[Heritage] Oregon Heritage News 2008-09-25

[Heritage Info]

In this issue:
1.  Castles lecture series begins Oct. 8
2.  Heritage organizations receive tourism grants
3.  Aviation hall to add four
4.  Harvest festival scheduled at Champoeg


CASTLES LECTURE SERIES BEGINS OCT. 8

University of Washington professor Quintard Taylor will speak about
*The Other Black Northwest: Beyond Portland and Seattle* in the
opening presentations of the Center for Columbia River History's annual
James B. Castles Lecture series. He will give the talk at 5:30 p.m. Oct.
8 at Portland State University's Multicultural Center and at noon Oct. 9
at the Washington State University auditorium in Vancouver. The lectures
are free and open to the public.

Taylor will point out that the vast majority of contemporary African
Americans in this region reside in Portland or Seattle and their
suburbs. Yet African American history in the Northwest hardly begins or
ends with those urban hubs. Taylor will look specifically at rural and
small town communities in the 19th and early 20th centuries such as
Vernonia and Pendleton. He will also examine the growth of black
communities during World War II in places such as Vancouver, Bremerton,
and Pasco as well as the unique civil rights experience of Spokane. 

At 2 p.m. Oct. 12, the Center for Columbia River History will host a
talk by Pat Courtney Gold on traditional connections to contemporary
Native art. She will discuss the traditional work of daily Native arts
and how that work has evolved over thousands of years. She will also
share images and stories about Columbia River Native artists, who use
modern techniques to reflect their heritage in contemporary artwork.
This talk will take place at the Cathlapotle Plankhouse in Ridgefield,
Wash. To reach the Cathlapotle Plankhouse from I-5, take exit 14/Pioneer
street Ridgefield. Head west three miles to Main street, go right
(north) one mile to the Carty Unit and the refuge sign. The plankhouse
is over the railroad footbridge and to your right.

For more information about any of these events, visit www.ccrh.org or
contact Donna Sinclair at 360-258-3289 or info at ccrh.org 


HERITAGE ORGANIZATIONS RECEIVE TOURISM GRANTS

The Oregon Tourism Commission (dba Travel Oregon) has announced it will
award $100,000 through its Matching Grants Program to advance 16 tourism
development projects. Created in 1986, the program supports new projects
that will improve local economies and communities by enhancing,
expanding, and promoting Oregon*s visitor industry.

Heritage projects that earned awards were the Evergreen Aviation &
Space Museum, McMinnville; Gordon House Conservancy, Silverton; the
Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce; and the Trail Tenders of Baker City.
The 2009-10 matching grants cycle begins next June. Communities, visitor
associations and tourism-related organizations are invited to apply for
funding. For more information, please contact Michelle Westerberg at
MichelleW at TravelOregon.com or visit: 
<http://industry.traveloregon.com/Departments/Tourism-Development/Matching-Grants-Program.aspx>
http://industry.traveloregon.com/Departments/Tourism-Development/Matching-Grants-Program.aspx



AVIATION HALL TO ADD FOUR 

The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum will induct four people from West
Linn, McMinnville, and Damascus, and Tucson, Ariz. into its Aviation
Hall of Fame at 1 p.m. Oct. 19. The 2008 Oregon inductees include Maj.
Gen. Charles A. Sams, Maj. Gen. David M. Jones, Lt. Col. James McRoberts
Dixon, and Tim Wahlberg.
 
The Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum is best known as the home of the
world's largest wooden flying boat, the" Spruce Goose". The museum is
located at 500 NE Captain Michael King Smith Way, across the highway
from the McMinnville Airport and about three miles southeast of
McMinnville on Highway 18. Regular visitor admission is required. Call
503-434-4180 for more information, and visit www.evergreenmuseum.org
<http://www.evergreenmuseum.org/> .


HARVEST FESTIVAL SCHEDULED AT CHAMPOEG

The Apple Harvest Festival at Champoeg State Heritage Area will take
place from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. Oct. 4.  Costumed volunteers will offer
visitors a chance to press fresh apple cider, sample Dutch oven baked
apple desserts and hot cider, string apple circles to dry at home, and
bob for apples in the big washtub.  This public event is free with the
purchase of a parking permit.

Champoeg State Heritage Area*s visitor center will close Oct. 6-10
for building improvements. The center will reopen Oct. 11 with limited
access to its information desk and gift store. The center*s entire
museum exhibit area is closed to the public until mid-November. New
exhibits to replace ones originally displayed in 1977 and refurbished in
1983 will be installed beginning Oct. 13.

The Oregon Parks and Recreation Department is using state lottery
dollars allocated for facility repairs and improvements to upgrade the
visitor center in time for Oregon*s sesquicentennial observance in
2009. The museum area is the center*s focal point with exhibits
tracing the history of the Champoeg site, including its location for
meetings leading to the founding of Oregon*s pre-statehood provisional
government in 1843. Updates on the reopening of the center*s museum
area will appear on the state parks website: www.oregonstateparks.org
(click on park and campground advisories).

Champoeg State Heritage Area is seven miles east of Newberg off Highway
99W, and 27 miles south of Portland off I-5.   Friends of Historic
Champoeg is a non profit organization working with Oregon Parks and
Recreation to interpret the natural and cultural history of Champoeg. 
For more information please contact Kim Martin at 503-678-1649 or
kim at champoeg.org 
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Oregon Heritage News is a service of the Oregon Heritage Commission,
which can be contacted at heritage.info at state.or.us