Shorty's Stairs is named after Ella's husband and is the short cut from D. Wong and M. Argentine's Rossi Hill abode down to Main Street. Twin Peaks Agent Dale Cooper once gallantly helped Michelle off of the slippery bottom step.

Michelle: A coal miner's daughter, Ella passed away this year. She and Shorty lived on Ontario in their original house since forever. Ella kept a chicken coop, the object of a recent legal entanglement with an underhanded property developer. He said the coop was on his property, she said the land in question had been given to her forty years ago. She retained an attorney, settled out of court, and kept the coop.
Lines: What was she like?
Michelle: Delightful and charming. When she was young, I imagine she was quite handsome.
Lines: How did she dress?
Michelle: Like she lived in a time warp. Holding her newspaper and parcels, I would give her a lift from the market to home. She would remember Astro, but never me.


Shorty's Stairs photos by Otterman


Side Note: Lines contributor Rhonda Piasecki is a partner in the chicken sitting business: Just Us Hens, advocating sustainable urban environments. Ella would be proud.