Roundup of arts and letters 10/17/13

In an informal interview setting, World War II veteran and author Childs talks about his experience as a farm boy from Arlington who became a 9th Air Force Thunderbolt fighter pilot, and about becoming a POW after his plane was shot down in flames. He will be joined by his wife Peggy, who will talk about life as a military wife, and the letters she wrote him daily. Childs wrote a book on his WWII experiences, “Wings and Tracks.”

Childs is currently writing another book “A Search for Water, Willows & Wisdom.” His interest in streams and watersheds was piqued when he observed how the craters that destroyed the landscape in Europe in the “no man’s land” of WWI had eventually filled in with water, which allowed the ecosystem to restore itself and help heal the land.

A question and answer session will round out the evening. The interview and session will be led by veteran radio news director, Rodger Nichols.

Cost for the dinner and presentation: singles $15, couples $25. Presentation only: $3. Reservations recommended before Oct. 16 by calling 541-296-8600.

Ghost hunting in the Gorge

Ghost Hunting in the Gorge, a free community program on ghost hunting in the region, will be held at the Hood River Library on Saturday, Oct. 19, at 7 p.m.

The program will be presented by members of the Gorge Paranormal Society, an organization based in The Dalles that offers historic tours in the Columbia Gorge region and uses high-tech equipment to investigate paranormal activities, including reported sightings of ghosts. All ages are welcome.

The presentation will include pictorial evidence and audio and video examples of spirits that reportedly live among us. A question and answer period will follow the program.

The program is sponsored by the Hood River Library District and the Libraries of Eastern Oregon (LEO).

For more information, call the Hood River County Library at 541-386-2535.

Gorge Fruit & Craft Fair sets return Oct. 19-20

The popular Gorge Fruit & Craft Fair arrives Saturday and Sunday, Oct. 19 and 20, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Hood River County Fairgrounds in Odell.

The Fruit & Craft Fair features arts and crafts, gourmet food products, fresh fruit and produce, baked goods, wine, jewelry, furniture, plants and flowers, soft goods, and much more — all grown or crafted in the Gorge. The Hood River County Fair Board organizes the event.

Admission and parking are free.

The unique feature of the fair is that everything offered is grown or made in the four counties of the central Columbia Gorge—Hood River, Wasco, Skamania, and Klickitat.