MICHAEL GOTTFREDSON Carve a slice of grilled duck for the former UC-Irvine vice chancellor named University of Oregon president this June. Michael, given that your predecessor was fired for poor political table manners, we expect exquisite etiquette.

ANNA KEESEY Everyone: don spurs and chaps to fête this Linfield College professor, whose Oregon-set Western novel, Little Century, earned yeehaws from Oprah and Vogue. Anna, your heroine’s heart is torn between “a terse cattle rancher and a tender-hearted sheepherder.” Been there!

MATT GARRETT & PAULA HAMMOND We prepared a towering pork sandwich for Oregon and Washington’s transportation chiefs. The states have disgorged more than $140 million to plan (and sell) the Columbia River Crossing megabridge—but shipping companies now say the current design is too low. You two can only have your ice cream if you promise to change “CRC” to LOL.

JENNIFER BRINTON We asked the head of Rhode Island’s Grey Sail Brewing to bring along a six-pack as her New England operation fights Hood River’s Full Sail in a trademark dispute. Jennifer, we want to taste your brew, even if we dare not speak its name.

NORMAN BABCOCK Break out some meticulously crafted fake vegetables for the “star” of Laika’s second stop-motion feature, ParaNorman. Young Norman must battle a bevy of ghosts, zombies, and witches, while the Hillsboro studio behind Coraline hopes to enchant critics again.

DON PETTIT Save some room for freeze-dried dessert provided by this orbiting astronaut and Silverton native. Pettit ushered in a new era of commercial space exploration when he docked SpaceX’s Dragon capsule to the International Space Station. Public-private partnerships have never been so exciting. Now tell us, Captain Pettit—can SpaceX save TriMet?