Anyone lucky enough to stumble upon this small city probably feels like a time traveler. It has a quaint small-town feel that many cities lost long ago. Think Mayberry.
o Population: 4,215.
o Must see: Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge, annual Fourth of July Parade, annual Bird and Bluegrass Festival.
o Web sites: http://www.ci.ridgefield.wa.us, http://www.portofridgefield.org, http://fws.gov/ridgefieldrefuges
Where else could a dog, Otis the Boston terrier, be considered for a vacant city manager post? It was a few years ago that Otis, a dog who roamed from one downtown business to the other, was named as the best candidate.
When the reliable pooch passed away in 2008 at the ripe old age of 15, City Manager Justin Clary (who had somehow slipped past the pup for the top job) read a proclamation honoring Otis at a council meeting, and his owners, Scott and Cathy Hughes, hosted an all-day memorial service at their downtown hardware store.
The small-town flair of this town, which turned 100 last year, doesn’t end there.
Where else can you find an 82-year-old Little League groundskeeper with a colorful Mohawk? Hank Hayden retired in 2008 from his duties as Abrams Park’s live-in keeper, but is still seen around town with a purple, pink, green or any other colored hairdo he feels like sporting that day.
And where else would residents join forces to spruce up a small but popular local restaurant because it was starting to look a little run down?
Ellis Dunn admitted that his restaurant, The Pioneer Street Cafe, was starting to look “well-worn and seedy,” but he was still surprised when some loyal patrons volunteered to renovate the popular gathering place.
When the impromptu community project was over, the eatery had new laminate wood floors, paint and artwork on the walls. The seating was even rearranged. When Dunn died in 2009, his friends came to the cafe again to build him a memorial just outside the doors.
Ridgefield may be akin to Mayberry, but it also has a surprising thread of urban quirk. Sure, there isn’t a McDonald’s or supermarket, but you can get a fine cup of coffee at Lava Java, whose owner, Phuong Tran, was the 2005 U.S. Barista champion.
If seafood is more your thing, head over to Pacific Northwest Best Fish Co. The business, which opened in 2001, is along a sparsely populated stretch of Northeast 10th Avenue.
The fish market and cafe are surrounded by farmland and expensive ranch-style homes.
The business looks “like it should be on a wharf somewhere,” said Roger McLeskey, who lives nearby in the Ridgefield Junction neighborhood.
The retail store and fish processor may seem out of place, but it’s a popular lunch spot that also supplies New Seasons and Whole Foods markets.
And newcomers shouldn’t overlook the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge. The 5,218-acre refuge features a mixture of lush seasonal, semi-permanent and permanent wetlands along with grasslands. It was established in 1965 to provide wintering habitat for the dusky species of Canada goose.
The refuge is a popular destination for nature lovers and bird watchers. It’s celebrated during the Annual BirdFest and Bluegrass Festival. The event draws nature enthusiasts and music lovers to the tiny town on the same weekend.
Ridgefield’s leaders have plans to move their town up the ranks of north Clark County’s attractions. A proposed 40-acre waterfront strip of shops, offices and plazas is in the cards for Ridgefield.
The vision for the now-contaminated site off Lake River is a bustling mixed-use park to pump more money into the town’s economy and become the area’s prominent waterfront destination.
The city may look and feel like Mayberry, but it offers plenty more.
