—3— Book Club: ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ The RAPS Book Club will meet on Tuesday, Dec. 15, at 1:30 p.m., at the home of Maxine Thomas, 6535 SW Canyon Ct., Portland. Contact her at 503-291-1279 or ondangwa@yahoo.comto RSVP and for directions. We will discuss The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson. On the cover, it is described as: At once a murder mystery, family saga, love story, and tale of financial intrigue wrapped into one satisfyingly complex and entertainingly atmospheric novel. Harriet Vanger, scion of one of Sweden’s wealthiest families, disappeared over 40 years ago. All these years later, her aged uncle continues to seek the truth. He hires Mikael Blomkvist, a crusading journalist recently trapped by a libel conviction, to investigate. He is aided by the pierced and tattooed punk prodigy Lisbeth Salander. Together they tap into a vein of unfathomable iniquity and astonishing corruption. Six of us met in November to talk about Out Stealing Horses, an international best seller. We found it to be an interesting character study as the author slowly revealed the past, omitting some information for the reader to fill in. We all liked this book. We will not meet in January because of busy schedules, but will read The Madonnas of Leningrad, by Debra Dean, for February. —Mary Brannan Bridge Group: Plays Dec. 14 The RAPS Bridge Group will next meet at Willamette View, 12705 SE River Road, on Tuesday, Dec. 14, at 1:00 p.m. For information please contact Colin Dunkeld, 503-292-0838. —Colin Dunkeld Hikers: Staying indoors On Nov. 20 six hikers hiked a short distance from the Audubon Society to Lower Macleay Park. Lunch was at the Dragonfly Café at NW 24th and Thurman. The trail was in good condition and not as wet as the October hike. We welcomed Mary Brodie back as an active hiker. Past Tense PRESIDENT JOSEPH C. BLUMEL Joseph Blumel, fondly known to many as Joe, is Portland State University’s longest serving president. During his lengthy tenure, from 1974 to 1986, Joe Blumel led the University through difficult times that included the Vietnam War, student protests and riots on campus (including threats of personal violence), double-digit unemployment, and inflation. The challenges embedded in an environment marked by retrenchment and financial exigency were perhaps the most difficult for him. He persevered, though, and his policies helped build the foundation from which Portland State would ultimately prosper. Two of his major contributions were the advancement of PSU to a research university and the fostering of a PSU partnership with the city of Portland in becoming an urban university. Portland State is now a nationally recognized urban university, and, in 2008, PSU appropriately commemorated Joe’s past achievements by renaming West Hall, the first University-built residence hall under his leadership, the Joseph C. Blumel Residence Hall. Past Tense features glimpses into Portland State’s history. To submit a story (or an idea for one), e-mail the RAPS History Preservation Committee at raps@pdx.edu. Due to the holidays, our December event will be a potluck and hiking planning session for active and past hikers only. —Larry Sawyer RAPS club reports Priscilla and Joseph Blumel RAPS’ Holiday Party scheduled for Dec. 17 Join friends and renew acquaintanceships at RAPS’ annual Holiday Party on Thursday, Dec. 17, at the Multnomah Athletic Club, 1849 SW Salmon Street, Portland. Cost to attend is $49 per person. The party begins with a social hour at 5:00 p.m., followed by dinner at 6:00 and entertainment at 7:00. Dinner choices are chicken breast, beef pot roast, and delicata squash. RSVP to MiMi Bernal-Graves, RAPS Office manager, no later than Friday, Dec. 11, and include your dinner choice. You can reach Bernal-Graves by phone at 503-725-3447 or by e-mail at raps@pdx.edu. If you need transportation to the holiday party, be sure to tell Bernal-Graves when you RSVP.
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