RAPS Group Reports Book Group THE BOOK GROUP met on May 15 at Brian Lewis’s home and discussed Strangers in Their Own Land: Anger and Mourning on the American Right by Arlie Russell Hochschild. The book is a sociologist’s exploration of the territory of the far right—in this instance Southern Louisiana. It won several awards in 2016. It was indeed a fascinating book, as the author explored the paradox of residents of a very poor part of the country wishing to defeat the very programs that would make their lives more comfortable. On June 19 we met at the home of Joan Shireman and discussed Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward. Winner of numerous awards, it is a beautifully crafted book exploring the life of a young family today in Mississippi. It is rich in history and in examining the issues that make life hard for an African American family in the Deep South. We all liked the book, and were deeply moved by parts of it. The book is fascinating and disturbing, and lent itself to a thoughtful discussion. On July 17 we will leave the Deep South and discuss Astrophysics for People in a Hurry by Neil deGrasse Tyson. The book examines the nature of space and time in a more scientific manner than the mystical examination in our June book. We will meet at the home of Nancy Chapman. Our summer reading ends with Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann. We will meet on August 21 at the home of Marge Terdal, perhaps at her beach home. The Book Group meets the third Tuesday of every month at 1:30 pm. New members are always welcome. —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 summer meetings: Tuesday, July 3, in SMSU 258 Tuesday, August 7, in SMSU 258 Tuesday, September 4, 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 JULY 24 will be at Cascade Head, listed in William Sullivan's 100 Oregon Coast Hikes. We will be taking the moderate 4.2-mile option with a 1,200-foot elevation gain. We will carpool from our West location at the Cedar Hills Shopping Center by the DMV office at 9 am, and will take sack lunches. The August 28 hike will be along the Lewis River in Washington. Two possible hikes are being considered: the Lewis River falls section or the Lucia/Moulton section. This will also be a carpool hike, with sack lunches. Meet at the Safeway parking lot, which is just on the Oregon side of the Interstate Bridge at 8:30 am. The June 26 hike was the Trillium Lake loop, a gravel paved trail 1.7 miles long with great views of Mt. Hood. If you plan to hike in either July or August contact Larry Sawyer at 503-771-1616 or larry_sawyer@comcast.net. For more details about these hikes or future hiking plans in 2018, please consult the RAPS hikers’ website: https://www.pdx.edu/raps/RAPS-Hikers —Larry Sawyer In May, RAPS Hiking Group members explored parts of the Camassia Natural Area near West Linn. Hiker Tom Dieterich added to his collection of wildflower photographs along the way. —-Photograph by Larry Sawyer 6
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