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Almanac

Saucy Story

Shhh. Their recipe contains more than 20 ingredients‚ and it’s a secret.

An Italian vegetable sauce called Mama Nano’s Caponata made its debut in 2001 at the Kelso Farmer’s Market‚ and it is produced these days in Longview. A woman known affectionately as Mama Nano invented the recipe decades ago in Idaho‚ and the family eventually brought the spicy sauce to Washington.

Some of the ingredients are tomatoes‚ celery‚ cauliflower‚ mushrooms‚ green beans‚ carrots‚ onions‚ garlic‚ cucumbers and jalapeno peppers. The product is available through the company’s Web site as well as several retail stores throughout Washington‚ Oregon‚ Montana and Alaska.

See It To Believe It

There are plenty of oohs and aahs uttered by the more than 500‚000 tourists who visit Mount St. Helens each year.

Several visitor centers are perched along roadways leading to the renowned volcano‚ and tourists can hike‚ bike‚ fish and camp in the rugged landscape surrounding the mountain. Some of the best roadways leading to Mount St. Helens are in Cowlitz County‚ including the Spirit Lake Memorial Highway (State Route 504).

Cowlitz County is also home to the Lewis River Highway (State Route 503)‚ which allows views of three lakes and access to Ape Cave and Lava Canyon‚ which are situated along the south side of the mountain.

The Merk Perks Up

A landmark of the Roaring ’20s is alive and well in the 21st century.

In 1923‚ the Long-Bell Lumber Co. constructed The Columbia River Mercantile Building‚ and its current owners have restored the structure to its original appearance. Nowadays the 70‚000-square-foot downtown building at the corner of Commerce and Broadway is home to several retail shops and a café‚ and its architecture still garners much attention.

The design of the building that is affectionately known as “The Merk” includes white terra cotta and mezzanine windows‚ plus interior wall murals and historic photos that offer a peek into the 1920s process of constructing the planned city of Longview.

Wow, You’re Tall

Trivia answer: The tallest one-piece totem pole in the world is in Kalama’s Marine Park.

The late Northwest Coast artist Don Smith carved a colorful 140-foot-tall pole that today is situated near the Columbia River. The pole is accessible to the viewing public via a walking bridge that crosses the railroad tracks on the south end of Kalama.

Smith was not an American Indian but was fascinated by the culture‚ and the Kwakiutl tribe adopted him as an honorary chief in the 1970s. He took the name Chief Lelooska and carved the large totem pole as a show of respect to the American Indian tradition.

By Road or Rail

If you need a ride‚ head to the old depot.

The historic Kelso Train Station is now home to the City of Kelso Multi-Modal Transportation Facility. The stately brick building that originally opened in 1912 is today served by Amtrak‚ and also is home to national and regional bus services‚ taxis‚ shuttle vans and rental cars.

Besides the convenience of the Multi-Modal Transportation Facility‚ getting around the area is made easy by well-maintained highways such as Interstate 5 and State Routes 4‚ 411‚ 432 and 433.

Dedicated to Squirrels

The Nutty Narrows Bridge has been a Longview landmark for 40 years‚ and squirrels couldn’t be more grateful.

In the 1960s‚ construction company owner Amos Peters noticed many squirrels being killed by vehicles outside his office on Olympic Way‚ and he decided to do something about the fatalities. He conceived a Nutty Narrows Bridge that would be engineered to span between the Longview Public Library grounds and the other side of Olympic Way.

In 1963‚ the bridge was hoisted over the road between two trees.

The structure‚ which cost $1‚000‚ was 60 feet wide and fashioned from aluminum and a length of retired fire hose. The bridge was renovated and rededicated in 1983‚ and the city of Longview adds a small Christmas tree with lights to the center of the bridge during the holidays.

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