SLUGS AND ROSES BABY! - FIRST PROGRESS REPORT

From The Co-Chair

Hello mystery fans! I can hardly believe, that after two years of planning, we are now just under a year away from Left Coast Crime 12. That may seem like a long time to some of you, but to those of us behind the scenes, it's just around the corner. The committee is busily working on the details of programming, special events, publications, hospitality and more. The Left Coast Crime that we visualize will be busy, entertaining, educational and most importantly FUN.

We have elected to forego banquets, with their usual hotel food, in favor of keeping registration costs down and providing good refreshments through other venues. Our hospitality suite promises to live up to its name and will available for evening socializing. Be sure to make a visit a priority. Details are still sketchy, but you can look forward to evening receptions both Friday and Saturday nights as well as the Lefty and Dilys awards and a charity auction. Days will be filled with a wide variety of programming, a well stocked Dealers' Room, book signings, and more. I'd love to hear from you if you have any ideas, especially if you're willing to work to make them a reality.

With everything going on during the convention, you may want to come early or stay on after to visit our lovely part of the country. The hotel is situated right on the banks of the Columbia River. A half hour's drive to the East will bring you to the spectacular Columbia Gorge Scenic Area where you can just enjoy the view, see a variety of waterfalls, hike the many trails, or visit the Interpretive Center. It's just 90 minutes to the Pacific Ocean or an hour to Mt. Hood. Portland itself is full of attractions including the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry, the Oregon Zoo, the Western Forestry Center, an Art Museum, the Advertising Museum, and many parks and green spaces.

Left Coast Crime 12 will be held at the Doubletree Hotel Portland/Columbia River, overlooking the Columbia River in north Portland. The Columbia River Doubletree has hosted local science fiction conventions for more than a dozen years, and many of the committee have had a good working relationship with the folks there. (And a hotel that holds a 1600-person OryCon each year will give us plenty of room for a Left Coast Crime half that size.)

The hotel (a former Red Lion) has several three-story-high wings arranged in a spoke-like pattern around the central meeting area. It's very easy to get from floor to floor, and there are no access problems with any of the meeting or sleeping rooms. The entire facility is non-smoking, except for the bars and private sleeping rooms.

Room reservations may be made now by calling the hotel directly. The room rate will be a flat $99 a night (be sure to tell them you're with "Left Coast Crime"), not counting the room tax (which has just gone up to 11.5%, to help pay for an expansion to Portland's convention center-but there's no general sales tax in Oregon), for up to four people in the room. There's an $10 a night charge if you request a river view room, but no charge if you end up in one by chance. The hotel has two restaurants-the informal Coffee Garden and the semiformal Brickstones-as well as two bars. The hotel is located across the street from the Jantzen Beach Center, a large shopping complex with several more restaurants within easy walking distance.

Doubletree Hotel, Columbia River
1401 N. Hayden Island Drive
Portland OR 97217
(503) 283-2111 (voice) - (503) 2834718 (fax)

HOW TO GET TO THE HOTEL

If you are renting a car, follow the signs to Interstate 205 (just east of the airport). Take I-205 North, crossing the Columbia River into Washington, and go west on State Route 14 (the first exit after crossing the river) about 5 miles to Interstate 5. Take I-5 south back across the Columbia River, and take the first exit after the bridge. You'll be within a block of the hotel.

By Car: The Doubletree Hotel Portland Columbia River is nestled next to the Columbia River, just as you cross into Oregon from Washington on Interstate 5. Traveling either northbound or southbound, take exit #308 (signs will read "Jantzen Beach Center" and "Hayden Island"). (This exit is about 7 miles from downtown Portland.) Our hotel is the one with the red trim, to the west of the freeway (on the shopping center side). If you're traveling south, it's the hotel to your right just as you enter Oregon; if you're heading north, bear left under the freeway, and it will be to your right. There's acres of free parking available at the hotel and at the nearby shopping center.

With a marvelous line-up of guests of honor, we're already off to a fine start for programming for the Portland Left Coast Crime. Our guests, along with the strong group of professional writers in the PacIfic Northwest give us a fascinating group of people with which to work. Additionally, we will be contacting professionals in forensics-related fields to help add their expertise at the program.

What we are now exploring is which literary professionals have, or will be, becoming members of the convention, and soliciting ideas from people who will be attendees. As this is a first Left Coast Crime for Portland, we are interested in ideas that have worked well at other conventions, and in ideas that haven't been seen before. Are there items that would lend themselves well to the Pacific Northwest? These are the kinds of questions we're asking ourselves and asking others.

But this year we have a real live chef, Lacey Axmaker, heading up the hospitality preparations and there should be some exciting results.

Hospitality will be providing a variety of unique appetizers and specialty confections, many tailored to the unique food options presented by the Northwest region. In Oregon we have an abundance of fish, nuts, winegrowing regions and other delicacies to draw from.

We hope that you will join us and partake of the delicious fare in store for you

• Blue Sky Books
• Cardinal Books
• Fantasy Connection
• Mary Mason Bookseller
• Metheglin Press
• Murder By the Book
• Mysteries Plus
• Poisoned Pen Press
• Rue Morgue
• Sleuth of Baker Street
• Wrigley-Cross Books
• WYSIWYG Books & Collectables

Committee, Staff and Contact Information

Left Coast Crime 12 Committee:

Left Coast Crime 12 Staff:

We can be reached by email or through the following:

Left Coast Crime 12
P.O. Box 18033
Portland, OR 97218-0033
website: http://www.spiritone.com/~jlorentz/leftcoast

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