Think Out Loud

Grit and community support helps brighten outlook for 71-year-old Vancouver bowling alley

RACHAEL ALLEN SAYS BUSINESS IS BOOMING THESE DAYS AT ALLEN’S CROSLEY LANES [https://crosleylanes.com/], A VANCOUVER BOWLING ALLEY THAT HER FAMILY HAS OWNED FOR NEARLY FOUR DECADES. THE COLUMBIAN’S RECENT PROFILE [https://www.columbian.com/news/2026/apr/20/final-pin-hasnt-dropped-at-allens-crosley-lanes/] OF ALLEN AND CROSLEY LANES HELPED REMIND READERS THAT THE 71-YEAR-OLD BOWLING ALLEY IS NOT ONLY STILL AROUND, BUT TODAY THRIVING. THAT’S DESPITE A COUPLE OF CLOSE BUT ULTIMATELY FAILED ATTEMPTS ALLEN AND HER HUSBAND, DON, HAD MADE SINCE 2018 TO SELL THE BUSINESS DUE TO HIS DECLINING HEALTH.    DON DIED LAST MAY, AND A FEW MONTHS LATER, ALLEN DECIDED TO THROW A PARTY AT CROSLEY LANES TO HONOR HIS MEMORY AND CELEBRATE THE BOWLING ALLEY’S 70TH ANNIVERSARY. SHE CREDITS THE COMMUNITY’S TURNOUT AND ITS CONTINUED SHOW OF SUPPORT FOR RENEWING HER FAITH IN THE BUSINESS AS AN INVESTMENT WORTH KEEPING AND HAND OVER TO HER SON AND DAUGHTER SOME DAY.    ALLEN JOINS US TO TALK ABOUT CROSLEY LANES, ITS HISTORY AND THE LOYAL PATRONS WHO ARE HELPING IT ENDURE.

How Northwest winemakers are appealing to consumers in a changing market

Henderson Ave and Brooks Wine are two Oregon winemakers that operate at different price points, but are currently faced with many of the same questions: How do wineries appeal to consumers when American alcohol consumption has waned in recent years [https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/13/well/us-alcohol-drinking-low-poll.html]? How do producers ease barriers to entry [https://www.winebusiness.com/news/article/316146] for wine consumption and education? How do vintners approach sustainability when wine is facing challenges due to climate change? [https://www.opb.org/article/2025/11/18/oregon-pinot-noir-climate-change/]Tiquette Bramlett is the founder of Henderson Ave [https://drinkhendersonave.com], a collection of canned wines that launched last year. Jen Cossey is the general manager of Brooks Wine [https://www.brookswine.com]. They both join us to share more about the state of Oregon’s wine industry.

Lullaby Project brings creativity and music to parents in prison or experiencing homelessness

The Lullaby Project [https://www.orsymphony.org/lullaby-project] was created more than a decade ago by the  Carnegie Hall’s Weill Music Institute. The program pairs singer-songwriters with parents who are incarcerated or experiencing homelessness, and together they create a lullaby.  In Oregon, those songs are arranged for the Oregon Symphony and then publicly performed [https://soundcloud.com/oregon-symphony/sets/oregon-symphony-the-lullaby-project-vol-7]. This year’s performance is next Tuesday, May 12 at the Alberta Rose Theatre [https://www.orsymphony.org/productions/2526/the-lullaby-project-community-concert-2026] in Portland.   Ada McGraw was one of the first women to participate in this program after it expanded to the Coffee Creek Correctional Facility last year. While serving her sentence, McGraw was paired with singer-songwriter Bre Gregg [https://bregregg.com/]. The lullaby they wrote was for her son Legend and included a poem from Legend’s father. Jessica Katz is the director of The Family Preservation Project [https://family-preservation-project.org/] and facilitated their meeting. We talk with Katz, Gregg and McGraw to hear about this creative process and learn more about the larger impact of The Lullaby Project.

Portland-based transportation consultant on the current state of public transport in Oregon cities

As commuters are seeing continuous hikes on gas prices in Oregon and across the nation, some are forced to reevaluate their commuting habits. Public transportation could currently be a vital alternative to commuters in Oregon and the Northwest as a whole. But, how well are public transportation systems in Oregon cities serving the public? How can they serve their communities in more efficient ways?   Jarrett Walker is a transportation consultant based in Portland — and he’s been answering these kinds of questions for public transit agencies across the nation for the last 35 years. We’ll hear his thoughts on the current challenges and opportunities ahead for modes of transportation such as buses, light rail and more.

Portlander wins World Series of Poker Circuit Main Event

ADAM NATTRESS HAS BEEN PLAYING POKER SINCE HE WAS 19 YEARS OLD, BUT IT WASN’T UNTIL HE GOT SOBER THAT HE WAS ABLE TO REALLY SUPPORT HIS FAMILY AND DEDICATE HIMSELF TO THE GAME. NATTRESS RECENTLY WON NEARLY $140,000 DOLLARS IN SOUTH LAKE TAHOE AT THE WORLD SERIES OF POKER CIRCUIT MAIN EVENT. THE $1,700 BUY-IN TOURNAMENT DREW OVER 400 PLAYERS FROM AROUND THE U.S. WE TALK TO NATTRESS ABOUT WHY HE LOVES POKER, ADDICTION AND WHAT THE TOURNAMENT CIRCUIT IS LIKE.