veryone knows prices are going up for the things we buy and use every day, and your insurance is probably no exception. Here are some ways that I recommend to customers at my agency to help them keep their insurance costs under control, while still protecting their families the right way.
Granted, I’m biased on this topic. But I’ve seen so many people who bought their insurance through an 800 number or a website that had no idea what they were paying for, what
coverage they had or what they really needed. At the Alford Agency, we make sure that all of our customers have an opportunity at least once a year to review their policies with their agent. I recently helped one of my long-time customers save almost $2,000 a year on her home and auto coverage just by filling out a one-page form. No toll-free number or website will do that for you.
It’s pretty simple, but bundling your home, auto, RV, umbrella and other policies with one company is generally the way to get that company’s best rates. Be sure and compare the package cost, not just the cost of one type of coverage. (Hint: a good agent will do this comparison for you).
Companies offer all kinds of little discounts you might not have thought about, including things like early shopping, discounts for certain college degrees, military service, occupation-related discounts (one of my customers gets a discount for being a librarian) and many more. Again, a good local agent will help you find all the discounts you’re eligible for.
• Nonna Emilia’s has been in business and family run since 1978
• Nonna brought the same recipes we use today from her Italian Cafe in 1921
• We offer Dine-in, Take Out, Banquet Room for large parties, and Catering
• We have a full Lounge with Video Poker
• Please visit nonnaemilias.com to Make Reservations, View our Menus, order Take Out online, and order from one of our Delivery Partners
4pm–9pm, Tuesday–Sunday | 17210 SW Shaw St, Aloha, OR 97007
Local family garage door company offers quality sales and service since 1991
By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer
Is your house in need of curb appeal or maybe just a facelift?
You don’t know where to start? You need Muhly’s Garage Doors, a local, family-owned and -operated business since 1991. Muhly’s Garage Doors can update the look of your house in just one day. Starting with a phone call, Muhly’s can help you determine which door design would best fit the style of your home or business, while staying within your budget. If you are looking for a trusted name in garage doors, then Muhly’s Garage Doors is your company.
Founded by Shawn Muhly, as a young man with a family, the business and the family have grown right alongside each other. His wife, Barbie, runs the office, giving Shawn more time to meet with
customers and design projects. In 2014, their son, Curtis, joined the business as an installer for both residential and commercial jobs. In 2022, Tyler joined the team as an installer. After graduation in 2023, Morgan took on the role of office assistant. Both son Teddy and daughter Jessica have worked for the business in the past, before moving on to other careers.
This local family business provides timely, quality service at a fair price. From Washington County to surrounding Columbia and Yamhill Counties, Muhly’s has been taking care of customers’ residential and commercial garage door needs for service, repair and installations. “We are now doing jobs for the third generation in some families. It is great to see their families grow up and continue to use us,” says owner Shawn.
Today’s garage door market is calling for more wood-grain-looking durable products, as well as modern glass door options. Whether you are wanting the slick, cool look of glass and aluminum, or the warmer appearance of wood-grain, there are numerous options for you to choose from. Visit the website to find the door that’s right for you. If it’s a broken spring that’s plaguing you, call Muhly’s and they can have the job done the same day. “Don’t let life’s little annoyances ruin your day,” says Barbie, “instead, let Muhly’s get your door back up-and-running as it should!”
Giving back to the community in which they live and work, Muhly’s supports the sports programs at Century, Liberty, Hillsboro, Glencoe, Forest Grove and Westview High Schools. They also support local 4-H and FFA members on their auction projects. Muhly’s continues to thank those who have worn the uniforms of this great nation and invite Military and First Responders to take advantage of the discounts Muhly’s extends to them.
Call Muhly’s Garage Doors today at (503) 640-6084 to get your project started! Visit www.muhlysgaragedoors.com for more information and to view their gallery.
Thanks for coming on short notice to secure the building. I was beginning to think I wouldn’t get home tonight if I couldn’t find someone to bring this door down.” —Daryl, Hillsboro
I love how you changed it from two small doors to one large 16 x 7 door. It changes the look of the house and I don’t have to dodge that pole anymore...” —Mary, Hillsboro
Does Call about our military, veteran and firstresponder discounts muhlysgaragedoors.com
Consider this: Firefighters may represent the best of all of us, the best of what humanity has to offer. After solemn reflection on the subject, who can really argue otherwise?
Firefighters bravely and selflessly put their lives on the line every day to save others, period. They literally walk through fire for us. Extrapolating further, one might come to the conclusion that perhaps the best of the best would then have to be volunteer firefighters: those who dedicate their lives to saving others without even receiving monetary compensation.
It seems impossible given the size of the city now, but from 1934 into the 1960s, Beaverton was actually served primarily by a volunteer fire department. The department later merged with Tualatin Valley Fire and Rescue (TVF&R), but thanks to the hard work and resolve of two of its retired members, it will not be forgotten. On Friday, July 28th of this year, the Beaverton Library unveiled a new display commemorating the department’s existence and honoring its legacy.
The earliest records of an organized Beaverton Fire Department came in the form of an article published in the Feb. 21, 1914 edition of “The Owl,” a local Beaverton newspaper. There was recorded activity prior to that, but nothing that was well organized. Even after 1914, the program lacked consistency and was continuously reorganized. It wasn’t until
1934 that bylaws were adopted that provided the needed structure for continuity. In 1935, a truck chassis from Carr Chevrolet was converted into the first pumping engine by the volunteers. In 1937, volunteers began promoting the formation of a “rural fire protection district” for the areas surrounding the city limits of Beaverton. In 1946, said district was established and would eventually become Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue. The city offices, the Beaverton Library, and the fire department all moved into a new facility built on the corner of 5th Street and Hall Boulevard in 1958. In 1960, the first paid firefighters were hired, and in 1973, the department transitioned into an all-paid agency. In 1986, Marilyn Kosel was hired as the first female firefighter in Washington County (and only the second in Oregon history!). In 1989, Beaverton entered discussions with neighboring districts regarding consolidation, and in 1996, Beaverton merged with TVF&R. In 1999, the original facilities on Fifth street which housed Beaverton City Hall, the library, and the fire department, were demolished and replaced by the “new” library. We all have a natural tendency to assume that things will be remembered, that things once established will endure in the annals of history, if not in our collective consciousness. That’s often not the case, however. Records are sometimes lost. History is sometimes rewritten. And our memories are not as accurate as we would like them to be. The Beaverton Fire Department was in existence for over six decades,
but had few records to document its accomplishments, particularly from its earlier days. And because so many of the firefighters themselves have since passed on, much of its history is sadly lost. It is only due to the tenacious efforts of two men, retired Fire Chief Gary Nees, and retired Beaverton Fire Marshal David Nelson, that we now have at least some of the key moments of the department’s history memorialized.
It began with the rediscovery of an old plaque, David Nelson explained, a plaque that had long been misplaced and thought lost. It was originally created in the 1980s by Gary Nees to recognize and honor those volunteer firefighters who had served. It was first displayed in the lobby of the City Hall, and then moved to a room on the second floor of the current library. Around 2007, it was taken down and members of the fire department had no idea where it had gone. In September of 2022, it was through a completely unrelated query Nelson had made regarding some antique fire apparatuses that he rediscovered its whereabouts.
Since locating it last year, David has worked tirelessly with Gary Nees in conjunction with TVF&R Public Affairs
Officer Corrine Haning, and various departments and agencies throughout downtown Beaverton to establish a new location and design a new display. The display itself is a gorgeous wall piece with historical photos flanking the original plaque, and it provides information chronicling the history
of the Beaverton Fire Department from before it was officially organized (around the turn of the century), all the way up through its merger with TVF&R in 1996. Gary Nees and David Nelson were both present for its unveiling, and also spoke at the event. Additional speakers included Mayor Lacey Beaty, current TVF&R Assistant Chief Patrick Fale, and Library Director Kim Carroll. Kim stated that it was a privilege for the library to be able to exhibit such an important part of the town’s history, and David Nelson said it was one of the most significant projects he’s ever worked on.
If you are at all interested in the history of the Beaverton Fire Department, or fire safety and prevention in general, by all means come on down to the Beaverton Library and enjoy this informative and decorative piece. It can be found on the wall of the library’s
to the right as you walk in through the
foyer,
doors.
ABOVE: (From left) Edward Kimmi, Beaverton City Councilor; Ashley HartmeierPrigg, Beaverton City Councilor; Gary Nees, retired Beaverton Fire Department Fire Chief; David Nelson, retired Beaverton Fire Department Fire Marshal; Lacey Beaty, Beaverton Mayor; and Rep. Dacia Grayber, Oregon State Representative District 28, and a current TVF&R firefighter.
ABOVE: TVF&R staff members attend the historical plaque ceremony at the Beaverton Public Library. BELOW: David Nelson, retired Beaverton Fire Department Fire Marshal, addresses the crowd at the display unveiling.
PHOTO BY KRISTEN HENDERSON
PHOTO BY KRISTEN HENDERSON
Amit Ray
Muralist and live event painter Aimee Joy Claire is creating a brand that’s all-inclusive and fully represents her unique talents. Painting throughout the Greater Portland Area, Aimee travels between Portland, Salem, Vancouver and pretty much anywhere else within a two-hour radius, to “jazz up blank spaces” with her custom murals or capture special moments at weddings and intimate events.
“I’ve always been very artsy since I was little,” says Aimee, who began acrylic painting at age twelve when her mom suggested she paint a wall in their home. Aimee adorned the wall with flowers “and the rest is history,” she declares. By the time she was sixteen, Aimee had painted friends’ houses and had landed a paid project for painting a large rose arbor in the bedroom of a little girl that the family knew. Though self-taught, she takes an occasional class “here and there,” she says, which includes the random course at OSA (Oregon Society of Artists).
Having focused on canvas painting, Aimee relates, “I recently fell back in love with murals. It’s been a while, but I opened up some mural bookings for residential and commercial projects. That’s my favorite thing to do.” Live event paintings were added about two years ago with an emphasis on weddings. “I found out about live wedding painting and I fell in love with that as well,” she says. To be at a wedding with all the emotion, capturing a moment on canvas with the bride and groom, is a very special experience for her. Guests are likewise astounded as they witness the rendering and are frequently invited to add a brush stroke of their own. In addition to wedding paintings, Aimee has done live paintings for small intimate concerts. “I’m very grateful to do what I love,” she says.
Seasonal window paintings, animals and abstract mural designs are also included in Aimee Claire’s repertoire, gracing local grocery stores, professional offices, coffee shops and tea houses in the area. Larger companies are among Aimee’s clients as well: they recognize the value and exposure a logo or mural of any kind can have on brand recognition.
A woman-owned business and one-person enterprise, Aimee will occasionally get help from her partner, particularly with latenight projection projects. As a Chamber of Commerce member, Aimee maintains close ties to the community and is interested in donating a mural to a cause that touches her heart.
Contact Aimee Claire by phone (503) 332-5907 or email info@aimeeclaire.com. Visit her on the web at www.aimeeclaire.com. Alternatively, search for her on social media as Aimee Joy Art.
day on tiny feet. Kolton relates, “I just felt off. I couldn’t put my finger on it, but my body just didn’t feel right.” He began to notice little things, like his hand and eye coordination was off, or in the middle of a sentence he suddenly couldn’t find the word he intended to say. He also noticed he’d swerve while driving, unable to control his movements. Then the migraines began, and after several months they became unbearable.
After traveling to Oklahoma, he became so ill he couldn’t bring himself to get on the homebound plane. At first, Leta thought he might be faking it or having an anxiety attack, but it soon became evident he was very sick. After returning home and remaining very ill for several days, Leta took Kolton to the Dallas emergency room, thinking he might get a diagnosis of diabetes.
By Olive Gallagher, Contributing Writer • Photos by Leta BrownWhat would you do if you woke up tomorrow and learned you have astrocytoma brain cancer and might only have a few more months or years to live? How would you feel? Who would you tell? How long would your list of unrealized wishes, unfulfilled dreams and sad regrets be, of things never tried or risked, of people never loved, of experiences and places you’ll never get to know, of freedom and endless time never fully appreciated? And how would you deal with your fear, anger, sadness, bewilderment and grief that this hard-to-grasp nightmare was actually happening to you, especially at the age of 24?
This is Kolton Howell’s reality. A reality that he, along with his devoted mother and primary caregiver, Leta Brown, courageously battle to make each day worthwhile and meaningful.
Leta, a single mom who works full time, had watched her beloved son battle life from the moment he was born two months early. The neonatal ICU staff described him as “the baby with an attitude.” Diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder at age five, he never quit, pressing on, trying out for soccer, Boy Scouts and Little League. He graduated from West Albany School the same year he earned Eagle Scout and went on to become a successful sales manager at a Salem firm. Life seemed stable and worthwhile.
Then, this terrifying nightmare tiptoed into their lives one
It was at that moment that their medical nightmare escalated. After a CT scan and MRI, the doctors informed them that Kolton had an eight-centimeter mass in his brain and that they couldn’t treat him there; he needed treatment at a bigger academic hospital. After all other area hospitals turned them down, they finally convinced OHSU to take the case. He was rushed there, and the day after Thanksgiving he had brain surgery to remove the tumor. During those long, agonizing hours, watching over him in the dark room, a good friend sat with Leta, lending comfort and kindness. On her own, seeing Leta and Kolton’s future needs, she established a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds, knowing full well an avalanche of medical bills would be coming without end.
When asked if there was any lesson learned from all of this, Kolton’s reply was simple: “Listen. Listen to your body. Listen to what it’s telling you.”
There’s no cure for this cancer. Having been given five to six years to live, Kolton will spend the rest of his time, however short it might be, dealing with this aggressive, fastgrowing cancer. Tumors will potentially continue to occur, despite rounds of chemo and radiation. So it’s critical that this established fund continues to grow and to sustain this loving family who face each day with remarkable strength and positivity. When asked if he had one wish, Kolton’s answer was quite immediate, accompanied by a broad smile, “I wish I could visit LegoLand in Denmark!”
To donate to Kolton’s GoFundMe, please scan the QR code (see right) with your smartphone.
HOURS: Mon–Fri, 9am–5pm
Saturday by appointment only
Sunday closed
Stop in to see our fabulous showroom with beautifully appointed settings, centrally located in Beaverton. We service all local areas from Forest Grove to Wilsonville and the Portland Metro Area.
Make your dreams come true! From start to finish, Custom NW Remodeling & Floors can turn dreams into reality.
Whether it is a beautiful staircase, kitchen, or the luxurious master bathroom you have always wanted, Custom NW Remodeling is here to help take your thoughts and ideas and turn them into reality. Our team of skilled in-house craftsmen have years of experience in all aspects of interior remodeling, and when paired with our expertise of design, we can help you turn your house into your dream home.
10175 SW Beaverton Hillsdale Hwy
Beaverton • 503-479-4946
customnwremodeling.com
