Articles written by Brandon J. Simmons
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Swamp Opera plays Clatskanie
Clatskanie Arts Commission continues its performance series this weekend with a perennial Wahkiakum County favorite, Skamokawa's own Swamp Opera. Leader Andrew Emlen composes songs for the group as...
That potato that won't take its eyes off you? It could be a winner.
Attendees of this summer’s annual Wahkiakum County Fair will have the opportunity to participate in a spate of free contests for the second year in a row. Last summer’s treasure hunt, pet rock, and daily rubber chicken toss so exceeded fair planners...
"Tangoes and French tunes and Hungarian tunes..."oh my!
It doesn't take long to get a sense for the kind of performers Bela R. Balogh and Courtney Von Drehle are. It took about five seconds into our phone call for me to realize that these guys like to...
Musical time travelers present an "Old-Fashioned Christmas"
It seems that, if you're a hearing person, you possess at least a passing familiarity with Christmas music. It's everywhere this time of year. The music of Christmas is so familiar that for many it...
A born musician goes back to the source
Jennifer Goodenberger was begging for piano lessons before her feet reached the floor. Six years old, and born to a music-loving family, Jennifer knew she had to play. "My parents both loved music,...
Why is a raven like a bistro table?
When I first arrived, I wasn’t sure if I was in the right place. I had expected a blinking neon sign flashing GYROS! GYROS! But the building my maps app had directed me to was a simple, nondescript brick mixed-use commercial building in downtown L...
Madness, revenge, and finger food
At first glance, the stories of Edgar Allan Poe might not readily lend themselves to dinner theater. The tales depict decomposing bodies, decapitation, torture, and disease. They conjure unsavory...
Digital navigators wonder what's next
Story & photos by Brandon J. Simmons In September of 2022, Steve Carson received the welcome news that his company, Computer Link NW, located on Third Street in Cathlamet, would receive nearly $300,00...
Ghost towns, old homes, and felled trees
"Certain places kind of haunt you," Carl Wirkkala told me on the phone the other day. He remembers grinding cascara bark and catching crawdads with poles cut by his grandmother, who lived in an old...
Kayakers dive into Columbia, local history
Ken Bell-Garrison leans against the wooden railing of the docks at Viewpoint Landing in Skamokawa. An easy-going man with a wry smile, Bell-Garrison is a veteran kayaker but this is his first time vis...
