Statesman Journal from Salem, Oregon • Page 35

LIFE Statesman Journal 5D Sunday, July 10, 2011 Not So 3 The beauty of halfwayism always feel vaguely proud whenever I pass that 45th parallel sign on Interstate 5. It seems balanced and zen that we live just precisely between the North Pole and the Em mil brating its halfway-ness. "We have an annual festival it's not about the 45th parallel, but we've used that as a theme before," she said. "The 45th year of the festival, it was the 45th on the 45th." Meanwhile, the person I chatted with at Meet Minneapolis was not aware their proud metropolis (population 372,833) was located halfway. When I told spokesperson Kristin Montag, she seemed pleased.

"We obviously get a lot of comments from people thinking we're always wintry, so it sounds good that we're not that close to the North Pole," she said. "You know, it's not something I've encountered before I've lived here my entire life, and I don't remember seeing a sign for that." Anyway. I move that we form the 45th Parallel Society of Friendship, Mutual Aid and Half wayism (or 45PSOFMAAH). The idea is to unite all the cities, towns and villages that are almost (except not quite, by a factor of 10 miles) equally polar and equatorial. I wasn't quite sure what we 45th parallelers would do together.

One of my friends suggested a .45 pistol exchange and shoot-off, though I for one don't want to ruin the beauty of latitudinal friendship with the ugly specter of violence. The enthusiasm I received when proposing this to people was pretty much inverse to the town's population. "Why, New Meadows' Mac said when asked. "I think we should all get together. That would actually be very cool, have some cities do a sister city once every 10 years, or every 45 years, we could all send a delegate to a particular spot on the map." Pam in Gaylord also seemed receptive, kind of.

"Absolutely! Well, it would depend on what it would entail. Any way to help promote our area," she said, before admitting that she wasn't sure if the council would pay for her to visit every year. Kristin in Minneapolis was tentative. "It's possible," she said. "Sure." Equator.

The middle geographical way, if you will. A quick reminder about latitude: There are 180 degrees, starting at 0 degrees at the equator, and ending at 90 degrees north or south. Each degree is further divided into 60 minutes, each of which can be divided into 60 seconds. Don't ask me why. Each degree is about 69 miles wide.

Europe, meanwhile, is much farther north than it seems like it should be. We are at the same latitude as much of France and Italy, which I usually think of as tropical, indolent places. The United Kingdom seems to be practically in the Arctic Circle. The distinction of being on the 45th parallel was deemed worth of signage by the Oregon Travel Information Council, which is responsible for the content of the blue informational signs you see scattered around. Lou Torres of the Oregon Department of Transportation said there were five 45th parallel signs that he knew of on state roads: There's one each on Interstate 5 and 84, one on Highway 99E, one on U.S.

101 and one on Highway 97, which runs through Central Oregon. There are untold more signs throughout the state: Silverton, for example, just installed its sign back in August. We've got nothing on New Meadows, Idaho (population 490, though there's maybe 1,800 in the surrounding valley). Mac Quails, the city clerk, told me that not only do they have signs, they have a kiosk. The 45th parallel, he said, has caused controversy: about 15 years ago, a developer stole and moved the signage to make it appear as though his development was on the parallel.

"They took it back and fixed it," he said. Montreal (population 1.6 million) didn't answer its phones. But Gaylord, Mich, (population 3,645) did. Pam Duczkowski, assistant director at Gaylord Tourism Bureau, said that the Alpine-themed Gaylord does enjoy cele We, of course, are at 45th parallel north. By "we," I mean, Keizer, Sil-verton, Gaylord, Minneapolis, Montreal, Hokkaido, Croatia, Russia, Italy, France and lots of other places.

But not Salem. The true halfway point is actually just over 10 miles north of the 45th parallel. The world isn't a perfect sphere, but slightly oblate squished top-to-bottom, like an except much, much less so. This is unfortunate for Keizer, although it would be a billion times worse if it turned out that Portland was the halfway mark. And so I set out to learn about our fellow 45th parallelers.

To the Internet! The first weird thing was seeing who was where relative to us. Fun geography fact: We're actually north of Toronto, Chicago, New York City, Buffalo, Boston, Detroit and just about everywhere on the East Coast that isn't the top half of Maine. K. Williams Brown is the entertainment reporter for the Statesman Journal and may be reached at kwbrownstatesmanjournal.com or (503) 399-6743. She also has lived in two cities on the 30th parallel, but has never been south of the Equator.

New memoir reveals much about Ferguson By Elysa Gardner USA Today NEW YORK On a first meeting, Sarah Ferguson does not seem like a woman mired in insecurity and self-loathing. The Duchess of York guson's journey include celebrity gurus and Winfrey acolytes such as Dr. Phil McGraw, life coach Martha Beck and financial adviser Suze Orman. Most assure Ferguson that her lack of self-worth is at the root of her problems. Asked if she ever worried that delving into those issues so publicly would encourage yet more criticism, Ferguson simply says, "I couldn't have more than I've already had." Besides, she said, she is proud of her progress.

Winfrey Network (OWN), also called "Finding Sarah." The fourth installment airs today at 9 p.m. The author of numerous children's and lifestyle books, Ferguson had originally wanted her new book to focus on mothering. "It's the one job I think I've done brilliantly," says Ferguson. Her children are Princesses Beatrice, 22, and Eugenie, 20, by ex-husband Prince Andrew, whom she divorced in 1996. The book is culled largely from diary entries.

The many guides in Fer 'FINDING SARAH' Showtime: 9 p.m. tonight Channel: OWN rattled. Offering a smile and a handshake, she sits down to talk about her latest book, "Finding Sarah: A Duchess's Journey to Find Herself (Atria, Which means rehashing what Ferguson, 51, describes as a lifelong struggle for self-acceptance and the approval of others. It's the subject both of her memoir and a six-part series on the Oprah Ferguson strides into her publisher's office dressed in a blazer and dress that accentuate her figure. She's spent the past hour tied up in traffic but doesn't appear CROSSWORD PUZZLE SOLUTIONS THE NEW YORK TIMES PREMIER CROSSWORD Weapons Continued from 1 These items no longer are necessities for most families' protection and food-gathering.

Instead, they have become cherished heirlooms, passed down through generations. The show has been in the works for about a year. To prepare it, Booth and Michael Carrick, a local weapons collector and Willamette Heritage Center board member, identified ed the key points of history they wanted to cover, then found weapons to portray each era and documented the story behind each piece. Carrick loaned 44 of the 77 guns on display, plus artifacts such as the various sizes of shot used by Lewis and Clark. Carrick is especially passionate about that era of American history.

He doesn't have the discoverers' own weapons, but in many cases he has collected the exact model. One of his favorites is a repeating air rifle like the one that traveled with the Corps of Discovery. Every time the party met a new Indian tribe, Meriwether Lewis would bring out the gun and fire six or eight shots in succession. It was a stunning demonstration in an age when it normally took a half -minute to reload. "Lewis wrote that it astonished the Indians," said Carrick, who has studied the expedition.

"It would astonish anyone in 1803-05." Booth's favorite pieces include a World War I-era rifle that was pressed into service at Camp Adair, the World War II training facility near Monmouth. Apparently a soldier rested the rifle in the fork of a tree during war games, then for- Sheriff John Matlock's Colt Model 1873 "Peacemaker" .45 caliber revolver in Hamlin Holster, with Sheriff's Badge, Ancient Order of United Workmen Shield and Pocket Watch, kobbir.blair STATESMAN JOURNAL got where he had put it. Bugs devoured the gun-stock for decades until the early 1980s, when a museum archivist happened upon the remains still propped up against the tree. The exhibit is another step in the Willamette Heritage Center's mission: to tell the history of the Mid-Valley, not just the pioneer buildings and woolen mill on the Mill Street SE site. The opening reception last month was one of the best-attended ever, said Booth, with about 125 people instead of the usual 40.

Weapons have an enduring fascination, but the underlying story of the exhibit is what matters, Booth said: "If someone is not careful, they will go through this exhibit and learn a lot about Oregon history." i i a i ctt a i i i czn i i tftf i a 7-jo fag LAO) A h1Ju fER jclARAM I AriAiBjAjc I 11 1 I Oj GIF i i jf a Tt oMrco aTc TTa teUdevoTnchi eItT fiw1aterDca a tJT tjhie a'm'eUr mTe yj doag ITll1 1 IsIaT otsnTT sTyTs lI oTNi uL, PfojA 3 PM. PURin? "ajKImI aijt ok TffTt a 3 oifiaWaTni i I ma tie id I SI I A tT f1F''Trif HiE rITEa a rQ I I rTJH ApN0TM eE3t ilJH as ItTr ia TTTiTW if? Tn VTi Ttv lJ6ir riTjTp "a WTlA I DIRIOIA J2JJNG ifl 11J 1 A il LlL I 1 UJL -il FiFi I I I I eTcIA I 0 R.1J.6.EHJ- TTTri a tta nVsVn r-i EtL TTTT fTTTe i lI a WTInH Lars "a7 ReV qT ePc s'a iiJiToiini Ar JL A PAID LJ LIeTg i I toTAi iYP jJ TlOlH IS RtfrI7NlriPlR' CP. 0 A sTlTa o'r'd E3 eVeVa Pro run eIsQg I i fpD QgJl OimQaI i i i t6 CZJri oTTTT 1 xtXlslf Tj vIO ICING a uL 1 6 1 I IT TTn I SI ijjjL Cj sea Ifptj Trc raIm aQ 7 cflu nTeQt" Co lsQwieie Tripnr tTj-j 4ri h4eir sfw 4iio'N a E7DT)t5' (iSS-Iii ISP o. RJi et I eTn ne JrjTd sIIg UjEjD I I I IjVffcffc, tv' I "'H Id 1 eTnTs tstf aTcToi SjT sap I ERS WML. I itiANGAR bcurtinstatesmanjoumal.com or (503) 399-6699 or Twitter.comBarbaraCurtin 1 1 4 503-581-5278 NEW HOURS Sat It Sun Sam-til the crowds gone! Mon-Fri 10am til the crowds gone! A AA 145 Liberty St NE, Ste.

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