The Ridgefield Raptors are a collegiate summer baseball team . The Raptors are members of the West Coast League and play their home games at the Ridgefield Outdoor Recreation Complex.
62-536: In 2018 it was announced that West Coast League had awarded an expansion franchise to be located in southwest Washington. Owner Tony Bonacci, who also headed the Cowlitz Black Bears, sought to expand the league in the metro Portland region. Gus Farah was announced as the General Manager. The club held a name the team contest that drew five hundred entries. The name Raptors was selected following
124-605: A batting average of .583 while Safea Villaruz-Mauai (Brigham Young University) finished with an RBI of 4. On the mound, Braiden Youkon (unknown) and Ryan Olbrecht (Wayne State College) each picked up one win. Eastyn Culp (Umpqua Community College) finished with an ERA of 0.00. After the season, Jacob Sharp was selected as Co-MVP. Travis Welker (Fresno State) was selected as a member of First-Team-All-WCL while Jake Tsukada and Trent Prokes were named to second-team-all-WCL. Doyle Kane, Mikey Kane, Riley McCarthy, Jeter Schuerman, and Safea Villaruz-Mauai received honorable mentions. On July 5,
186-563: A border with Kelso to the east, which is the county seat. The Cowlitz Indian Tribe , a federally recognized tribe of Cowlitz people , is headquartered in Longview. The Long-Bell Lumber Company , led by Robert A. Long , decided to buy a great expanse of timberland in Cowlitz County in 1918. A total of 14,000 workers were needed to run the two large mills as well as lumber camps that were planned. The number of workers needed
248-567: A city manager. The city council elects a mayor out of themselves every two years. The mayor runs the council meetings, and serves as the ceremonial figure head of the city. Day-to-day operations are conducted by the City Manager, who is hired by the city council. According to the United States Census Bureau , the city has a total area of 14.79 square miles (38.31 km ), of which 14.49 square miles (37.53 km )
310-525: A city planner based in St. Louis , to build the city that would support the two mills that were now planned. Kessler designed the town based on the nation's capital, with elements of Roman City planning. Its theme is rooted in the City Beautiful movement , which influenced urban design in the early 20th century. Longview was officially incorporated on February 14, 1924. At the time of its conception, Longview
372-652: A few thousand people to being the fourth largest city in the state by the 1930s. However, the effects of the Great Depression hampered further development of the planned city until the booming World War II economy, when the Port of Longview became a strategic location for loading cargo going into the Pacific Theater . The Allen Street Bridge disaster , which involved a wooden drawbridge connecting Longview and Kelso, occurred on January 3, 1923. As of 2024 ,
434-402: A household in the city was $ 35,171, and the median income for a family was $ 43,869. Males had a median income of $ 38,972 versus $ 26,625 for females. The per capita income for the city was $ 18,559. About 12.3% of families and 16.7% of the population were below the poverty line , including 25.0% of those under age 18 and 6.8% of those age 65 or over. Manufacturing in Longview accounts for 19% of
496-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 40.5% were non-families. 33.6% of all households were made up of individuals, and 15.4% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.34 and the average family size was 2.94. The median age in the city was 39.6 years. 23.2% of residents were under the age of 18; 9.2% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 23.6% were from 25 to 44; 26.2% were from 45 to 64; and 17.5% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of
558-443: A matter of days. Each year there are one or two snowfalls, typically less than 6 inches (15 cm) but up to 1 metre (3 ft) in the surrounding foothills. Spring is warmer, but still a little wet; this is the most common time for the occasional thunderstorms . As of the 2020 census , there were 37,818 people, and 15,913 households in the city. The population density was 2,555.6 inhabitants per square mile. The racial makeup of
620-639: A number of entries related to the Ridgefield National Wildlife Refuge and various birds. The Raptors finished 3rd in the south division with 27 wins and 27 losses. Michael Hicks (Boise State University) lead the league with 50 runs batted in and 9 home runs. Cameron Repetti (Cal State Fullerton) also brought in 33 batted runs of his own. On the mound, Joey Martin (Kansas State University) led the league in strikeouts (67) and had an ERA of 3.83. The Raptors saw 32,342 total fans in their debut year for an average of 1,198 per game. Like
682-508: A number of major leaguers. League teams are operated similarly to professional minor-league teams. The WCL's season typically runs from early June through the middle of August. 2005–2009 In 2005 the teams played 42 games. For the 2007 season, this was the first year that the WCL used divisions. They separated the league into two divisions, East and West, based on geographical location. The playoffs worked in an odd way. The top two teams in
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#1732802373375744-739: A stretch of relatively flat ground, the Longview skies can be overcast due to moisture from the Pacific Coast marine layer . The Columbia River gorge permits an exchange of air between eastern and western Washington. The direction and speed of air movement through the gorge is determined primarily by the pressure gradient between the eastern and western slopes of the mountains. Due to the gorge-like effect, marine pushes on summer evenings can frequently reach gusts up to 30 to 40 miles per hour (48 to 64 km/h) There have been gusts of up to 90 to 100 miles per hour (140 to 160 km/h), and over 100 miles per hour (160 km/h) at higher elevations. Fall
806-733: A thrilling Game 3 and capture their fourth championship, and first of seven consecutive championships from 2016 to 2023. 2017 In 2017, the Kitsap BlueJackets went under new management, and were replaced by the Port Angeles Lefties . Corvallis went on to win its second consecutive and fifth overall title. 2018 In 2018, the Gresham GreyWolves were rebranded as the Portland Pickles under new management. The Ridgefield Raptors also joined
868-645: Is a collegiate summer baseball wooden bat league founded in 2005, comprising teams from Washington , Oregon , British Columbia and Alberta . The WCL was previously named the West Coast Collegiate Baseball League ( WCCBL ), but in 2008 it was renamed as the West Coast League. The league is designed to develop college talent, and only current college-eligible players are allowed to participate. The West Coast League has produced dozens of professional players, including
930-543: Is a city in Cowlitz County , Washington , United States. It is the principal city of the Longview, Washington Metropolitan Statistical Area , which encompasses all of Cowlitz County. Longview's population was 37,818 at the time of the 2020 census , making it the most populous city in Cowlitz County. The city is located in southwestern Washington, at the junction of the Cowlitz and Columbia rivers . Longview shares
992-409: Is also served by two religious based schools. The St. Rose Catholic school serves kindergarten through eighth grade. Three Rivers Christian School currently operates under two campuses: one at Northlake Baptist serving preschool through sixth grade, and on Alpha Drive, formerly Beacon Hill Elementary School which serves seventh through twelfth grades. Lower Columbia College (LCC), based in Longview,
1054-529: Is land and 0.30 square miles (0.78 km ) is water. The Lewis and Clark Bridge spans the Columbia River, linking Longview to Rainier, Oregon . It is the only bridge spanning the river between Portland and Astoria, Oregon . Longview is located in a small gorge, so its climate varies from that of its close neighbor, Portland . Longview is generally about 7 °F (4 °C) cooler than Portland. Located about 80 miles (130 km) inland across
1116-637: Is on the I-5 Corridor and is served by State Route 4 and State Route 432 , which connect it to nearby Kelso and Wahkiakum County. State Route 433 connects Longview to Rainier, OR over the Lewis and Clark Bridge. The city is also served by RiverCities Transit , a local bus system that travels between Kelso and Longview. The nearest train and intercity bus station is the Kelso Multimodal Transportation Center , which
1178-565: Is served by Amtrak 's Cascades and Coast Starlight passenger trains. The Port of Longview , established in 1921, has eight marine terminals handling a wide range of cargo from windmills, pencil pitch, calcined coke, pulp bales, lumber, grain, logs and steel. The Port is 66 miles (106 km) from the Pacific Ocean. Longview is home to the Nutty Narrows Bridge built in 1963 by Amos Peters. For many years, it
1240-484: Is usually cooler but foggy; on some days the fog never clears. By early-to-mid November, rainfall begins in typical Northwest fashion. Winter tends to be chilly and rainy, with occasional violent windstorms or spates of unusually warm—65 to 70 °F (18 to 21 °C)—temperatures. This is due to extremely warm air coming from the Pineapple Express which can drop 3 to 6 inches (76 to 152 mm) of rain in
1302-796: The Bellingham Bells in the first round of the playoffs. At the same time, in the West Division the Corvallis Knights defeated the Cowlitz Black Bears . In the league's championship series, the AppleSox beat the Knights and captured their fifth league title. 2013 In the 2013 season the league changed from an East/West division format to a North/South division format because of further league expansion, of
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#17328023733751364-626: The Corvallis Knights , beating them 2 games to nothing in the South Division playoffs. Also, the other expansion team, the Canadian Victoria HarbourCats , set a single game and All-star game attendance record of 4,210 in viewing. Finally, history was made in Kitsap after the last out of the top of the ninth when Spenser Watkins threw a spectacular perfect game, the first in West Coast League history. 2014 In 2014
1426-895: The Simpson Timber Company . The Cowlitz Black Bears play in the West Coast League , an independent summer baseball league with teams from Washington, Oregon , and British Columbia . The team plays at David Story Field on the Lower Columbia College campus in Longview. Longview has a variety of parks and recreation facilities. Longview Parks and Recreation maintains the local parks, including Lake Sacajawea . Dozens of other parks exist within city limits with walking trails, sport fields, dog-friendly areas, children's play areas, and other features. Both Longview and its neighbor city, Kelso, are home to skateparks . Two athletic clubs exist, including
1488-625: The Victoria HarbourCats , and the Medford Rogues , which brought the number of teams to 11. Also, in 2013 records were set and matched. Walla Walla Sweets pitcher Sean-Luke Brija matched the league record in saves, with 13 outstanding saves in the 2013 season. It was the first year an expansion team, in their first year, made the playoffs. The Medford Rogues made the playoffs by a tie, and winning their last 3 regular season games but, they lost their Cinderella Story season to
1550-752: The YMCA and Mint Valley Racquet and Fitness. Golf clubs in the local area include Longview Country Club and Mint Valley. The Longview parks and Recreation also works with youths of different ages with programs such as the elementary and middle schools after-school programs, The Boulevard for youths of grades 6–12, and Youth and Family link. Longview is served by Longview Public Schools , which operates eight public elementary schools (Columbia Heights, Columbia Valley Gardens, Kessler, Mint Valley, Northlake, Olympic, Robert Gray, and Saint Helens), three public middle schools (Cascade, Monticello, and Mount Solo), and two public high schools ( R. A. Long and Mark Morris ). Longview
1612-621: The Yakima Valley Pippins came on board, giving the WCL their twelfth team. Future major leaguer Eli Morgan was 8-0 for them. Also, in the 2014 year, because of the expansion of Yakima , the WCL restructured their league format for the 4th time in its history, moving to a 3-division format, with East, West, and South Divisions. The playoff format adopted was similar to the MLB format, with only one wild card instead of two. The teams are shown in their respective geographical division in
1674-418: The 1970s and 1980s, reducing the availability of jobs. No major development occurred until a brief boom in the early 2000s, ended by the recession of the late 2000s . Recently, an initiative from local activists has pushed to implement a new strategic plan to increase development in the city, in an effort to expand affordable housing. The city has seven council members with one serving as the mayor as well as
1736-478: The Canyons) led the league with eight home runs while Caden Connor (Cal State Fullerton) batted in 51 runs. Kody Darcy (Nichols State) drove in 7 home runs while Coby Morales (Cypress College) hit six home runs and finished with a batting average of .349. Reece Hernandez (San Jose State) also batted with an average of .325 not too far behind Morales. John Peck (Pepperdine) hit six home runs and batted 40 runners in. On
1798-979: The East Division Pennant, and the Walla Walla Sweets came in second and beat the Applesox in the Division Playoffs to go on to play the Corvallis Knights where they lost 2 games to 0. In the West Division the Corvallis Knights won the Pennant and the Bend Elks were 8 games behind them but lost 2–0 in the Divisional games. 2012 In 2012, the Wenatchee AppleSox won the East Division after topping
1860-871: The Medford Rogues left the WCL and joined the Great West League. Also, the league announced that the Klamath Falls team would leave the league, with its place taken by a new team based in Gresham, Oregon. On December 4, 2015, the Gresham Baseball Club announced that the team would be named the Gresham GreyWolves. In 2016, the Victoria HarbourCats set a single-season record for wins with 40, breaking
1922-745: The North with a 19-game winning streak, and tied Bellingham for the second-half lead, with the Bells holding the tiebreaker by virtue of winning the season series. In the South, the first half was won by the Corvallis Knights, while the second half was won by the Yakima Valley Pippins. Both Corvallis and Bellingham swept their first-round playoff series, setting up a rematch of 2014's WCL Championship Series. The 2016 edition saw Corvallis win
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1984-1054: The Pickles defeated the Wenatchee AppleSox, 6-5, in the WCL Championship Game with a walkoff run in the bottom of the 9th inning. This marked the first WCL title for the Portland Pickles in team history, and the first team other than Corvallis to win it all since the Bend Elks in 2015. The Pickles were the 6th unique team to take home the trophy. Mitchell Gunsolus, Wenatchee AppleSox, 2012 Grant Melker, Corvallis Knights, 2014 Michael Lucarelli, Corvallis Knights, 2014 Mitch Skaggs, Yakima Valley Pippins, 2015 Evan Johnson, Wenatchee AppleSox, 2017 Chandler Anderson, Corvallis Knights, 2018 Gio Diaz, Portland Pickles, 2018 Joichiro Oyama, Wenatchee AppleSox, 2022 Longview, Washington Longview
2046-584: The Raptors defeated the Portland Pickles 10–3 to clinch their first ever First Half championship. This gives the Raptors their third consecutive playoff appearance and guaranteed home field advantage through the Division Series and South Division Championship Game. On June 12th, pitchers Dylan Stewart, Curtis Herbert, and Mac Elske threw a combined no-hitter in the Raptors' 10-0 win over the Pippins. It
2108-581: The Team Table below. The play-off race came down to the last 2 days of league play with a race between Bend and Wenatchee for the first WCL Wild-card spot. Bend edged Wenatchee by just 1 game, causing Wenatchee to miss the playoffs for the first time. Yakima, Bellingham, and Corvallis won their divisions and set the field for the first three-division WCL playoff. The first round playoff pairings were Bellingham vs. Yakima and Corvallis vs. Bend. Both Corvallis and Bellingham won their first 2 games and advanced to
2170-527: The Victoria HarbourCats to win its seventh consecutive and tenth overall title. 2024 On January 19, 2024, the West Coast League announced it had awarded a expansion franchise to Salem, Oregon. The new Salem team will start play in 2025 as the league's 17th team. The Portland Pickles defeated the Corvallis Knights, 4-1, on August 14, 2024 in the WCL South Division Championship, ending the Knights' 7-year title run. On August 16,
2232-486: The WCL Championship series. Bellingham won both games 2 and 3 of the series, making them the 4th team to ever win the WCL Championship. 2015 In 2015, the West Coast League saw its fifth league champion, the Bend Elks. Kelowna, Bellingham, Bend, and Corvallis advanced to the playoffs, in which Bend swept both Corvallis and Kelowna to capture their first WCL championship. 2016 In the 2015–2016 off-season,
2294-450: The West Coast League announced a partnership with Major League Baseball as a part of the growing list of larger collegiate leagues partnering with MLB to further grow collegiate summer wood bat baseball. The agreement was reached to jointly pursue initiatives of mutual interest, including player and coach development, technology innovation related to scouting and fan experience, and community engagement. 2023 In 2023, Corvallis defeated
2356-574: The West Coast League, bringing the total number of teams to 13. Corvallis went on to win its third consecutive and sixth overall title. 2019 In 2019, Corvallis won its fourth consecutive and seventh overall title. 2020 The West Coast League canceled its 2020 summer collegiate season due to the COVID-19 pandemic . 2021 In 2021, the Springfield Drifters , Nanaimo NightOwls , and Edmonton Riverhawks announced plans to join
2418-595: The West Coast League, bringing the total number of teams to 16. The WCL split back into two divisions of eight teams apiece for the North and South regions. However, five Canadian teams in the West Coast League did not play the 2021 season due to pandemic-related border and gathering limitations. They planned to resume play in 2022, which would be the inaugural season for Springfield, Nanaimo, and Edmonton. Corvallis went on to win its fifth consecutive and eighth overall title. 2022 In 2022, Corvallis won its sixth consecutive and ninth overall title. On September 19, 2022,
2480-554: The city was 48.1% male and 51.9% female. As of the 2000 census , there were 34,660 people, 14,066 households, and 8,931 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,530.0 people per square mile (976.8/km ). There were 15,225 housing units at an average density of 1,111.4 per square mile (429.1/km ). The racial makeup of the city was 89.35% White, 0.72% African American, 1.76% Native American, 2.17% Asian, 0.13% Pacific Islander, 2.96% from other races, and 2.92% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 5.82% of
2542-424: The city was 83.8% White , 1.5% African American , 1.3% Native American , 1.9% Asian , 0.2% Pacific Islander , and 8.9% from two or more races. Those of Hispanic or Latino origin made up 10.4% of the population. 22.0% of the population were under 18, and 5.9% were under 5. People over 65 made up 20.8% of the population. The gender makeup of Longview was 52.4% female, and 47.6% male. The median household income
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2604-446: The city was 86.0% White , 0.9% African American , 1.7% Native American , 2.2% Asian , 0.3% Pacific Islander , 4.7% from other races , and 4.2% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 9.7% of the population. There were 15,281 households, of which 29.1% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 40.5% were married couples living together, 13.4% had a female householder with no husband present, 5.6% had
2666-720: The employment. Easy access to the Columbia River , Interstate 5 , and the west coast railways has attracted a rapidly diversifying manufacturing base. The abundance of timber around Longview provides the city's former two largest employers, Weyerhaeuser and Kapstone , with timber products. Other major manufacturers in Longview include NORPAC (newsprint), Solvay Chemicals ( hydrogen peroxide ), and Westlake Chemical (formerly Axiall ). Smaller operations include Epson Toyocom, Northwest Hardwoods, Interfor (originally Caffall Brothers, then Stimpson lumber, now Interfor US Inc), Peterson Manufacturing, JM Huber, Specialty Minerals, HASA and
2728-558: The event is recognized as the deadliest bridge disaster in the state. The span collapsed under a combination of high, rushing waters of the Cowlitz River, a log jam , and the poor condition of the overpass. The disaster happened during the end of work day, and 17 people were formally listed as having died due to the event. Suburban developments created neighborhoods in the western valley in the 1960s. The local economy has been in decline since lumber companies mechanized production in
2790-521: The league added Longview / Kelso (Cowlitz), Washington for the 2010 season, along with Walla Walla, Washington , which in turn cause a balanced schedule. The Moses Lake Pirates ceased operations following the 2010 season. 2011 In 2011 the league expanded to Klamath Falls , which in turn caused a 54-game unbalanced schedule. Also, in the Summer of 2011 the Wenatchee Applesox won
2852-513: The league with 14 home runs and also finished with an RBI of 40. Will Chambers (Dixie State College) hit 7 home runs while Doyle Kane (University of California San Diego) finished with a .349 batting average. The Raptors swept the Pickles in the division series but ultimately fell to the five time defending champion Knights 2–5 in the South Division Championship Game. Jake Tsukada (University of Portland) finished with
2914-404: The mound, Jaren Hunter (Oregon State) finished with four wins and an ERA of 1.93. 21,943 total fans attended in 2021 for an average of 914 per game. The Raptors finished the regular season with 32 wins and 21 losses. Good for third in the South Division and the first wild card spot. Trent Prokes (Modesto Junior College) led the league with a .415 batting average. Jacob Sharp (Fullerton College) led
2976-510: The population. 17.3% were of German, 11.2% English, 10.3% United States or American, 8.5% Irish and 7.3% Norwegian ancestry. 92.4% spoke English and 4.9% Spanish as their first language. There were 14,066 households, out of which 30.9% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 46.5% were married couples living together, 12.3% had a female householder with no husband present, and 36.5% were non-families. 30.1% of all households were made up of individuals, and 12.4% had someone living alone who
3038-466: The previous record of 39 (2011 Wenatchee AppleSox). Victoria also broke all three attendance records by having the highest attendance in a single game, season total, and game average. They had 60,466 total fans through the gates, averaging 2,239 a night, with a record 5,133 in one game on June 30 against the Kelowna Falcons. In the new split-season playoffs format, Victoria won the first half in
3100-502: The rest of the league, The 2020 Raptors season was not played due to COVID-19. The Raptors finished 2nd in the south division with 26 wins and 22 losses to make their first playoff appearance in history. Their season came to an end in the South Division Championship when they were swept by the defending champion Corvallis Knights however. The Raptors were dominant in stats in the season. Will Chambers (College of
3162-455: The standings at the end of the season would playoff a best 2 out of 3 in both divisions. Then, the winners of the sets would playoff in the championship series, also a best 2 out of 3. In 2009, the league expanded the schedule to 48 games, at the same time going to an unbalanced schedule. Since 2012, the West Coast League has scheduled 54 league games for each team (with games against non-league opponents not counted in standings). 2010 In 2010
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#17328023733753224-620: The town of Monticello was the seat of Cowlitz County , before being destroyed by the flooding of the Cowlitz River in December 1867. In 1865 Nathaniel Stone founded the town of Freeport (a mile upriver from Monticello) which became the seat of Cowlitz County until 1872. The area of the towns of Monticello and Freeport is now part of the city of Longview. The area remained sparsely populated for nearly 60 years, consisting mostly of farmland and wilderness. In 1918, Missouri timber baron Robert A. Long (1850–1934) decided to move his operation out to
3286-486: The west coast, owing to the Long-Bell Lumber Company 's dwindling supplies in the south. By 1921, Wesley Vandercook had decided to build a mill near the small town of Kelso, Washington . It was apparent that Kelso, with a population of barely 2,000, would not be able to support the approximately 14,000 men that would be required to run the mill. The Long-Bell company contracted with George Kessler ,
3348-599: The worst effects of the Great Depression. Ranging from Georgian-revival style with the major public buildings, Tudor and craftsman style homes, commercial vernacular, and Art Deco, there are many contributing properties. A park, a bridge, and many buildings are listed on the National Register of Historic Places, along with the Civic Center, that is a National Register Historic District. Longview
3410-414: Was $ 53,044, and the per capita income was $ 31,980. 13.7% of the population were under the poverty line . As of the 2010 census , there were 36,648 people, 15,281 households, and 9,086 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,529.2 inhabitants per square mile (976.5/km ). There were 16,380 housing units at an average density of 1,130.4 per square mile (436.4/km ). The racial makeup of
3472-458: Was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.40 and the average family size was 2.96. In the city, the age distribution of the population shows 26.0% under the age of 18, 8.9% from 18 to 24, 27.1% from 25 to 44, 22.6% from 45 to 64, and 15.4% who were 65 years of age or older. The median age was 37 years. For every 100 females, there were 93.2 males. For every 100 females age 18 and over, there were 90.0 males. The median income for
3534-471: Was established in 1934. Every Independence Day, Longview hosts the Go Fourth Fest at Lake Sacajawea. Over 30,000 people visit the lake's vendor booths, live concerts, and exhibits. The festival also includes a parade starting downtown and ending at the park and a fireworks display. Longview has many historic buildings, many of which were built in the initial growth period from 1923 to 1934, prior to
3596-507: Was more than a lumber town, or the nearest town, could provide. Long planned and built a complete city in 1921 that could support a population of up to 50,000 and provide labor for the mills as well as attracting other industries. Several buildings in the city were built from Long's private funds. Longview was the location of Mount Coffin , an ancestral burial ground for the local indigenous people. The first Euro-American settlers were led by Harry and Rebecca Jane Huntington, in 1849. The area
3658-620: Was named Monticello in honor of Thomas Jefferson's home in Virginia. In 1852 a group assembled in what would be called the "Monticello Convention" to petition Congress for statehood to be called "Columbia". Congress agreed to statehood but as Washington, after President Washington , to avoid confusion with the District of Columbia . A monument to the convention is located near the Longview Civic Center. From 1854 to 1865
3720-575: Was the first no-hitter in team history and the tenth in West Coast League history. On July 9th, Luke Iverson and Dylan Stewart were selected to represent the Raptors in the 2024 All Star Game in Bellingham. The Raptors qualified for the playoffs for the fourth straight season as a wildcard. The Raptors were swept by the defending champion Knights in the Divisional Series 2-0. West Coast League The West Coast League ( WCL )
3782-518: Was the only bridge in the world designed and built strictly for squirrels. The bridge was built in 1963 and its purpose was to avoid squirrel casualties on the busy streets beneath. Longview began a new annual festival, known as Squirrel Fest, in 2011. As part of the festival, a new squirrel bridge has been unveiled each year, and as of 2023, there are now seven squirrel bridges in the city. However, as of late they have stopped unveiling new squirrel bridges. In 2012, Forbes listed Longview as one of
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#17328023733753844-551: Was the only planned city of its magnitude to have ever been conceived of and built entirely with private funds. A number of prominent buildings in Longview were purchased with R. A. Long's personal funds, including R. A. Long High School , the Longview Public Library, the YMCA building and the Monticello Hotel . The initial growth period, lasting from 1923 to 1934, was very rapid. The city grew from
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