The Dill Pickle Club | Portland, Oregon

last call for energy field trip, this Thursday

By marc moscato | Published: July 27, 2010

We’re gearing up and making final preparations for this Thursday’s bus trip out to the Columbia Gorge, WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM? and it should be great! We still have 10 or so spots remaining so if you know someone who may be interested, please spread the word! This is a great opportunity to learn first-hand the history of the area, take in some amazing scenery and even tour a wind farm!

A brief itinerary:
9:00 AM – Leave Portland
11:00 AM – Tour of the Dalles Dam with the Army Corps of Engineers
12:00 PM – Leave dam
12:15 PM – Lunch at Celilo Park with Chief Wilbur Slockish
1:15 PM – Leave Park
2:00 PM – Tour PGE Biglow Canyon Wind Farm with Kristy Brown
3:00 PM – Leave PGE
5:00 PM – Back in Portland

Here is a FAQ you’ll want to review ahead of time. Again, it’s not too late to sign up for this awesome trip. RSVP here. Look forward to seeing you there!

View where does energy come from? in a larger map

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged biglow canyon wind farm, dalles dam, Dill Pickle Club, where does energy come from?, wilbur slockish | Leave a comment

best of portland?

By marc moscato | Published: July 23, 2010

Check out YNDPC in this week’s Willamette Week. We’ve been voted as the organizer of the “Best Field Trips” in their annual “Best of Portland” issue. Go here to read the story. Thank you Portland!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged best of portland, Dill Pickle Club, filed trips, willamette week | Leave a comment

where does money go?

By marc moscato | Published: July 23, 2010

Here at Dill Pickles HQ we are developing ways to be as fiscally transparent as possible. A lot of people ask us why our events cost money. It’s an understandable question. We don’t like spending money either.

Let’s look at the expenses for this upcoming month’s trip, WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM?

The above pie-chart details expenses for the month.

Bus Rental = $485
Posters = $40
Office rent = $70
Insurance = $30
Honorarium = $75

July’s trip will cost us $700 to organize. The average ticket price is $25, and there are 40 paid spots on the bus. We need to sell 28 tickets to break even and if it sells out, the $300 profit will go directly toward future programming.

We try to price events reasonably so they are accessible to all, but we can’t afford to lose money. Events do cost money and each month we have expenses. Admission to events makes up almost our entire revenue stream, and in order to keep putting on great educational events about our region, we need to have capital to work with. There is a false belief sometimes that non-profit=anti-profit. At the DPC, our concern is less about profit, and more about how we can continue to offer engaging educational events.

As we move into the second year of our existence, we hope to expand our programming, while keeping prices down. If this model is to become sustainable, we need your support. Membership is a great way of showing your support, while getting some great perks in return. It’s reasonably priced, too. $50/ year; $30/ six-months for a basic membership. Just think, if 14 people became members, costs for this trip would be covered!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged budget, Dill Pickle Club, where does money go? | Leave a comment

video preview of WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM? field trip

By amandamiller | Published: July 19, 2010

Where does energy come from? from In The Can Productions on Vimeo.

Special thanks to Karl Lind for this preview of our WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM? tour, Thursday, July 29th from 9am-5pm.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged bus trip, celilo falls, dalles dam, Dill Pickle Club, field trip, where does energy come from? | Leave a comment

Where Does Energy Come From FAQ

By marc moscato | Published: July 15, 2010

We’ve received a few questions about our upcoming field trip to the Columbia Gorge, WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM?, Thursday, July 29th. Here’s a few FAQ for everything you need to know.

Q: Where does the tour depart? What time? When will we be back in Portland?

A: The tour departs at 9AM from our offices at the Dekum Building (519 SW 3rd Ave). Look for the big school bus. It is easily accessible via bus or Max routes, and a Smart Park garage is located but a block away. We will leave promptly at 9:10, so please be on time! Depending on traffic, we will be back in Portland sometime between 5PM-6PM.

Q: I work during the week. Why is the event on Thursday?

A: Part of offering these programs involves providing access to places typically not open to the public. We try to schedule events on the weekends whenever possible, but because we are visiting two functioning workplace environments (the Dalles Dam and PGE’s wind farm), we have to arrange tours during regular business hours.

Q: Does the cost of the bus trip include lunch?

A: No, it does not. We will be stopping at Celilo Park for lunch. All participants are expected to pack their own food.

Q: What else do I need to bring? What should I wear?

A: All participants need I.D., a requirement to enter any federal dam. Participants are also asked to wear long pants and shoes (no sandals, flip flops, heels etc.). We don’t make the rules, we swear!

Q: Where can I learn more?

A: Check out Dr. Katrine Barber’s excellent book, Death of Celilo Falls. It’s our selection for this month’s book club. Dr. Barber will be in-person to talk about her book, Thursday, July 22nd at 5PM at the Waypost (3120 N Williams). It’s free!

Q: Is there still space available? Do I have to buy a ticket ahead of time?

A: It is highly recommended you purchase a ticket ahead of time. This will help us to know what size of a bus to rent. The bus is about half full now, but there are still about 20 seats available. Buy tickets here.

read death of celilo falls + learn from history

By dill pickle book club | Published: July 2, 2010

UPDATE: 7/14/10We are honored the book’s author, Dr. Katrine Barber, will be in-person to discuss her book. Please come and learn about Dr. Barber’s research and how the dam has forever affected Native life near Celilo Village.

This month, book club prepares us for our upcoming field trip of the Columbia Gorge. Join us in reading Katrine Barber’s Death of Celilo Falls (University of Washington, 2005). The book is one of the most moving and informative you’ll find on the history of Celilo, and its comparisons of The Dalles to Celilo Village beg deeper discussion. Book Club is free and will take place Tuesday, July 22nd at 5PM at the Waypost (3120 N Williams). Pick up a copy in-person at the Waypost or below and we’ll mail you one.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged book club, death of celilo falls, Dill Pickle Club, dill pickle club book club, katrine barber, Portland, waypost, where does energy come from? | 1 Comment

advertise in the next Dill Pickles publication

By marc moscato | Published: June 28, 2010

This month we’re at work producing Northwest Passage: 50 Years of Independent Music from the Rose City, a book and audio CD highlighting the history of Portland’s burgeoning independent music scene. From taking photos, transcribing interviews, editing an audio program to layout, we’re on schedule to release the publication in time for the Portland Zine Symposium, August 28-29 at Portland State University.

We need to raise approximately $2,000 to produce the publication and accompanying audio CD. In an effort to defray some of our costs, we are soliciting ads from community businesses. Advertising in our publications is a great way to reach a bright, intellectual audience engaged in the history, culture and civics of the region, while supporting our critical work.

Check out our ad rates by downloading our rate sheet. Reserve space by dropping us a line.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dill Pickle Club, history of portland music, indie music portland or, music lecture series, northwest passage, nw passage | Leave a comment

chinatown tour recap

By marc moscato | Published: June 28, 2010

In case you missed it, the Oregonian ran a nice feature on The Dill Pickle Club in Saturday’s paper. http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2010/06/the_dill_pickle_club_a_chicago.html

There were also a couple of post-tour recaps and reviews, courtesy of the Daily Journal of Commerce and Portland Chinese Times.

Check it out!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged chinatown, Dill Pickle Club, Portland, portland or, tours | Leave a comment

are you a nut about oregon?

By marc moscato | Published: June 25, 2010

Next Wednesday, June 30th, we’ll be giving a free, short slide presentation in support of the Oregon Cultural Heritage Commission. A nice writeup on the Portland Mercury site:

Read the full details in OCHC’s announcement after the jump…
Read More »

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Dill Pickle Club, ecotrust building, oregon cultural heritage commission | Leave a comment

sweet cakes chinatown tour = success!

By marc moscato | Published: June 22, 2010

Chinatown elder Bob Luck talks to tour group. Photo credit: Justin Flood

This past weekend saw two sold-out tours of Portland’s Chinatown, with over 100 people getting the chance to meet neighborhood elders, tour family association buildings and take in an incredibly informative lecture by Dr. Marie Rose Wong. Thanks all who made these program possible, especially the participating elders, Bruce Wong, Mary Leong, May Oka and Bob Luck, as well as Friends of Portland Chinatown. If you have any photos from the tour, please add them to our Flickr group pool.

In the coming days, we’ll be posting info about our next upcoming field trip at the end of July, WHERE DOES ENERGY COME FROM? Stay tuned for details.