RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE BOOK GROUP met on March 20 at the home of Gwen Pierce. We discussed Jodi Picoult’s Plain Truth. This is an older novel by an author many of us have liked, set in Amish culture. We agreed that it is a well-crafted novel with an ending that none of us expected. We were impressed with the author’s knowledge of Amish ways and her use of this culture to explore the moral dilemmas of the book. In April we will discuss Exit West by Mohsin Hamid, the story of two young people who leave the conflict of their homeland and settle in the West. It was a finalist for the Man Booker prize, and is described on the back cover as “compulsively readable. . .Tremendously profound and entertaining.” We will meet on Tuesday, April 17, at the home of Eileen and Steve Brennan, 5945 SW 152nd Avenue, Beaverton. Telephone Eileen at 503-646-6297, or email her at brennane@pdx.edu to let her know whether you can be there. In May we plan to read Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild. It is a sociologist’s exploration of the territory of the conservative right. It was a finalist for the National Book Award in 2016. The book group meets the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm. New members are always welcome. We welcome suggestions of books that are interesting to read and full of issues for discussion. —Joan Shireman Bridge Group THE RAPS BRIDGE GROUPmeets in the afternoon on the first Tuesday of each month. We begin play at 12:15 pm. We try to finish up by 4 pm. We meet in Smith Center, on the second floor. Please mark your calendars for the following upcoming meetings: Tuesday, April 3, in SMSU 294 Tuesday, May 1, in SMSU 294 Tuesday, June 5, in SMSU 294 Tuesday, July 3, in SMSU 258 I will send out the reminder email notice about one week prior to each date we play. The RAPS Bridge Group members are very friendly and are always looking for new players. If you wish to join us, please contact Steve Brennan, 503-646-6297. My email address is the.steve.brennan@gmail.com. —Steve Brennan Hiking Group OUR HIKE ON APRIL 24 will be on the Wind Mountain Trail in the Columbia River Gorge, on the Washington side. Wind Mountain is a 2.3-mile out-and-back trail located by Stevenson, Washington. Fortunately the location was not damaged by the Eagle Creek fire. It features great views of the Gorge at the higher elevations of the trail, including Dog Mountain and the nearby town of Carson. The All Trails Guide recommends it for birding, and wildlife and wildflower viewing. Although this hike has some elevation gain (1,138 feet), it is not nearly as difficult as the trails on the nearby Dog Mountain. I have placed two links on our web page with more details. Hikers will enjoy a sack lunch on the trail. On March 27 eight members explored Oregon history through a hike in Champoeg State Park. We followed the trail along Champoeg Creek and then walked along the Willamette River to the Townsite Area at the west end, finishing at the Information Center. If you plan to hike in April, contact Larry Sawyer at 503771-1616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. For more details about this hike or future hiking plans in 2018, please consult the RAPS hikers’ website: https://www.pdx.edu/raps/RAPSHikers —Larry Sawyer 3 Please update your RAPS Directory information! DO YOU HAVE your copy handy of the RAPS Directory published in May 2017? Please check your entry and notify the RAPS Office of any updates or corrections. You can send an email to rapsmail@pdx.edu or call Rebecca Butterworth, RAPS office manager, at 503-7253447. RAPS will publish an addendum to the RAPS Directory in April. Don’t have a copy of the latest directory? Let us know so we can mail you one.
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