Etc. Column

Cowboy poets

to ward off

‘Dog Days’

Palouse Country Cowboy Poetry Association will present “Forget the Dog Days of Summer” at the Dahmen Barn Aug. 18 at 7 p.m.

In 1991 Baxter Black, probably today’s best known cowboy poet, told a group of Palouse country enthusiasts gathered in Asotin that cowboy poetry was the fastest growing western cultural activity and that they should get involved.

In 1995, following a cowboy poetry workshop led by local poet Gene Semingson, the group decided to develop a more formal organization, and the Palouse Country Cowboy Poetry Association was formed. The Association started with seven members. Today there are about 40 members, both cowboy poets and musicians, coming from all over the Palouse. They now meet every two months.

The program will be inside Dahmen Barn in the event of rain.

Library shutdown slated next week

All 14 branches of Whitman County Library will be closed next week, Aug. 6-12, for library maintenance and computer system upgrades. Due dates for library materials have been extended in anticipation of the closure and no late fines will be charged for these days. Bookdrops will remain open in all locations accepting returned items.

Access to the library’s catalog, downloadable audio and e-books, subscription databases like LiveMocha, foreign language instruction and the online librarian will still be available by visiting the library’s website at http://www.whitco.lib.wa.us.

Libraries affected by the closure are Albion, Colfax, Colton, Endicott, Farmington, Garfield, LaCrosse, Malden, Oakesdale, Palouse, Rosalia, St.John, Tekoa and Uniontown.

Dahmen books Hotwire

The band Hotwire will play outdoors Saturday, Aug. 4, from 7 to 9 p.m., at the Dahmen Barn in Uniontown. The program will include bluegrass, country and folk. The group includes champion musicians and has a resonant vocal blend accompanied by guitars, mandolins and bass. Admission will be $10 at the door with kids under 12 free.

Art students’ exhibit

Opening Sunday, Aug. 5, and running through Aug. 26, Artisans at Dahmen Barn will present an exhibit of pastel paintings by students of Judy Fairley, award-winning artist. She has been a resident artist at the Dahmen Barn since it opened in 2006. Participating artists will be present at the opening reception from 1 to 3 p.m.

Summer Stage productions

IDAHO REPERTORY THEATRE— Annie Baker’s renowned Circle Mirror Transformation, Aug. 16-18 and 23-25, 7:30 p.m. Sunday matinees at 2 p.m. Aug. 19 and 26. The play follows a small group of students enrolled in an adult dramatic acting class for six weeks. This show was on the top 10 list for the New York Times and the New Yorker.

REGIONAL THEATRE OF PALOUSE— Oliver!. The musical version of Charles Dickens’s beloved novel about orphan Oliver Twist and the colorful characters he meets in the streets of 19th century London. Aug. 23-25 and Sept. 5-9; 7:30 p.m. Matinees August 25, Sept. 8 at 1:30 p.m.

Pullman Reaney Park concerts

Food vendors begin selling at 5:30; free concerts, 6 to 7:30 p.m.

Aug. 8 -The Senders; Porky’s Pit Barbecue.

Aug. 15- Snake River Six; Heros ‘n Sports.

Lentil fest recipe entries

pared down to six finalists

Twenty one judges tasted and scored 50 recipes from around the country for the 19th annual Legendary Lentil Cook-Off. The judges helped choose the top six recipes that will be prepared on Saturday of the National Lentil Festival, Aug. 17 and 18th in Reaney Park.

A record number of 127 recipes were submitted for this year’s cook off. Three chefs from Pullman helped find the top 50. Each of the preliminary recipes were prepared by volunteers July 26 at the Lincoln Middle School kitchen to be considered by the 21 judges.

Cooks from 32 states submitted the record number of recipes to be judged on appearance, taste, flavor and aroma. There was also a recipe submitted from Calgary.

The top six winners for the 19th Annual Lentil Cook-Off, in no specific order are as follows: —Curry, Lentil Yam Hummus from Sarah Peterson of Spokane.

—French Cassoulet with Lentils, Bacon, Sausage and Chicken from Lily Julow of Gainesville, Fla.

—Let it be Lentil Strawberry Shortcake from Renata Stanko of Lebanon, Ore.

—Pretty Penny Tostadas from Stacy Reed of Gresham, Ore

. —Italian Peasant-Kissed Lentil and Butternut Squash Chili from Kelly Mapes of Fort Collins, Colo .; .

—Washington Harvest Salad from Michelle Keno of Fairfield.

Keno’s Washington Harvest Salad was also awarded as being the most creative by the judges. One judge said that the salad had “very delicious, fresh ingredients.”

The 2011 Lentil King, Sam Leeper was also there to help judge. His nine year old palette picked two of the finalists. Sam has been involved in several of the Lentil Festival activities and the Cook-Off is by far, his favorite.

The “I Hate Lentils” category was judged again this year by Bill Weed, a self-professed “Lentil Hater.” This was the fourth year we had this category and the competition was stiff. This year’s winner was the Lentil and Sausage Etouffee from Judy Armstrong of Prairieville, La. Weed noted that “the spicy ingredients in the Etouffee outweighed the sight of the lentils.” The I Hate Lentils winner will receive a $100 prize and be featured in the front of the National Lentil Festival Cookbook in a special section.

The top six recipes will be prepared for more than 400 Lentil Festival attendees to taste on Saturday, Aug. 18 and judge which one they like best. The winning recipe of the I Hate Lentils category will not be prepared for the park.

The event is sponsored by USA Dry Pea & Lentil Council, which gives prize money of $1000 for 1st place, $500 for 2nd place, $250 for 3rd place and $50 for each of 4th through 6th place.

All recipes will be in the 2012 National Lentil Festival Cookbook available at the Festival on Friday and Saturday, Aug. 17-18 and through the Lentil Festival office.

NOW HERE’S A TIP

By JoAnn Derson

• When patching cracks in plaster walls, if the crack is large or it’s a small hole, stuff it with wadded-up newspaper or steel wool in order to fill the gap. Apply the plaster over the top.

• Recipe substitution: For each cup of brown sugar needed, use 1 cup of white sugar and 2 tablespoons of molasses.

• If your washer oversuds because you accidentally added too much detergent, just add a half-cup of white vinegar to the wash water. It will dampen the extra bubbles. Then make sure to put the load through an additional rinse to eliminate soap residue in your clothes.

• Ever had to deal with early arrivals at your garage sale? If so, you know it can be annoying and disruptive. When advertising your sale, use the block number instead of your house number. It will still be easy to find, but you’re less likely to get staked out.

• “It can be hard to find a good contractor or company to provide a service. The best referral resource I’ve found is friends. Whenever someone I know has work done at their home or purchases an item I might be interested in, I always find out the details of who worked on it or where it was purchased, and whether my friends were satisfied with the outcome. Friends and even acquaintances usually are quite amenable to giving details, especially when they are either very pleased or very displeased with a job.” — R.E. in New York

FLASHBACK

By Mick Harper

1. Which singer/songwriter released “Masters of War,” and when? What was the song about?

2. Name the group that had a hit with “Too Much Time on My Hands.”

3. Who had a hit with “Your Love” in 1975?

4. What kind of music did The Surfaris, The Champs, The Ventures, The Shadows and The Atlantics have in common?

5. Which handheld music device went on sale in 1979?

6. Name the artist who released the album “Havana Moon” in 1983.

Answers

1. Bob Dylan, in 1963. The song was about the arms buildup during the Cold War. For its February 1963 issue, Broadside magazine printed the song’s lyrics and music on the cover.

2. Styx, in 1981. Two years later, the band’s “Mr. Roboto” went to No. 3. The song’s chorus line starts with Japanese lyrics.

3. Graham Central Station. They’re still playing after all these years and recently opened for Prince.

4. All were surf groups, getting their start in the 1960s.

5. The Sony Walkman. The introduction of the first personal stereo cassette player sparked a revolution in personal electronics.

6. Carlos Santana. The single by the same name was written in 1957 by Chuck Berry of “Maybellene” fame.

(c) 2012 King Features Synd., Inc.