The Porch for July 23

WELL DONE: “Avenue Q,” the “puppet show for adults” at Center for the Arts, is the hot ticket in town, and deservedly so by all accounts. So it’s a good time to pay kudos the lords and ladies of another, concurrent show, “Much Ado About Nothing,” directed the past two weekends by Lynda Dallman at Stonehedge. Full disclosure: I was a cast member myself, which gives me all the greater insight to the hard work and talent that the Plays for Non Profits group displayed — many of them first-timers to acting, and they rose to the occasion under trying circumstances, including a leading man hurt in a car crash (Paul Bown trouped through it, a real pro), a rained out performance, and a practically impromptu one-time “on the road” show at Jackson Park.

Admission was charged, but anyone could come through the park, and one cast member reported overhearing the following conversation by a couple walking by: She: “Hey, look, they’re doing a play. Wanna watch?” He: “Naaaaah.”

SIGN OF THE WEEK: “Here’s Yer Sign!” reads the two-foot wooden sign in the skylight of a downtown apartment house hallway.

SO DOES HILLARY: Bumpersticker reads, “I (Heart) B.S. – Bernie Sanders”

SEEN AND HEARD: Atop a downtown trash can, a pickle jar, pickles gone, half full of bright green brine … new pickle ball courts at Mt. Hood Town Hall … (hmm, coincidence?)

WHY’S GUY: Why is it skate board users will practice their moves in the middle of Wasco Street, right next to the park? Speaking of “free”: Why is it you see so many outdoor grills placed curbside? Often with no sign on them. Is that because the wind blew the sign off, or is the grill at the curb because it’s a really big party and they needed the space?

NICHE MARKETING: Remnant of the old First National Bank, a niche in the HR Distillers tasting room on Oak, is the perfect fit for a vessel of old. The tasting room is a place of history, with a mini museum in the old bank vault. In addition to a whiskey drink, you can get a taste of local history.

RAIL NOTES: Lisa Perry of Cody Farms in Odell knows an opportunity when she sees one: at least once a week she loads up a cart with fruit and meets the Mt. Hood Railroad when it stops in Odell before returning to Hood River. That’s a true taste of Hood River valley for the visitors to take home with them.

Meanwhile, it’s a little sad to see the numerous weeds sprouting two and three feet tall through the tracks at the Clear Creek Station, which used to be the MHRR south terminus. Now the train only goes as far as Odell, and with no train cars passing over the tracks, the weeds have taken residence.