The community has been buzzing about this amazing opportunity and it couldn’t have come at a better time.  Facing huge budget cuts this year,  there was little hope that our technology programs would receive much funding for new hardware.   

Community volunteers have been busy pulling wire at the school to create a covered wi-fi network.   Teachers and students alike will receive training.   Google even came to town to see just how excited we were!   And what does google want in return?  Just good feedback on how they can make their operating system better. 

These computers are made solely for  computing in the cloud.   Most of my work in real estate happens in the cloud these days.    There are  certainly many advantages to this but it involves re-thinking how  you deal with files and data.   Hard to teach me new tricks but at the high school level it should catch on quick.  One of my favorite high school students had this to say about this new opportunity.  It will be interesting to see how this paradigm shift will impact education as a whole at Astoria High School.

Scott Holmstedt is the technology director for the Astoria School District  and was instrumental in helping Astoria become one of only five schools in the U.S.  selected to participate in this program.   The video posted on the Daily A website shows you just how excited everyone is!

The Budget Travel site appears to be getting a better voter turnout than our November elections in their latest poll.   Why you might ask?   Well,  if there’s one thing we’re all pretty proud of it’s our little fishing village here at the mouth of the Columbia River! 

Remember when we were named one of the most affordable places to retire back in 2005?  Fast forward and here we are in 2011 even more affordable than back then and a whole lot hipper! Check out this article to see what the locals and recent visitors think sets us apart.  If you love Astoria as much as we do then please cast your vote!

http://www.budgettravel.com/bt-srv/coolestsmalltowns/CST2011.html

Like me, most of you probably still think of the corner of 14th & Commercial in downtown  Astoria as home to Chris’ News.  Growing up, this was the hotspot for Archie Digests,  jigsaw puzzles for family holidays, and cigars for grandpa.  I had always assumed that Chris’ News had been there since the building’s inception, but come to find out this is not the case.  Prior to being Chris’ News the building was home to the Commodore Hotel, which first opened it’s doors in 1925.  Fast forward 83 years and The Commodore is preparing to re-open it’s doors once again.   As part of the ongoing Renaissance that’s embracing Astoria, the Commodore Hotel is being reinvented by local builder and craftsman Paul Caruana.  Known for his flare for combining traditional architecture with spaces designed to accomodate our modern lifestyles,  The Commodore will be no exception.  Geared towards the modern hip traveler,  the hotel will feature 19 unique rooms that blur the line between youth hostel and urban boutique hotel.  Many original details of the building will be stylishly recycled into the new design, insuring the approval of both Gen-Xer’s and adventurous Baby Boomers alike.  As of right now, the grand re-opening is slated for fall/winter 2008.  Look for more updates on the project at commodoreastoria.com. 

 The “All About Albacore” class  is this Saturday.   I want to go.   I’ve been waiting for this course.  I am severely challenged in the fish cooking department.  Besides, cooking courses are a great way to dirty up someone else’s kitchen and have a little fun with friends. 

 Astoria has two options for cooking classes.  I’ve had appetizers with Chris at the Baked Alaska in his kitchen inside Mise en Place and attended a party where Eric at the OSU Seafood Center put on a demo course of what was soon to be our main course!   If I could celebrate all my birthdays with a cooking class I would!  According to my family, this is just one more sign of getting older and…geeky.  This from the same folks who won’t let me get a ham radio.  What do they know? 

The OSU Seafood Center is really wonderful for lots of reasons.  The Seafood School is but one of it’s many contributions to the community.   The school is relatively new and very popular.    I first became acquainted with their facility when I attended a class on canning.  I’ve always been interested in canning my own tuna- it’s so tasty!  Once you’ve tasted home-canned tuna it’s very hard to buy store bought again.  Their website offers an online database of recipes searchable by type of seafood.  If any of you are lucky enough to attend the Albacore course this weekend I’d love to hear how the Cherry Cola Grill was!

Here’s the synopsis of the tuna class:

Try out summer barbecue dishes that we have put together to compliment the local bounty of troll-caught Pacific Albacore tuna.  Bursting with Omega-3’s, Albacore is both nutritious and delicious!

Cherry Cola Grilled Albacore

Baked Beans

Corn on the Cob

Potato Salad

Grilled Flatbread

To view the entire course schedule click here and download the PDF file.

 It’s a rare thing to find a house that has it’s woodwork, flooring and windows intact!  We don’t get to see that often.  Nor do we get the privilege of being in many restored vintage homes.   Unfortunately, the term  ’remuddled’ more often fits the bill than remodelled.  Not so with our listing at 731 9th Street.  Lovingly restored over the course of the past decade by a lively gent and his English wife.  The restoration process involved shopping trips to many places.  Most notable is the booty shipped over from England!  Plaster rosettes,  English Rose wallpaper and the never-before-seen Bullion glass (at least not seen by this Broker)!  Bullion glass, also known as “bull’s eye” glass, is characterized by ripples on the glass surface in the shape of concentric circles.  The design is similar to that of a bull’s eye target.   I don’t think this is seen much in our area as it’s a very old way of forming glass.  Our historic homes date back to the late 1800s and this process is much older.  I love it that this homeowner added a bit of English heritage to her own slice of American history.   These bullions were originally the rejects from the glass blowing process.   What started out as an old English tradition can now be found incorporated into modern day manufacturers of windows and glass in America.  A recent press release from Simpson Door announced their version of  doors with bullion glass. 

You can view this beautiful Queen Anne Victorian on our website or by calling one of our brokers at 503-338-5200.

Mothers day in Astoria means the opening of Sunday Market!  It also means brunch at the Silver Salmon for our family.   After stuffing ourselves to the point that we need a nap we somehow find the energy to roll ourselves out the door and down the street.   Usually live music greets us as we get within earshot of the hustle and bustle that IS Sunday Market.  It’s a day to see old friends who have moved away but return yearly to see good ol’ mom on her special day.   By the time we are done greeting all of our friends, family and assorted four-legged market attendees we’ll be packing some good stuff home.  A bag of kettle corn for Jamey, fresh flowers for the kitchen table,  homemade dog treats for Scout and a soft toy for G.   I keep debating on which Bill Dodge print I am going to get for my office.   I’m excited and hope we get some warmer weather next weekend to truly make the day memorable!

 Astoria Sunday Market 

Sunday 10 am to 3 pm 

 May 11- October 8th. 

Rain or Shine. 

LaDeDog is a new destination dog boutique at 120 Tenth Street in downtown Astoria. I had heard about it and read an article about it but had never took the time to visit it, until yesterday! What a nice surprise. The boutique truly lives up to it’s name and is a ’boutique’ in every sense of the word.

Wicki loves “Earl the Chicken”!

 You will find gourmet treats, the latest couture and ‘bling’ as well as the more practical outdoor apparel & accessories. You are encouraged to bring your well behaved ‘best friend’ to sample treats from the bakery bar & to try on the latest fashions or peruse the large supply of squeaky toys! You can also shop online at www.ladedog.net

LaDeDog is sponsoring a “yappy hour” on Saturday May 10th between 5-6pm where special doggie treat samples will be available as well as human refreshments.  They will be featuring the “Fence Puppies” and quilted dog portraits created by Ronni Harris. If you are interested in purchasing a custom canvas portrait, bring your dog in for a complimentary photo.

In my opinion, this boutique is truly worth visiting.

This post is for all my fellow RE/MAX’ers who went to Vegas!   A fellow concert-goer shot this not far from where we were sitting.  Dave Liniger sure knows how to put on a party!  What happens in Vegas…..

RE/MAX puts on an annual convention at various locations.  It was in Las Vegas this year and they ended the 4 days of education with a Fun Night!   The rock band Journey was the live entertainment this year.    I can’t wait to see what they come up with next year!