Running away with the circus

by Melissa Labberton on May 4, 2012

Most college graduates wouldn’t dream of actually joining the circus as a viable job option.  But Yakima’s Theresa McLean is not your average graduate.

McLean, 29, earned her bachelor degree in history from Central Washington University in 2004. However, during college she also pursued her passion for sewing by working in the university’s costume shop and taking every clothing and design class she could fit into her busy class schedule. After graduation, she returned to Yakima to work for the Yakima School District, DOING WHAT? but continued sewing and designing for local high school musicals.

Two years after graduating, Theresa began to get a sense for adventure. After checking theater related jobs online, she came across a post that sounded interesting: a wardrobe position for none other than Ringling Brothers and the Barnum & Bailey Circus.

“I applied on a whim,” McLean said.  But months went by, and she eventually forgot about the application.  Then out of the blue she got a call from the head of wardrobe for Ringling Brothers.  “The woman asked me how fast could I get there,” she said.

And just like that, McLean ran away with the circus.

She flew to Los Angeles and took a cab 42 miles to Anaheim. McLean found herself quickly thrown into “big top” life the moment she stepped foot inside the center ring.

“My first project was to remake a pair of rhinestone gloves for the ring mistress,” said McLean. “I spent hours adding sparkle to the gloves and practically encrusted them.”  Her hard work paid off when the ring mistress told McLean that the gloves were her new favorite costume piece, since everybody paid attention to her hands when she clapped, McLean said.

For most of her tenure with the circus, McLean lived in a tiny room (with a bathroom down the hall) on one of the circus train’s passenger cars. Ringling Brothers has two train-based circus shows and a smaller truck-based show. Each train has approximately 60 cars, consisting of 40 passenger and 20 freight cars that stretch a mile in length. Instead of the circus tents of old, Ringling Brothers rolls into the station and sets up its three rings in large civic auditoriums.  When cities allow it, the circus still presents its famous Pachyderm Parade in popular places such as New York City and Washington, D.C.

McLean worked as the head seamstress and wardrobe mistress during her 5 ½ years with the circus.  Each tour had a theme and costumes are conceived by a designer, such as Oscar-winner Colleen Atwood, who is from Quincy, Wash.  The costume crew has the responsibility for packing, organizing and maintaining all of the costumes for the 60 to 100 performers.  McLean became an expert at sewing on sequins, serging stretchy Lycra, replicating torn or worn-out costumes — even repairing shoes.

“I met a Greek shoe repair guy in New York City and he let me come to his shop and learn how to do it.”

The best part of the job, McLean said, was getting to know so many people from so many places. “I learned to get along with people even though they’re not your best friend.”  The Ringling family comes from all corners of the world, and many of the performers speak little to no English when they arrive.   “I made up an English class for performers from Russia, China, Cuba, Ukraine and even Bulgaria,” she said.

McLean’s only expenses on the road were food and her cellphone bill, allowing her to save quite a bit of money for her future.  Since the circus traveled all across the United States, most of her vacation time was spent visiting family and attending friends’ weddings back in the Northwest.

Last December McLean decided it was time to ease away from her vagabond life and embark on a new adventure that would keep her closer to home, while utilizing the skills she learned on the road.  Over the years McLean has gotten to know many professional clowns, and she hopes to use her connections to start a custom clown-costume business. “Traditionally, circus clowns provide their own costumes,” she explained.  Clown costumes are very specific to the individual clown, she said, and she’s excited about this new direction. Currently McLean is also designing the costumes for the magic act at Silverwood Theme Park.

Although she occasionally has dreams of high wire acts and performing elephants, for now McLean’s feet have stepped outside the rings and are headed toward a new future.

 

 

Read More

McMenamins: an Adult Disneyland.

by Jill St. George on Jan 5, 2012

The city of Troutdale, Ore., was barely on the map until the emergence of a new destination resort in 1990: McMenamins Edgefield.  That’s when brothers Mike and Brian McMenamin converted an old farm into a mainstay attraction, and the sparsely populated city outside of Portland began attracting visitors from all over the country.

The McMenamins chain of properties now includes more than 50 hotels, brewpubs, theaters and other entertainment venues, all located in Oregon and Washington.  Many are in renovated buildings on the National Register of Historic Places.

The brothers began their venture in 1974, when they opened Produce Row Café in Portland. In 1985, they started a brewpub in southwest Portland where they crafted ales with berries – the first brewery in the U.S. to legally brew ale using fruit.

In 1990, they opened a winery at Edgefield. Within a year a movie theater, a brewery, a pub and a rather run-down motel followed. And even though it was located on a remote country road, people gathered for the live music, good company and great beer.

Soon after the brothers’ initial success, the main lodge was renovated into a hotel, including a fine-dining restaurant, artisan shops and more specialty pubs. The grounds of the 74-acre site were landscaped with gardens, a three-hole golf course and spacious grasslands for live music.

They salvaged every building on the property, transforming them with art, antiques and murals, representative of the poor farm’s past. More than a dozen artists turned the once institutional-feeling buildings into whimsical works of art, which have become one of the property’s main attractions.

Edgefield now houses 10 restaurants and bars, including the Little Red Shed, the Loading Dock Grill, Jerry’s Ice House and the Black Rabbit Restaurant and Bar. For those who don’t like beer, the Winery Tasting Room offers a variety of reds, whites and sparkling wines, where you can actually watch the vintners work while you sip.

Visitors don’t have to travel far for entertainment, either.

“You can eat, drink, listen to live music, wine taste and use the spa,” says Renee Rankignacio, McMenamins director of marketing. In fact, there’s even a movie theater located above the Power Station Pub, where folks are welcome to grab a bite or a drink while viewing.

Sip while you shop? They encourage it. You can stock up on spirits from the Edgefield Distillery, purchase a glass-blown vase from the Gorge Glashaus or buy a unique sculpture from EarthArt Clayworks, which was formerly a morgue for the farm.

The grounds also include a heated saltwater soaking pool where patrons can soak in chemical-free water at a balmy 104 degrees while – what else? – ordering a locally-brewed beer, wine or tea from the The Tea House Bar, which opens up directly onto the patio of the pool.

“Even though we are so close to Portland,” says Rankignacio, “people come out here and they are in another world.”

McMenamins Edgefield

2126 S.W. Halsey St.
Troutdale OR 97060
(503) 669-8610

(800) 669-8610

mcmenamins.com

 

 

Read More

Cruising into 2012: Catch the Wave of Travel – in America!

by Christine Corbett Conklin on Jan 5, 2012

As the mercury plummets and the threat of snow hovers continually over the Yakima Valley, it’s a great time to break out the travel brochures — and start thinking about cruising. Even if you’ve already cruised the Caribbean and aren’t interested in Ixtapa, you may be ready for another option in travel that’s making a splash from coast to coast: It’s called cruising America.

From the Northwest’s own Columbia and Snake rivers to the mighty Mississippi, from the Southern Atlantic seaboard and the New England coast to Alaska and the Hawaiian Islands, many Americans are showing interest in this no-passport, no-foreign-currency way to sail.

“Currently, the Columbia and Snake rivers trip is our most popular itinerary,” said Susan Shultz, director of sales for American Cruise Lines. “In June of 2012, we’re expanding to Alaska,” she added, “and in August, we have a new vessel starting on the Mississippi.”

Shultz said the cruise line has seen demand for cruises on authentic paddlewheelers (the vessel that runs on Northwest rivers and in Mississippi) increase, so it added several sailings to this year’s schedule.

American Cruise Lines has made its mark with “small ships” — vessels that carry 150 or fewer passengers and have the flexibility to travel down rivers, canals and into coves and harbors where larger luxury liners cannot go. Other cruise lines, including Princess, Holland America and Norwegian Cruise Line, also ply U.S. coastal waters, with much larger vessels that may carry 2,000 passengers or more.

A passenger’s choice of cruise will ultimately depend on his or her pocketbook, desired destination and the need — or not — for the glitz and galas of the larger ships.

Travel on the larger ships tends to cost “significantly less than small ships,” said Rosemary Saunders, office manager for Travel Leaders in Yakima. “Everybody’s heard about them [larger ships] or have friends who’ve done the trips.” Part of the draw of large ships is the expectation that you can eat as much as you want and enjoy entertainment, including Broadway-style shows or a casino, she said.

American Cruise Lines capitalizes on a “personalized” approach and a history theme — what Saunders calls “edu-tainment” — with an on-board author, historian and/or naturalist providing background along the route. Some speakers even dress in period clothing.

“People sometimes forget how rich we are in history, right in our own backyard,” Shultz noted. Today, many cruise patrons are “finding something closer to home,” she said, and then coming back again to cruise with their children and grandchildren.

Travel Weekly, a travel industry magazine, recently heralded “The Return of American River Cruising.” According to the magazine, the Great American Steamboat Company helped fill the cruise void left on the Mississippi River, a void that began after Hurricane Katrina in 2005.

For Central Washington residents, cruising is available close to home, on the paddlewheel vessel that navigates the Columbia and Snake rivers between Clarkston and Portland. Another option, said Saunders, are Alaska cruises on larger vessels that leave from Seattle and have enjoyed “huge popularity” in the past several years.

Both Lorene Lenseigne, service center manager for AAA Washington’s Yakima office, and Lloyd Johnson, co-owner of Cruises Aweigh in Yakima, agreed that Alaska is a popular cruise destination. “Some people don’t want to fly, so all they have to do is drive to Seattle,” Johnson said.

On Northwest rivers, the seven-night paddlewheel cruises feature a close-up look at natural beauty, with optional excursions such as a jet boat through Hells Canyon or bus rides to the 620-foot Multnomah Falls and Mount St. Helens. There’s a trip to the Barnard Griffin Winery in Richland, a Wild West Show in Pendleton, Ore., and a city tour of Portland. History comes alive through excursions to Pendleton’s Tamastslikt Cultural Institute with its Native American art and living cultural village, or the Nez Perce National Historic Park in Spalding, Idaho.

Shultz admitted that compared to travel on some of the larger ships, travel on American Cruise Lines is “more expensive.” Costs range from $3,110 for a six-night itinerary with standard double occupancy to $11,765 for an owners suite on a 14-night itinerary. Early bookings and groups larger than 12 will help discount the rate, and meals, a cocktail hour, dinnertime wine and beer and snacks are included in the ticket price. Shore excursions usually run “between $10 and $75.” That’s generally less than the competition, she said.

American Cruise Lines voyages tend to draw passengers age “55 on up,” Shultz said. My own family and I discovered this on a 2010 cruise from Philadelphia to Washington, D.C., along the Delaware River and the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. I’m in my 50s, and we appeared to be the youngest passengers on board.

“There weren’t a lot of activities on board, such as a swimming pool, or dancing lessons, arcade games,” observed my 23-year-old daughter, Erin Conklin. (I also found the “small ship” décor — described by one company rep as more like “a private yacht” — to be more basic.)

 

However, as we slowed our usual hectic pace, and met our friendly, gray-haired shipmates over a leisurely meal of beef tenderloin and chocolate ganache tart, or on launch rides to ports, we heard many favorable comments.

“It’s a little different, just as good,” said Carolyn Collins of Toccoa, Ga., comparing our American Cruise Lines trip with cruises she’d taken on other lines. “You don’t have long walking distances. You can meet passengers more easily.”

George Charbonneau of Indianapolis agreed.

“Their hospitality system is excellent,” he said. “I think (the passengers are) reluctant to travel overseas, spend a lot of time in the air, (with) a lot of uncertainty at the other end.”

“In this industry,” said Shultz, “it’s about offering a lifetime experience.”

American Cruise Lines • 800-460-4518
americancruiselines.com

Read More

Come Fly With Me

by Melissa Labberton on Jan 5, 2012

When asked how he became a pilot, Ola Vestad said, “I like to be like a bird.” With a twinkle in his blue eyes, he explained how he was ski jumping in his native Norway by age 5, and as a young adult he parachuted for the military. It’s not difficult to understand why he became a pilot.
Tom McMahon, a retired captain for United Airlines, learned to fly as a teenager from Warren Anderson, a Lower Valley crop-duster. “For my 50th birthday, my family found and bought the plane I’d learned to fly in,” McMahon said. It took him six years to restore the old bird that proudly sits waiting for its next sortie in his Yakima Airpark hangar.
Vestad, McMahon, Dick Hester, John Davis and Harold Johnson were all instrumental in creating the Yakima Airpark, located on the south side of the Yakima airport’s property just off Ahtanum Road. The pilots, some retired from their careers and some still working, wanted to build more than a bunch of airplane hangars. What they hoped to achieve was a place where private pilots could enjoy every aspect of flying with like-minded friends.
But it wasn’t easy.
The first step was finding a piece of property near the airport that provided a taxiway to the runways used by the Yakima Air Terminal. Fortunately, there was some undeveloped property off of Ahtanum Road that included the end of an abandoned WWII runway. Once used by Northwest Airlines, the abandoned runway intersected the airport’s main runway, making the property a perfect fit. After jumping through more than a few bureaucratic hoops, the group eventually secured a lease from the Yakima Airport board.
Then the hard work began.
A part of the old runway was broken up in order to reclaim bare ground.
“Harold Johnson dug a mile of trenches for water, sewer, gas and electric,” McMahon said.  After analyzing other hangar complexes, the group mapped out their own with spray paint after the prep work was finished. Construction began in June 2006. It took eight months to complete the first five units, and the pilots did much of the work themselves, along with a slew of volunteers.
Today, the Yakima Airpark boasts 20 hangars and seven buildings.
The main building serves as a de facto clubhouse for those who own hangars. The first floor has a kitchen and small meeting room. “Every Saturday we put out coffee and doughnuts for the pilots,” Vestad said. The adjacent hangar is often used for large social events, like their annual Christmas party.
A spiral staircase leads up to the tower room, which provides an expansive view of the runways and the Valley beyond. “We come up here and tell lies,” McMahon joked.
But it’s the hangars that truly reflect the personalities of Airpark members. Upon entering Vestad’s, visitors are struck by the beautiful red and white plane parked in front a giant mural by local artist Rick Fuller, depicting the owner flying the same plane near the Cascade Mountains.
In a far corner of the immaculate space, a half-built fuselage sits waiting for its wings. It turns out that many of the Airpark occupants are members of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and are in the process of building their own airplanes. Vestad said it’s terrific to have access to other pilots who have either built their own planes or are currently involved in the process. The myriad parts meticulously laid out are a testament to the complicated steps it takes to assemble a plane that one day will actually fly.
Local dentist Tommy Holbrook, who learned how to fly from a P51 pilot named Buck Wheat, has been instrumental in getting the Yakima Airpark pilots involved with the community. In October, the group offered 15-minute flying sessions to kids involved in YMCA’s after-school Aspire program. The local EAA has also offered free flights to children in the Valley. “Some of these kids have never seen the Columbia River,” Holbrook said.
But it’s not all community service for Yakima’s “flight jockeys.” This fall, the Airpark sponsored a Poker Run with 12 pilots participating. The aeronautical card game commenced when the planes took off from the Yakima Air Terminal and navigated to five designated airports in Eastern Washington. Upon landing, each team picked up a playing card from a bucket and flew on to the next destination. When they finally returned to Yakima, bragging rights went to the team with the highest hand. The winner got all the entry fees too, but the pilots really didn’t care. They’d won even before their planes had left the tarmac: After all, it was one more chance to fly.

Read More

John Gorman: Goodwill Ambassador for Yakima

by Melissa Labberton on Jan 5, 2012

The cool and breezy August evening didn’t stop Yakima’s John Gorman from playing the consummate host to a group of business associates he’d invited to his Yakima home for dinner last summer. Folks had traveled from Washington, D.C., Singapore, Malaysia and Katmandu just to enjoy his hospitality — which speaks volumes about the man.
As senior director of sales for John I. Haas Co., Gorman, 69, has spent his entire career working in the brewing and hop industry — and traveling around the world. Haas is a sister company of the Barth Hass Group, the largest supplier of hops and hop products in the brewing industry.
But he loves his hometown so much that when he’s on business trips he takes on the unofficial role of goodwill ambassador, making sure to show photos of the Yakima Valley and extolling the virtues of Eastern Washington.
Gorman’s the guy you see chatting with friends at the local coffee shop one day, and the next he’s on an international flight to almost anywhere in North America, Europe or Southeast Asia.  His territory is global, giving him a chance to make friends in the farthest reaches of the world.
His trips are also filled with adventure.
In Katmandu, Nepal, where Gorman does business with Mount Everest Brewery, he has endured rolling electrical blackouts, wild jungle animals and 105 degree temperatures — all part of the Katmandu experience. During his first trip, in March 2008, he quickly learned the pitfalls of picking a hotel off the Internet, finding himself in less than one-star accommodations. Today he stays at Nepal’s Yak and Yeti Hotel, and although that might conjure visions of Raiders of the Lost Ark, the property was a favorite of the famous explorer Sir Edmund Hilary.
On that first visit to Katmandu, Gorman also met Shrestha Shanta, managing director of Mount Everest Brewery, when Shanta picked him up for the 18-minute flight (that’s six hours by car) to the brewery. Shanta’s first words: “I must treat you like a god. That’s my duty.” Overwhelmed by his client’s declaration, Gorman has attempted to return the favor ever since.
“I love the business, and along the way customers have become friends.” he said.
“I try to learn everything about a culture before I go there,” Gorman explained. That might be a lesson learned from a trip to Singapore, when Gorman handed out travel alarm clocks as gifts. After the presentation, the organization’s supervisor thanked Gorman, but said in his culture, “When you give a clock, you’re waiting for their death.”

A 1964 graduate of Boston College with a B.A. in English and History, Gorman’s no stranger to the beer business. His father worked as sales manager for the Schaefer Brewing Co. in Brooklyn, N.Y. After a bit of gallivanting after college, Gorman followed in his dad’s footsteps, apprenticing to become a brewmaster.
Working in the field, he learned the industry inside and out. His gift for gab, along with a knack for making friends, helped him realize that sales was his talent. But with sales comes travel, and Gorman explained, “I was putting 1,500 miles a week traveling around five states and living in hotels. I was so regimented that on Monday I’d leave and not come back until Friday.”
Although his schedule was taxing, Gorman loved every minute, since it allowed him to meet new people all over the Northeast. “The brewery industry … people were wonderful.” Because of his many contacts, Gorman eventually met the owners of Western Hop Co. of Yakima, and they offered him a job in 1983. He quickly flew his family to Yakima and it was love at first sight. After a few years, he moved his family to Wisconsin to take the position of vice president of sales for the Schreier Malting Co., now Cargill Malt.
“But I never stopped dreaming about Yakima,” Gorman admitted.
Fortunately in 1988 a job with Haas brought Gorman, his wife and his two children to the Yakima Valley for good.
Because of his frequent travels, Gorman treasures the time spent at his Yakima home with his wife, Patsy. In fact, he loves it so much that he turned even an unfortunate event into a positive: When his house was burglarized 22 years ago, instead of ranting, he quickly joined the Yakima Police Department as a reserve officer. He has patrolled the Yakima streets during his free time since then, recently retiring as a lieutenant. It’s hard to imagine anyone doing that difficult job after jetting around the world all week, but John Gorman makes it look easy.

Read More

Retro Richland

by Robin Salts Beckett on Nov 9, 2011

Richland is surprising.
One of the three communities in the nearby Tri-Cities, Richland has its own small-town, “retro” vibe, with a good bit of architecture recalling the ‘50s and ‘60s. And since it’s just over an hour away, Richland makes for a quick — and fun — getaway.

Read More