By Tamara Anne Fowler | CNA Media Team
Winston Ross travels the world writing for Newsweek and, when his assignment end s, he comes home to Concordia. He’s lived in a charming home next to Fernhill Park for the past 1½ years.
He knows he is lucky. Once the original deal for the house fell through for another buyer, he was able to snap it up.
Winston first began writing in junior high in Berkeley, California, when he joined the student newspaper. The faculty adviser gave Winston a lot of leeway. He was able to write opinion pieces, and felt like he had a voice – very rare for a 13-year-old kid. Winston felt he mattered.
He continued on the staff of school papers through high school and then at the University of Oregon.
Upon graduation, Winston wrote about the coast for the Eugene RegisterGuard. Lately, a topic of the utmost urgency is the threat of earthquake and tsunami – especially since a 2015 New Yorker story claimed Portland is due for a catastrophic quake. The Cascadia Subduction Zone is 50-70 miles out to sea and an earthquake would be a disaster for the Oregon coast.
Ten years before that story appeared, Winston traveled to Japan to report for the Register-Guard on that country’s earthquake and tsunami preparedness. He stayed in Japan for several weeks to write a three-part series. But his travels didn’t end.
“For nine glorious months I wandered Europe in search of good stories, from the refugee crisis to true love in Amsterdam to the death of Venice. Datelines included Spain, Germany, Austria, the French Alps, Paris, The Netherlands and Italy.”
Back home, one of Winston’s favorite things is Concordia’s overall walkability. Outside of Europe he has not experienced such a walkable city.
Winston loves the hilly terrain of Fernhill Park. “It feels like a forest or a state park, not a city park,” he said.
He can walk to the Kennedy School where he can soak, watch a movie, or sit inside and smoke a cigar accompanied by a fine scotch.
New Seasons is within walking distance as is Extracto, which, he said, “has the best coffee and a secret back patio.”
Winston is happy that Portland has awakened to the challenges of rampant development.
“We need to work hard to preserve character, stay engaged and fight to keep the charm of our Portland alive.”
Tamara is Edit Kitten, a writer with 20-plus years of experience offering a softer, gentler approach to editing and coaching. Her personal editors – Armani, Max Factor and Spicey’D – are also her cats. Visit her at EditKitten.com or contact her at Tamara@EditKitten.com