pur Ale House, 53 S. Spokane St. Details: 509-529-2337.

W Sunday afternoons, Walla Faces hosts the Sunday Jazz Cafe. 3 p.m. Details: 877-301-1181.

W Sundays, 4-7 p.m., enjoy ragtime piano by Uri-el, the Oasis at Stateline, 85698 Highway 339, Milton-Freewater. Details: 541-938-4776.

regular eveNTs

46 Walla Walla LifestyLes

november

Page 47: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

Clueon your way to the corn maze, you may note this historical marker, which describes the second walla walla valley treaty Council and the skirmish that followed. name the road.

Contest rulesif you have the answer, e-mail it to [email protected], or send it to: where in walla walla?, 112 s. first ave., p.o. Box 1358, walla walla, wa 99362. the names of 10 people with correct answers will be randomly selected, and they will receive this great-looking mug as proof of their local knowledge and good taste.

Last month’s clue this sign marks the site of the eponymous lo-cal music festival. woodstick is now defunct, unfortunately, but it did have 12 good years. name the location of the festival and just for the heck of it, name the man who started it.

Answer way up Mill Creek Road (nearly to Camp Kiwanis). Mike hammond founded the woodstick festival.

Last month’s winners James ahiaRon hiattCarmen davilapatty Keyesandrew steffy

Randy ChamberlainKris BrownMaryann piverMark stevensKatie fitzgerald

Nov. 12Walla Walla General Hospital Gala fundraiser. Details: 509-527-8303.

Whitman Orchestra Fall Concert directed by Jeremy Mims. 7:30 p.m., Chism Recital Hall, Whitman College Hall of Music. Details: 509-527-5232.

A USO Show will raise money to provide care packages for area troops deployed overseas. Details: 541-938-7634/ 509-301-6050.

Nov. 17The Walla Walla Symphony presents its annual Family Food-raiser Concert. Bring a nonperishable food donation, and you get in free. Cordiner Hall, Whitman College. Details: 509-529-8020.

Nov. 18-19One-of-a-kind handcrafted items at the Of Hearts ’N’ Hands Annual Marketplace at the old schoolhouse at 66 Valley Chapel Road. 7-9 p.m., Nov. 18; 8:30 a.m.-3 p.m., Nov. 19. Details: 541-861-9064.

‘Tis the season for the annual Christmas Trio Craft Sale. Crafts include everything from quilts, jewelry and pottery to food. Santa will be available off and on, both days. Walla Walla County Fairgrounds. Details: 509-525-7918.

Nov. 18-19, 25-27, Dec. 2-3Little Theatre of Walla Walla presents “All My Sons” by Arthur Miller. The performance, set in 1946, explores family dynamics and corporate greed. 8 p.m., Friday, Saturday; 2 p.m., Sunday. Details: 509-529-3683.

Nov. 19Annual Walla Walla Symphony Gala. Marcus Whitman Hotel. Details: 509-529-8020.

Nov. 25-26Get the holidays started with Dayton’s Christmas Kickoff. Local artists, music and the Friday-night, traditional winter fireworks celebrate the season. Nov. 26-27, Historic Dayton. Details: 509-382-4825.

Nov. 25-27The Walla Walla Community College Theater Arts depart-ment presents “Almost, Maine.” 7 p.m., Nov. 25-26; 2 p.m., Nov. 27; China Pavilion. Details: 509-527-4575.

Nov. 26Beautiful gifts get you into the holiday mood at the Christ-mas Gift Boutique Craft Show. Juried crafters present their wares in this craft show that has more than a 40-year history. 9 a.m.-4 p.m., Walla Walla Community College Center for Enology and Viticulture. Details: 509-529-8210.

Nov. 30Start the holidays in front of the Christmas tree. 5:30 p.m., Christmas-Tree Lighting in College Place at the fire station. Details: 509-529-1200.

The annual Walla Walla Valley Chamber of Commerce banquet. 6-9 p.m., Marcus Whitman Hotel & Conference Center. Details: 509-525-0850.

Walla Walla LifestyLes 47

Where in Walla Walla?

Page 48: November 2011 - Walla Walla Lifestyles

In the Heart of Walla Walla

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48 Walla Walla LifestyLes