Oregon tour bus crash kills nine

AP/ December 30, 2012, 5:01 PM

Nine killed in Oregon tour bus crash

The scene of a tour bus crash in eastern Oregon on Dec. 30, 2012. / OREGON STATE POLICE VIA KOIN-TV

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Updated 9:09 p.m. ET

LA GRANDE, ORE.A tour bus careened through a guardrail along an icy Oregon highway and several hundred feet down a steep embankment Sunday, killing nine people and injuring more than 20 others, authorities said.

The charter bus carrying about 40 people lost control around 10:30 a.m. on the snow- and ice-covered lanes of Interstate 84, according to the Oregon State Police.

The bus came to rest at the bottom of a snowy slope. More than a dozen rescue workers descended the hill and used ropes to help retrieve people from the wreckage in freezing weather. The bus driver was among the survivors, but had not yet spoken to police because of the severity of the injuries the driver had suffered.

Lt. Greg Hastings said the bus crashed along the west end of the Blue Mountains, and west of an area called Deadman Pass. Stretches of highway in the rural and agricultural area of east Oregon tend to be icy in winter months.

The bus slid down the hill and landed upright, with little or no debris visible around the crash site.

St. Anthony Hospital in Pendleton treated 26 people from the accident, including some who were treated and then transported to other medical facilities, said hospital spokesman Larry Blanc.

In addition to the people who were transferred from St. Anthony to La Grand and Hermiston, Ore., and Walla Walla, Wash., Hastings said. Others were taken directly to hospitals further away, including Boise, Idaho, and Portland, Ore.

I-84 is a major east-west highway through Oregon that follows the Columbia River Gorge.

Umatilla County Emergency Manager Jack Remillard said the bus was owned by Mi Joo travel in Vancouver, B.C., and state police said the bus was en route from Las Vegas to Vancouver.

A woman who answered the phone at a listing for the company confirmed with The Associated Press that it owned the bus and said it was on a tour of the Western U.S. She declined to give her name.

A bus safety website run by the U.S. Department of Transportation said Mi Joo Tour & Travel has six buses, none of which have been involved in any accidents in at least the past two years.

The bus crash was the second fatal accident in Oregon on Sunday morning due to icy conditions. A 69-year-old man died in a single-vehicle rollover accident. CBS affiliate KOIN-TV in Portland reports both the 26-year-old driver, who is expected to survive, and the deceased passenger were wearing safety restraints.

Jimmy's Classic Drive-In Grants Pass: Review

Jimmy's Classic Drive-In...Sets The Bar! Grants Pass Oregon

By Steven Masone

On the hunt for the best burger in Southern Oregon starts with Jimmy's Classic Drive-In as the burger to beat. 
Fresh 100% ground chuck that is never frozen, the freshest produce they can find is the burger's story. But everyone knows there is a story behind every great burger. From the entire theme of classic burger-joint circa 50's rock & roll to the management and staff makes the dining experience better. The Classic rock & roll music setting the mood as soon as you walk in, the brightly pained red & white decor and black & white checker board floor puts everyone in a great mood to enjoy their visit. The long line of drive-thru customers tells it's own story also...this place is great. My first bite into my Jimmy's Classic Cheeseburger ( $4.95) I tasted the 100% Chuck immediately. If you don't taste beef right away eating a burger, your in trouble! But the burger was great. The bun was not falling apart and all the fixings were perfectly proportioned to not be overdone or underdone. Jimmy's has the burger to beat for best burger in Southern Oregon...and beyond!

NorthWest News & Review: Grants Pass Restaurant & Dining Reviews: Johnny's

NorthWest News & Review: Grants Pass Restaurant & Dining Reviews: Johnny's: By Steven  Masone     All the many years as a food, performing arts and music reviewer-critic, I can count on my hands and feet the bad r...

Wolf Creek Inn...Review.

Wolf Creek Inn...Southern Oregon's Best Kept Secret

The Original Northwest Bed & Breakfast 

By Steven Masone



Probably the most beautiful places on earth is California and Oregon coastal and mountain areas. Leaving California heading north Interstate 5, the mountain town of Ashland Oregon greets you with it's beautiful Ski area and an almost old world charm in the downtown district where great restaurants and eclectic mix of a myriad of shops that reflect Ashland's artistic community that has evolved from Ashland being host city to Southern Oregon University. World renown for it's Shakespeare Festival.

As you continue on through the Rogue valley named after it's famous Rogue River swallows you up with it's impressive wine country and pear orchards famous also as home of Harry & David of the  Bear Creek Corporation.

 The story of family-run Bear Creek Corporation traces its roots back to Sam Rosenberg, a prosperous clothier and hotel owner, who built the luxury Seattle Hotel Sorrento in Seattle in the early 1900s and traded it in 1910 for 240 acres of pear trees in southern Oregon's Rogue River valley. The orchard cost $300,000; the pears were Doyenne du Comice, a thin-skinned, easily bruised fruit hybridized in France in the 1700s and renowned for its fine texture and flavor. The Rogue River valley, with its rich volcanic soils and sunny micro climate free of frost, proved better suited to the Comice pear than its birthplace in France. Under Rosenberg's manager, the pears took first place twice at the annual New York pear show. The rest is history.

But we must keep moving through this beautiful valley because our destination this week is about an hour north up the most breathtaking mountain pine country one can find anywhere. Historic Wolf Creek Inn.

When we heard that Wolf Creek Inn hosted their first Crawdad Festival last July we contacted the new operators who have resurrected the Historic Inn from failure three years ago. As The Delta News & Review has decided to expand another e-publication into southern Oregon, owners Mark and Margrett Quist asked us to consult with them for this years festival. Because of last years success this year can double or triple and our production and promotion team is excited to get involved.

In 1975 the Inn was purchased by the state of Oregon. Local carpenters and craftsmen spent 4 years restoring the Inn to its former luster. Historians from the Oregon State Historical Preservation Office spent countless hours researching the original floor plans and wall coverings in order to return the Inn to the look and feel of the mid 1920's and recreate the atomosphere for current visitors.

Many famous folks visited the Inn, including President Hayes, Jack London, Clark Gable, Carole Lombard, Mary Pickford, Fredric March, Patrick Stewart, Robert Redford and Sir Anthony Hopkins, just to name just a few.

In August 1911, Jack London stayed at the Inn for several weeks, where he enjoyed hiking in the forests behind the Inn. During this time, he wrote a short story entitled "The End of the Story." He also completed  his novel "Valley Of The Moon" during another stay. Jack London's room is in the front of the Inn on the second floor, much as it would have appeared in 1911. 

I visited the Inn six years ago when it was hit and miss to find it open. I was going to do a story for the Linden Herald Newspapers but it never worked out. This week we will review all of their offerings, and legend has it their may be some "Haunting" from time past and we will keep everyone posted on that! 

                                                                                                                                   
Sitting room with great fireplace!  
"Ladies  Parlor"

http://historicwolfcreekinn.com/HistoryoftheInn.aspx

                         

"Taste Of Alaska" Grants Pass Newest Dining Experience

On The Road Again Review:"Taste Of Alaska"...Grants Pass, Oregon

By Steven Masone
    Tim and Susan Tipton, Owners "TASTE OF ALASKA"

     Grants Pass has a fledgling food trailer boom possibly in the works that will add a great dimension to the attraction of this great mountain community in Southern Oregon. As you drive into town for the first time, the welcome sign at 6th and G pronounces; "It's The Climate." Not only the climate in the meteorological sense, but it's outdoor recreational and natural beauty, the Arts, Entertainment, and some really good restaurants etc...are included in the "Climate."

    The City is trying to work out the details to support and promote food trailers and trucks that are the latest rage all over the country. Some of the great chefs of Los Angeles have even abandoned their brick and mortar establishments and are taking their culinary talents to the hungry masses who follow them religiously to their destinations utilizing social networking. It has become a cultural in-gathering as sorts where foodies and  friends meet for almost any occasion. Sports events, nightclub and music venues, plays and art events, just to name a few of the main happenings. The diversity and cross section of culinary styles and choices are endless.

    Portland Oregon also has followed suit and has started annual food trailer festivals and next week I am headed up to find a few I have heard great reports on.  

Tim and Susan Tipton, owners of "TASTE OF ALASKA" are leading the way for Grants Pass to find fame in this great culinary phenomena and if others can match their freshness and quality of preparation and ingredients, Grants Pass will add another element improving both local and tourist attractiveness to the area.

    Taste Of Alaska started in June this year at  an old gas station rented by the day for 35 bucks. After a month of weekends with great feedback from customers,Taste of Alaska went full time. Now located at 6th & Kst.

 Crab Buoys, Deep fried hamburgers, Sushi with pickled fish,Sockeye Salmon, King crab tail, halibut,Ling Cod. Grilled salad made with all organic veggies bought local with pickled fish on top.Bear drop which is a blend of Oreo cookies, Gram crackers and Philly cream cheese blended all together into a dough then frozen into a cookie then dropped into a homemade dipping batter then deep fried then covered in a chocolate sauce with powdered sugar on top. 

Crab buoys are made out of a fresh made crab cakes mix from scratch with a scratch made garlic butter wrapped in a home made dough from scratch deep fried in rice bran oil cooled then served with a home made dipping sauce called Tim's Secret Sauce. 

I sampled the Crab Buoys and the Bear Drop. This was delicious and a refreshing new experience as I am very leery of deep fried foods being too greasy. But Tim assured me he and wife Susan spent hours and trial after trial to perfect the batter cake not to soak up the oil. And they should patent it! It was amazingly more like a sauteed-steamed crab cake. The texture and inside temperature was perfect. The crab meat is from the tail so as to deep fry better and the Bear Drop was sweet rich and delicious. Choc-o-holics delight! 

I am told the deep fried burgers are the bomb! 

There are the OMG Grilled Sandwich, Crab bacon and Cheddar melt, Pear bacon cheddar melt, And the Smokey Cheese melt. With specials through the week as well, Fisherman's Grub, Crab Crawl, Fish Taco's and a few others.

Newest location 6TH and K St  in Grants Pass 

I am looking forward to trying everything on this great menu soon!   see theirwebsite FB Page facebook.com/tasteofalaska

Grants Pass Dining Out Review: SI CASA FLORES

By Steven Masone

    The Flores Family Restaurants are led by Manuel Flores, who emigrated from Mexico to the Pacific Northwest in 1982. After breaking into the restaurant business, his philosophy has been simple: Give diners freshly prepared traditional Mexican food with flair in a vibrant, welcoming environment. The restaurant group has undergone a number of changes over the years, as dining trends and lifestyles change, but one thing has stayed constant – a commitment to uncommonly great food. Stop by one of our 4 locations today! 

    Of all their locations and all the Mexican restaurants in Southern Oregon, I have yet to find one better than the Grants Pass location. It has it all, beautiful decor, great staff...and the best chefs in the group! I have found, the best way to judge Mexican cooking is how well is their Chile Relleno prepared. Of all Mexican dishes a Chile Relleno is a dish that only the best chefs know how to do right. Like any good chef must taste all the dishes on a regular basis to insure quality control, the chiles used in this dish must be the best and most attended to for preparation, A bitter Chile will be a disaster. Bad Chile's in Mexican cuisine is like bad garlic in Italian.  

    Their seafood is topnotch as is all their menu. For an authentic and delicious flan, this is the location to enjoy Flan at it's best! I am told that the Margarita's are second to none. If you like your flavor really hot request their habanero salsa!

SI CASA FLORES! 

Grants Pass Restaurant & Dining Reviews: Johnny's

By Steven Masone

    All the many years as a food, performing arts and music reviewer-critic, I can count on my hands and feet the bad reviews I have given. I do not take pleasure in the bad ones. Great food and great service is a rare commodity in today's ever-changing and challenging restaurant business. Since the Delta News & Review has expanded to the Northwest, I have had great experiences in Southern Oregon. It is hard for restaurateurs to find, train, trust and retain good professional staff. Today, I invited my daughter to a restaurant in Grants Pass, Oregon  for lunch where last year I stopped and was very pleased with the food. 

    As we walked in, my daughter immediately noticed the floor was not swept and once that first impression is off base, the rest of experience usually follows. However the food was good and so was the service. So I have decided to go back another time before I review the establishment as I asked and found out the owners were absent. 'THE MICE WILL PLAY...WHEN THE CATS AWAY!"

  Later I decided to finally try Johnny's at 304 NE Agness Ave, Grants Pass. I have been sampling several places for a possible filming project for a pilot reality food show a friend is involved with and I am scouting  for a segment.  I just wanted to start "The Hunt" for the best burger and dog joints in Southern Oregon and stopped at Johnny's. The menu looked great! But looks can be deceiving!

 When my foot long dog I ordered was served to me, I joked about the bun not being a foot long. Well, it went down hill from there. The lady serving me gave me a dirty look and didn't even lighten up when I laughed and said, "I'm just joking."  I dropped a tip in her tip jar and began to fix my dog with all the trimmings when I saw the wiener was discolored from getting old, and I lost my sense of humor also. The bun was hard on the ends and tasted stale. As I came in around 4: 30 pm, I figured she wasn't set up for a dinner rush yet and my dog might have been sitting longer than I like. I usually sample first and then come back for a dish that a place is known for, and is their best specialty. So I decided to just pick her brain for some background on the history of Johnny's.

   Normally I will give someone the benefit of the doubt that they might be having a hard day, but when she seemed to get upset at my asking if she was one of the owners, she fumed, "I am the owner! And I don't have time to talk"...followed by another rude comment, I had had it with her nasty attitude. My bad...I thought ..."Johnny" might be one of the owners name, and I was also fishing to see if she might have just been a worker who could care less about customer service and repeat business. If that was the case, I would let the owners know. I always appreciated my customers complaints.

    Word of mouth is the most  important way to increase restaurant sales. If you present a wonderful dining experience, patrons will naturally refer your restaurant to others. But word of mouth works both ways. Bad reviews often travel faster than positive ones. That's why its essential to be consistent in providing excellent customer service, quality food and an inviting atmosphere. Every customer should be treated with respect and hospitality. The customer is always right even if they are wrong. A disgruntled customer will reach at least one hundred people with their bad experience just by word of mouth. To find an owner in this economy not valuing every customer speaks volumes. 

This statement is found on Johnny's website...
"13 times since 2007 Johnny's has been reviewed by professional foodies, wanna bees, other restaurant owners and just normal, hardworking folks.  13 consecutive reviews spanning almost 4 calendar years and every review rated us A or A+.  The harder we work the luckier we get." 

Well 13 must be your unlucky number. Good food without good service is bad enough, but you also need to work harder on your bad attitude, it is showing in your food. Delta News & Review gives Johnny's an F.

Warm Even Hot Weather Streak Coming to Portland, Oregon Coast Published 09/03/2012 (Oregon Coast) – Highs around 70 degrees, and low winds that could make it feel like around 80 or more on the beaches. This is what's in store for parts of the Oregon coast coming midweek – just after the summer holiday ends. It's not without precedent, however. The Portland area will get a small heatwave, possibly in the 90's, and September is known as the “Second Summer” on the Oregon coast as this time of year is always the warmest on the shoreline. (See Portland and Oregon weather here) Many spots will get into the 70's along the coast, with those inland – such as Astoria or Tillamook – likely getting around 80 degrees. For the north coast, the National Weather Service (NWS) has a forecast that's a bit cooler for towns like Cannon Beach, Seaside, Manzanita, Rockaway or Pacific City. The NWS said Tuesday will have patchy fog before 11 a.m., then becoming mostly sunny with a high in the upper 60's. North winds will be low, around 10 to 14 mph. Above: September is the warmest time of the year on the coast, such as in Cannon Beach. Wednesday, the NWS said the highs may be just under 70 degrees, and Wednesday will get cloudy. Thursday, the forecast is for mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60's. Friday will again be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 60's. The weekend takes off into partly sunny territory with a high around 62 for Saturday. For the central coast, in towns like Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Yachats, Waldport and Newport, you're looking at a similar forecast for each of the days, but the NWS seems to indicate slightly higher highs, more into the low 70's. With low winds like this and the reflective quality of the sand and waves, the tide line will likely feel more like 80 degrees in many spots during the week. Make sure and keep plenty of suntan lotion ready should you decide to show much skin. Calm conditions like these will likely mean great whale watching weather, and the warmer temps could mean more of the “glowing sand” phenomenon at night. Much of the coastline experienced extremely high sand levels over the summer months, and these conditions could mean a brief return to that. This created unusually easy access to many rocky spots - like Oceanside, Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Devil's Punchbowl and more – as well as unusually broad beaches. More about places to stay and lodging along the Oregon coast below. Keywords: weather, cape kiwanda, summer, Pacific City, Portland, Cannon Beach, Yachats, Depoe Bay, Newport, Lincoln City, Oceanside, Astoria, Oregon coast, science. More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging..... More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Published 09/03/2012

(Oregon Coast) – Highs around 70 degrees, and low winds that could make it feel like around 80 or more on the beaches. This is what's in store for parts of the Oregon coast coming midweek – just after the summer holiday ends.

It's not without precedent, however. The Portland area will get a small heatwave, possibly in the 90's, and September is known as the “Second Summer” on the Oregon coast as this time of year is always the warmest on the shoreline. (See Portland and Oregon weather here)

Many spots will get into the 70's along the coast, with those inland – such as Astoria or Tillamook – likely getting around 80 degrees.

For the north coast, the National Weather Service (NWS) has a forecast that's a bit cooler for towns like Cannon Beach, Seaside, Manzanita, Rockaway or Pacific City.

The NWS said Tuesday will have patchy fog before 11 a.m., then becoming mostly sunny with a high in the upper 60's. North winds will be low, around 10 to 14 mph.

Above: September is the warmest time of the year on the coast, such as in Cannon Beach.

Wednesday, the NWS said the highs may be just under 70 degrees, and Wednesday will get cloudy.

Thursday, the forecast is for mostly sunny with highs in the upper 60's.

Friday will again be mostly sunny with highs in the mid 60's.

The weekend takes off into partly sunny territory with a high around 62 for Saturday.

For the central coast, in towns like Lincoln City, Depoe Bay, Yachats, Waldport and Newport, you're looking at a similar forecast for each of the days, but the NWS seems to indicate slightly higher highs, more into the low 70's.

With low winds like this and the reflective quality of the sand and waves, the tide line will likely feel more like 80 degrees in many spots during the week. Make sure and keep plenty of suntan lotion ready should you decide to show much skin.

Calm conditions like these will likely mean great whale watching weather, and the warmer temps could mean more of the “glowing sand” phenomenon at night.

Much of the coastline experienced extremely high sand levels over the summer months, and these conditions could mean a brief return to that. This created unusually easy access to many rocky spots - like Oceanside, Cannon Beach, Arch Cape, Devil's Punchbowl and more – as well as unusually broad beaches.

More about places to stay and lodging along the Oregon coast below.

Keywords: weather, cape kiwanda, summer, Pacific City, Portland, Cannon Beach, Yachats, Depoe Bay, Newport, Lincoln City, Oceanside, Astoria, Oregon coast, science.

More About Oregon Coast hotels, lodging.....

More About Oregon Coast Restaurants, Dining.....

Flying Spiders

End Time Truth: There is still a 'Sleeping Moral Majority Giant!'

End Time Truth: There is still a 'Sleeping Moral Majority Giant!': Thursday, August 2, 2012 There is still a "Sleeping Moral Majority Giant!"     By Rev. Steven Masone      It is very hard to be objective ...

NorthWest News & Review: lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012

NorthWest News & Review: lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012: Isleton Cajun Festival This coming weekend! Saturday, June 16-Sunday, June 17 lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012 Features              ...

lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012

Isleton Cajun Festival This coming weekend! Saturday, June 16-Sunday, June 17

lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012 Features                   

Mumbo Gumbo

After two years without their famous Crawdad Festival the Isleton Chamber of Commerce that also was defunct in essence until reformed with new leadership, resurrected the festival last year bringing over 25,000 attendees and a new family orientated fun filled and incident free event.


Held on Fathers Day weekend again this year as it has been from it's beginning, the headline musical act for Saturday night this year is MUMBO GUMBO


Multi-SAMMIE Winning Band. Multi-Best of Sacramento awards. The band won the SAMMIE award as best Sacramento-area band for nine consecutive years until they retired from competition so other bands could have a chance to win. Originally called the "Spydels", the band changed its name in 1991 to "Mumbo Gumbo" to reflect its New Orleans and Carribean musical influences. They have released eight CDs on Ruby Records, a Davis-based record label, including their newest "Fun Pac", released in May 2009.

As this band's web page describes the music:

...there's New Orleans' second line and rhythm and blues, sure. But also, there's driving rockabilly and country waltzes. Singer/songwriter-style ballads. Ass-shaking cumbias. Edgy blues rock. Afro-Cuban trance singalongs. Conga-line-inspiring whachamacallits . Mutant gypsy folk.

Mumbo Gumbo plays clubs, fairs, festivals, and nightclubs, and their music was used on a couple of episodes of "Northern Exposure." The band played twice annually at the Palms Playhouse for years and continues that tradition at the Palms in Winters.

The band's founder, Davis resident Billy Fairfield, puts on the annual "Home for the Holidays" Christmas music show fundraiser at the Veterans Memorial Theater for the Davis School Arts Program.

Cajun Festival websitehttp://www.isletoncoc.org/crawdad.html

Mumbo's website http://www.mumbogumbo.com/

Saturday, June 16-Sunday, June 17
Performing: 3 stages of live music, a carnival, arts & crafts, plus Cajun food  
Where: Downtown Isleton, east of Fairfield on Hwy 150
Tickets: $5

lsleton Cajun (Crawdad) Festival 2012 Features Mumbo Gumbo

Isleton, California

After two years without their famous Crawdad Festival the Isleton Chamber of Commerce that also was defunct in essence until reformed with new leadership, resurrected the festival last year bringing over 25,000 attendees and a new family orientated fun filled and incident free event.


Held on Fathers Day weekend again this year as it has been from it's beginning, the headline musical act for Saturday night this year is MUMBO GUMBO


Multi-SAMMIE Winning Band. Multi-Best of Sacramento awards. The band won the SAMMIE award as best Sacramento-area band for nine consecutive years until they retired from competition so other bands could have a chance to win. Originally called the "Spydels", the band changed its name in 1991 to "Mumbo Gumbo" to reflect its New Orleans and Carribean musical influences. They have released eight CDs on Ruby Records, a Davis-based record label, including their newest "Fun Pac", released in May 2009.

As this band's web page describes the music:

...there's New Orleans' second line and rhythm and blues, sure. But also, there's driving rockabilly and country waltzes. Singer/songwriter-style ballads. Ass-shaking cumbias. Edgy blues rock. Afro-Cuban trance singalongs. Conga-line-inspiring whachamacallits . Mutant gypsy folk.

Mumbo Gumbo plays clubs, fairs, festivals, and nightclubs, and their music was used on a couple of episodes of "Northern Exposure." The band played twice annually at the Palms Playhouse for years and continues that tradition at the Palms in Winters.

The band's founder, Davis resident Billy Fairfield, puts on the annual "Home for the Holidays" Christmas music show fundraiser at the Veterans Memorial Theater for the Davis School Arts Program.

Cajun Festival websitehttp://www.isletoncoc.org/crawdad.html

Mumbo's website http://www.mumbogumbo.com/