RAPS Group Reports The RAPS Book Club will meet at 1:30 on Tuesday, May 20, hosted by Maxine Thomas at 6535 SW Canyon Court in Portland. Contact her at thomasm@pdx.edu or 503-291-1279 to RSVP and for directions. We will discuss The Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline which is described on the cover as follows: Between 1854 and 1929, so-called orphan trains ran regularly from the cities of the East Coast to the farmlands of the Midwest, carrying thousands of abandoned children whose fates would be determined by luck or chance. Would they be adopted by a kind and loving family, or would they face a childhood and adolescence of hard labor and servitude? As a young Irish immigrant, Vivian Daly was one such child, sent by rail from New York City to an uncertain future a world away. Returning east later in life, Vivian leads a quiet, peaceful existence on the coast of Maine, the memories of her upbringing rendered a hazy blur. But in her attic, hidden in trunks, are vestiges of a turbulent past. Seventeen-year-old Molly Ayer knows that a community-service position helping an elderly widow clean out her attic is the only thing keeping her out of juvenile hall. But as Molly helps Vivian sort through her keepsakes and possessions, she discovers that she and Vivian aren’t as different as they appear. A Penobscot Indian who has spent her youth in and out of foster homes, Molly is also an outsider being raised by strangers, and she, too, has unanswered questions about the past. Moving between contemporary Maine and Depression-era Minnesota, Orphan Train is a powerful tale of upheaval and resilience, second chances, and unexpected friendship. Looking ahead, we will discuss The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt in June. --Mary Brannan The RAPS Bridge Group will meet on May 6 in the conference room of Friendly House’s Anderson Building. This building is on the north side of NW Savier Street, around the corner from the 26th and Thurman main entrance of Friendly House. Play begins at 1:00pm and continues to about 4:30pm. The June meeting will be on June 3. If you wish to play, please contact me by the Friday prior to the meeting at 503-646-6297, or by email at the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. --Steve Brennan The RAPS Hiking Group hiked the Canyon Trail in Silver Falls State Park on April 11. Maxine Thomas invited a new hiker to our group. We welcome Deve Swaim. She retired from the Graduate School of Education last July and has hiked Silver Falls many times. She is enjoying her free first year membership in RAPS. The weather was great. On May 9, we will take our second hike this year in the Columbia Gorge. It is a historic wagon road used in the early 1900s to haul apples, and is located in Washington across from Hood River. There is a 1340 foot elevation gain and the total distance is seven miles out and back. The Friends of the Columbia Gorge lists it as moderate difficulty. The Friends of the Columbia Gorge hiked it April 24, and there was already a waiting list on April 20. We will meet at the SE corner of the Gateway Transit Center parking structure at 9:00am to form carpools. Bring a sack lunch; we will eat on the trail. This will be a good conditioning hike for the Saddle Mountain hike in June. Confirm with Larry Sawyer (larry_sawyer@comcast.net) or 503-771-1616 by Thursday May 8. --Larry Sawyer 4
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