Why care about barns?
Shelters for horses, cattle, sheep, hay, grain, tractor equipment, classic cars and more, barns are practical structures. And yet, we celebrate them as majestic landmarks worthy of preservation.
In Eastern Oregon, The Wallowas County Barn Tour attracts daytrippers, photographers, cyclists and history enthusiasts to the area for a self-guided journey back in time as each of the 31 barns on the map contain their own histories and architectural thumbprints.
The drive-by experience remains popular, and it’s easy to see why: Barns inspire nostalgia, which, believe it or not, serves a great purpose. Experts say nostalgia can make us feel safe and loved, all the while counteracting loneliness, boredom and anxiety.
No matter the benefits, nostalgia is important to me, which is one
of the reasons I’m dedicated to maintaining my property’s centuryold barn. A recent fresh coat of classic barn red makes it shine.
If you’ve ever met me, you know I have a soft spot for nostalgia. Here at Active Media headquarters, my employees can attest to my daily trips down memory lane with random movie quotes or belting out a lyric from any number of “vintage” albums. I can’t help it; it’s fun. I think my staff would agree...
Whether it’s a barn, a band or family lore, nostalgia connects us to the past and each other.
So, what are you waiting for? Walk down your own memory lane. And if you have the honor of owning an old barn, consider keeping it alive for all to enjoy.
Matt Nelson, Publisher CanbyP.S. If your business services local residents, give me a call at 503-825-2111 to see how partnering with us will put you in the homes of everyone in Canby and Aurora.
ADMINISTRATION
Matthew Nelson, Publisher Catrina Nelson, CFO
Tara Weidman, Executive Assistant
Donovan Darling, Content Manager
PRODUCTION
Jeremy Okai Davis, Art Director
Stacy Benner, Sr. Graphic Designer
Hilary Berg, Sr. Graphic Designer
Holly Darling, Sr. Graphic Designer
Brittany Jungenberg, Sr. Graphic Designer
Shawn Schmidt, Sr. Graphic Designer
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Tyler Francke Dennis McNabb
David Bates Robert Matsumura
Patti Jo Brooks Olive Gallagher
Angie Helvey Sherry Dorn
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Carly Carpenter Kara Langley
Laurel Bice Hayley Starkey
Malaina Kinne Angie Helvey
Brittney Waterman Henry Schifter
Andrew Sambuceto Tyler Francke
ADVERTISING SPECIALISTS
Don Ormsby Bill Kistler
Stephanie Baker Jim Belan
Peggy Jacobs David Long
Chris O’Brien John Zobrist
Brad Marti Shelley Zeman
Tina Toney Darren Dwyer
Ashley Berotte Mary Kay Wiens
Looking to reach local consumers?
We specialize in direct mail products: community magazine advertising, mailing inserts, postcards and more. For more information, call 503.825.2111 or email info@ActiveMediaUSA.com
CHECK US OUT ONLINE AT CommunityAdvantageMagazines.com
FARM FOCUS: TMK Creamery
STAR STUDENTS: Canby Unified Basketball
MEAT THE VETERAN: Scott Anderson
ARTS & CULTURE: Blake Sakamoto
RECIPE: IRISH SODA BREAD
OREGON HISTORY: Wolfer’s Prairie
Kirthana
her death early so she
leaks news
experience the wonderful things people will say about her — a decision that horrifies her children and does not go as well as she had hoped. This is a novel of secrets, love and the infinitely complicated ways we create our legacies.
DONNA ELLISON
Broker, Licensed in Oregon 503-380-5706
donna@ellisonteamhomes.com
Ellison
Kayla DeShazer has lit a spark in small businesses’ social media presence. As the founder and owner of Spark Social Media LLC, she’s been able to build up profiles, showcasing each customer’s talents, and cross promote her customers across the social media landscape.
HANNAH ELLISON
Broker, Licensed in Oregon 503-841-8162
hannah@ellisonteamhomes.com
Kayla and her husband, Jacob, grew up in Canby. They found it a great place to stay and raise their four children. She enjoys being involved with her community and is a current member of both the Canby Rebels Softball Board and the Canby Arts Association. Spark Social Media is also a part of the Canby Chamber of Commerce, and also sponsors a softball team and a race car for Yeah Dude Racing!
With all the knowledge she has learned over the years, she can create a unique and well-rounded social media presence for your business by using an organic approach to growing your social media portfolio. She understands your business is very important to you, and she will bring to you a very important and personal experience.
LIZ BALDERSTON
Broker, Licensed in OR & WA 503-310-2672
liz@ellisonteamhomes.com
Kayla takes an organic approach to growing social media accounts with daily interaction, informative posts, and never paying for likes or follows. You may have seen her work on social media accounts in Canby, such as The Book Nook, B’s Bake Shoppe, Wayward Sandwiches, Siren Song and Ellison Team Homes. She also has a diversified portfolio that includes documenting events like the Clackamas County Fair & Rodeo, and capturing scenes for Lady Hill Winery.
with us, call 503.825.2111
At
Team Homes, we work really hard to partner with our clients in the purchase and sale of real estate, and, in order to do this, we rely on a few key business partners. Meet Kayla DeShazer, owner of Spark Social Media and an invaluable asset, friend and partner. She literally brings a “spark” to what she does, managing our social media and many other local Canby businesses.
As we begin the third month of the New Year, I must ask: Anyone else had a rough start? Is the moon in retrograde or something? Working with so many clients each month, I hear all the ups and downs. For one reason or another, 2023 has been a tad bit of a struggle for a lot of people. Maybe this isn’t you, and this has been YOUR year so far, and that’s amazing! But if you’ve been feeling off, you’re not alone.
The saying “You can’t pour from an empty cup” is so true. We try though don’t we. We end up getting overtired, stressed, and making bad decisions just trying to cope, all while keeping on “pouring.”
As a spa owner, working esthetician, and mom of five boys all under 12 — with our sixth boy due soon — I get being busy, exhausted, and overworked. I’ll admit, I’m guilty of leaning on unhealthy habits just trying to cope — to do life! But I have found a way through skincare to take care of myself in small ways that add up, leading to a full cup so I can take care of everyone else.
For me and my clients, skincare is our thing. We love to use it. We splurge on it. And we see the results. Going to be honest here: Before getting pregnant with our sixth baby, I realized I had been relying on a glass of wine a little too much to unwind. Since I do not drink while pregnant, I had to figure out a new healthier way to relax, or it was going to be a very long pregnancy.
I love skincare, like I said, but I decided to get very intentional with it. At the spa, we brought in a new luxury skincare line from Switzerland called Valmont — I’ll do another article on this amazing line soon. I knew I needed to take care of me and what a better way than with new luxurious skincare to use.
So my cleansing routine was my time — no wine needed. I got a cute headband and a new robe from Amazon. I asked to be alone, played music, and did my double cleansing routine and my new skincare. I got these disposable washcloths (cleanskinclub.com), making the experience even more special. I did every step of my skincare routine with purpose. Telling myself, “I deserve it. I can do this. I’m so proud of myself for...” or whatever else I needed to hear. Spoiler alert! It worked.
I created a routine where I taught myself to appreciate me and purposely choose to relax during that time and give myself an invisible pat on the back. Now while this might seem silly to you, the time I take to be alone to wash my face and do my skincare routine is coveted now. I learned to fill my cup fast and in a healthy way.
During each new conversation with clients at the spa about why they were there for their facial, I remind them that skincare IS self-care and such a great healthy way to care for your wellbeing and skin. It goes the same for throughout the day. For example, I helped one client get the new Valmont hand cream to apply when she was feeling stressed as a way to remember to slow down and be in the moment. For another client, the hydration mist was a great pick-me-up throughout the day. If we look good, we feel better and can do better! That’s what also happened with me. I was so intentional with my skincare routine — using new products, too — my skin got even better! So I learned to relax in a healthy way, take time for me, and ended up feeling better as well because my complexion was glowing.
So if you are feeling overwhelmed like I was or like so many of my clients are, I encourage you to find a special way to take care of you. And if all else fails, get a 90-minute facial here at Divine Complexions.
Exercise should be consistent through all 12 months of the year. January and February are where I see the largest amount of usage here at ClubFit, with summertime decreasing in usage and then a slow increase again in the fall months. So what is this pattern all about?
The reality of this phenomenon could be avoided if each new participant understands that health and fitness must be incorporated into daily life. Don’t treat it like a chore or set quick-fix goals through unrealistic diets that prove to be more
detrimental than simply aiming for small gains. Here are a few tips to keeping exercise consistent.
1 Take the Time to Develop a Routine. Give yourself two months of consistent regime to change your “wish” to a routine that can be achieved every day. It must be just as important as everything else.
2 Set a Goal Number of Workouts Per Month and Change Workout Styles. Start with 10 to 12 workouts per month, and always aim to change workout regime, such as stretching, cardio, strength training, and limited high-intensity workouts.
3 Increase Step Count Per Day
Up to 10,000 or more. Stepping equates to goal setting for the new you
and physical activity, which equals better overall health. Use a fitness tracker. Seeing your results on your phone is a great motivator.
4 Avoid Crash Diets. Crash diets are one of the most unrealistic goals one could attempt. Start with reducing simple carbs and sugar; then watch the effects on your body.
5 Stay Hydrated and Eat Your Greens. Staying hydrated and eating healthy vegetables will help increase metabolism, create more energy and stimulate fat loss.
Clip-on (screw back) earrings came into fashion in the late 1800s when piercing was considered unrefined and yet the swooping hair updo’s begged to be enhanced by shiny earrings. They gained popularity with the masses as modern manufacturing brought a variety of inexpensive styles of costume jewelry to market. Then, in the 1960s, the backlash culture of not being like previous generations brought back the popularity of piercing and clip-on earrings went out of style.
The reasons for wearing clip-on earrings over pierced still apply though. Perhaps you want a heavy earring without having your pierced hole stretching. Perhaps you’re not into piercing for whatever reason.
Perhaps you just want to wear a retro style earring from the 40’s or 50’s. And just maybe, the dress-up box needs some bling. Whatever your reason - we have a large collection of vintage/retro clip-on and screw back earrings for your enjoyment. Prices range from a dress-up box affordable $3 to blingy-rhinestone around $20. Come on by and see our selection.
Canby resident Scott Anderson grew up dreaming of following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Donald Anderson, a World War II Army hero and member of the famed 41st Infantry Division: “The Jungleers.”
In 1996, he got his chance. Scott enlisted in the U.S. Army at age 17 after graduating from Canby High School. At the time, he felt he “wasn’t mature enough” for college to be a good investment. “I guess I was mature enough to realize I wasn’t mature enough,” Scott says with a laugh.
Though he wanted to be a medic, his initial assignment after basic training was that of a military police officer in South Korea. After five years, he was discharged from active duty, enrolled in college and joined the Oregon Army National Guard in July 2001. A few months later, everything would change with the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.
Instead of classes beginning Oct. 1, as he had initially planned, Scott reported back for active duty. He was assigned to the 82nd Airborne Division at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and told he would soon be deploying to Afghanistan. Scott’s first tour in the country was as a flight medic for a helicopter medical evacuation (medevac) crew, which had long been his goal.
“Our job was to make sure folks got home,” he says. “I think people in the military feel the call to serve. It’s like how ministers feel the call to serve; I think those of us who serve in the military feel the same thing.”
One thing he had not anticipated was the number of children he and his crew would transport with devastating and life-altering injuries, with them either having been wounded in fighting or, more commonly, from accidental landmine blasts — Afghanistan is one of the most heavily mined countries in the world, with an estimated one unaccounted-for landmine for every three people.
Tragically, the hospitals soon became de facto orphanages, with the families of many children lost or unable to collect them due to poverty. But it was there that Scott would discover another calling: magic.
“Just imagine being eight years old and you wake up in a hospital full of tubes, hooked up to a giant machine you’ve never seen in your life; you’re in pain and no one speaks your language. How scary is that for a kid?” Scott says. “Magic was just something I could do to help give them a smile.
Scott would later become a Black Hawk medevac helicopter pilot, a position he would serve 14 of his 22 years in the Armed Forces, including service overseas in Iraq and on numerous missions stateside. He also continued to hone his magic skills, going on to perform around the world and for millions of TV viewers on shows like “America’s Got Talent” and “The Go Big Show.”
Scott is a financial advisor and lives in Canby with wife Stephanie and three children. Their oldest, Anthony, is following in his father and greatgrandfather’s footsteps in the U.S. Army, completing basic training during the summer between his junior and senior years at Canby High.
“I wouldn’t trade it for anything,” Scott says of his service. “For me, it was the absolute best possible thing I could have done at the time. I went in at 17, came out as an officer and pilot in command of a Black Hawk helicopter. It provided the maturity and discipline I lacked, and it has opened so many doors for me.”
This classic Irish soda bread is perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but you’ll want to make it all year long.
4 cups all-purpose flour
½ cup butter, softened
4 tablespoons white sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 cup buttermilk
1 egg
¼ cup butter, melted
¼ cup buttermilk
Optional: Currants or raisins
1. Preheat the oven to 375°F. Lightly grease a large baking sheet.
2. Mix flour, softened butter, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, and salt together in a large bowl. Stir in 1 cup of buttermilk and egg. Add currants or raisins if desired. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead slightly. Form dough into a round and place on the prepared baking sheet.
3. Combine melted butter with 1/4 cup buttermilk in a small bowl; brush loaf with this mixture. Use a sharp knife to cut an ‘X’ into the top of the loaf.
4. Bake in preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center of the loaf comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes. Check for doneness after 30 minutes. You may continue to brush the loaf with the butter mixture while it bakes.
Top with butter or honey butter.
Decorate a Native Bee House and Start Your Own Mason Bee Colony
March 11, 1 to 2 pm • Class fee: $50 • Ages 6 and up
Learn all about native bees, and decorate mason bee houses. You’ll get to take home mason bee cocoons to start your own colony, seed packets to plant native flowers and a poster with different native bees in Oregon.
Kids Acrylic Painting Class
Mountain Sunset
March 11, 4 to 6 pm • Class fee: $30 • Ages 8 and Up
Join Angela Hawes in painting “Mountain Sunset.” No experience necessary as this is a step-by-step class. Included: paints, 8-by-10 canvas, aprons. Please remember to DRESS FOR A MESS.
Acrylic Pouring Workshop
$20 Crochet Kit
Doris the Dragon
Embark on an adventure with Doris. Together with Syl Draak, they form a fantastic duo! This package includes a pattern, high-quality 100% cotton yarn and all haberdashery needed (excluding crochet hook). Doris measures about 18 cm tall and is made with a 2.5 mm crochet hook.
$20 Quilled Creations
Flowers & Friends Quilling Kit
This kit contains all the necessary tools for you to complete your very own paper quilling springtime masterpiece.
$15 WindowArt Sun Catcher
Open windows of creative opportunity with this DIY wonder. Unleash your toddler’s creativity and discover the excitement of today’s most engaging arts and crafts kits with this all-inclusive kit from Creative Kids!
Easter Themed
March 12, 1 to 3 pm • Class fee: $55
Ages: 10 and Up
Learn the art and science of fluid pouring from Sheryl Masek with Cerebral Artworks. Take home a 10-inch bunny, 8-inch carrot, two 4.5-inch wooden eggs. All materials are provided. DRESS FOR A MESS.
Beginner’s Macrame Workshop
Rainbow Charm
March 18, 11 am to 1 pm
Class fee: $45 • Ages: 10 and up
Create your own rainbow charm perfect to hang in your car, office, or home. Wooden beads work as essential oil diffusers. Finished product measures approximately 4.5 by 5.5. All items included in class.
Playful Penguin
March 18 & April 1, 3 to 5 pm • Class fee: $110 • Ages: 16 and up
Beginner-friendly workshop. This unique, relaxing fiber art, aka needle-felting or soft sculpture, transforms colorful sheep’s wool into 3D sculptures using a special sharp barbed needle. All materials included plus a surprise.
Aspen Meadow Trail
March 25, 1 to 4 pm, • Class fee: $55 • Ages: 10 and Up
Art-O-Maddic artist Vona Adams-Lawrence will guide you in creating an impasto-style painting called “Aspen Meadow Trail.” Included is 11-by-14 canvas, paints and tools. Please bring an apron.
To date, The Canby Center has raised more than $7 million for the project — nearly 90% of its total campaign goal of $8 million. Steve says the Center receives generous support from a diverse network of churches, businesses, organizations, and individual donors.
By Tyler Francke, Contributing Writer
The Canby Center, a faith-based, service-oriented nonprofit serving local youth and families, has launched a 90-day, $800,000 fundraising campaign that will allow the organization to complete the most significant expansion in its history and enable them to serve the growing needs in Canby — now and for decades to come.
This campaign will make it possible to renovate and more than triple the Center’s existing space on southwest Second Avenue, adding 11,000 square feet for food distribution, classrooms, a job center, offices, and more. It will also open the door to expanding its highly successful Thriving Together program, launching a new youth-mentoring program and deepening partnerships with other organizations that are also serving the Canby community.
“This campaign really is about so much more than raising a building,” Steve Nelson, Development Director for The Canby Center, explains. “The long-term impact that we are expecting to make has to do with alleviating poverty in Canby, and this new facility is going to allow us to do a much bigger and better job of that in our community.”
Significant grant support, including a $600,000 award from the M.J. Murdock Charitable trust and a $1.125M grant from the State of Oregon, has created major momentum towards seeing the campaign goal met. However, the majority of contributors to The Canby Center’s campaign — more than 60% — has come from individual donors.
Still, the majority of contributions to The Canby Center’s capital campaign — more than 60% — has come from individual donors.
“These are folks who have compassion for our community, they love what we are doing, and they want to support it,” Steve says. “I think it shows that we are making a difference here, and those who see that want to help. And they know that their dollars are well-stewarded here. We make the most of the gifts that are given, and they have an immediate impact in our community.”
This final, public phase of the campaign will involve broadly sharing the Center’s vision for the building expansion and the positive impact it will make on the community in the coming decades, Steve says. They also hope to use the campaign as a springboard to bring their model of empowering, dignityrestoring poverty alleviation to other communities.
“We’re so excited to be on the home stretch of fundraising for this new building that’s going to expand our reach in the community,” Steve says. “In order to do that and do it well, we know that we need all of our community to be involved and participating in any way they can, [such as] donating, volunteering or connecting with The Canby Center in other ways.”
To learn more about The Canby Center’s planned expansion and capital campaign, visit thecanbycenter.org/building.
With the screenplay written by powerhouse Nick Hornby (Fever Pitch, About A Boy) and based on the novel by Colm Tóibín, this rich historical drama/ romance is set in 1950s Brooklyn, where an Irish immigrant woman lands and quickly falls in love with a local New Yorker. Her complicated past catches up with her (as it always does), and she is forced to choose between the lives she has built within Ireland and America. Featuring stunning performances from Saoirse Ronan and Emory Cohen, this emotional love-story will pull you into another world for a solid 2 hours. Rated PG-13 for mature content.
Out of long-ago 1959, this Technicolor (full color!) Disney movie is a rare gem set in a small Irish village. Darby O’Gill (Albert Sharpe) is fired as caretaker of his leased farm and he refuses to tell his daughter Katie (Janet Munro), especially when he’s been replaced by a brawny younger man, played by Sean Connery. On his way home from the pub, Darby falls into a portal to a secret land of the little people (leprechauns). He meets the leprechaun king, Brian (Jimmy O’Dea), and accidentally brings him home. As Darby has trapped him (that’s the trick), he demands that Brian grant him three wishes, bringing Darby bittersweet and surprising results. Funny, sweet, and surprisingly thoughtful, this is great for the whole family. Rated G.
We love an Irish country drama and this is exactly that. This stars the queen of the silver screen herself, Meryl Streep, who plays the oldest of five sisters living together in a quaint house in Ireland in 1936. Kate (Streep) is the only sister with a job, and she does her best to wrangle her sisters’ battling personalities. All unmarried and Christina’s (Catherine McCormack) young boy Michael living with them, the household is a balanced chaos. That is until their foolish brother Jack (Michael Gambon) shows up, followed by Michael’s father Gerry (Rhys Ifans). A stellar cast, atmospheric drama, and gorgeous Irish scenery, this is a fantastic movie flying under the radar. Rated PG for mature themes, so treat it like a light PG-13.
This critically-acclaimed, hand-drawn fantasy was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, and also is the second movie from Secret of Kells director Tomm Moore and animation studio Cartoon Saloon. Featuring the voice of Brendan Gleeson (Mad Eye Moody from Harry Potter) among others, this follows an Irish boy (David Rawle) who discovers that his mute sister is a selkie (seal folk) and that she needs to find her voice and release supernatural creatures from a Celtic goddess’s magic spell (Fionnula Flanagan). Steeped in Celtic folklore and myth, narrative depth, and visual beauty, it boldly deals with sorrow and loss with masterful grace and whimsy. A must watch for families. Rated PG.
Stream these movies where available, or rent from your local movie store, library, or rental kiosk.
Photos by Andrew Sambuceto Photography
Nuevo Vallarta Mexican Restaurant in Canby has been a mainstay of the community for many years. Whether you dine in or take out, you’ll appreciate the same high-quality, authentic-tasting Mexican dishes that stem from traditional recipes. Deemed “a labor of love,” these meals are prepared with the utmost care using only the freshest ingredients, meats, and produce. Add to that a full bar serving up Cadillac Margaritas and house-made Red Wine Sangria, along with great service and friendly staff. At Nuevo Vallarta, you’ll feel like a part of the family!
Open 7 days a week from 11 am to 9 pm Sunday-Thursday and 10 pm Friday & Saturday, Nuevo Vallarta treats you to an extensive made-to-order menu of all the favorites–chicken, steak, pork, seafood, soups, salads and more. “A very popular dish,” says restaurant manager, Luis Robles, “is Camarones Vallarta, which is deep-fried shrimp wrapped in bacon and served with rice and beans.” He also notes that Carne Asada is
another top seller–always sourced from quality beef, it’s another excellent choice. And taking care of customers is a priority for Nuevo Vallarta. Your friendly wait staff is ready to assist with your questions or dietary concerns regarding any of the dishes. Every effort will be made to address each customer’s specific needs. Vegetarian/vegan dishes as well as gluten-free alternatives are standard considerations.
Whether you grab a quick lunch or take time to leisurely dine with the whole family, your meal at Nuevo Vallarta is always fresh and fast. The chefs make sure the food stays consistent and that the customers are happy with their meals. “The way we approach things, we’ll get you what you want,” Luis relates. “We’ll do that for you.” Keeping their customers happy has been a great success. A base of repeat clients has developed over the years, and these loyal patrons helped carry the restaurant through the height of COVID. Ordering take-out or dining in when protocol allowed, these regulars rallied to support their favorite neighborhood Mexican restaurant.
Nuevo Vallarta is owned by three brothers of the Robles family who immigrated from Mexico a generation ago. Rigoberto, Luis Robles’ father, came to the States at a young age. He took on a number of jobs until landing at a Seattle restaurant, where he worked his way up in the business from washing dishes to a restaurant manager. Rigoberto’s two brothers, Marcelino and Ismael, followed him to the States a few years later.
Rigoberto helped his brothers get restaurant work, and they too learned the business. In 1994, Rigoberto and his brothers moved to Oregon to start their own restaurant. In 1996, they opened Puerto Vallarta, their first restaurant in the Canby area. Their current restaurant, Nuevo Vallarta, opened in Canby in 2001. Luis, who began working with his dad at age 14, has been a fixture in the Canby restaurants for 17 years, and a manager at Nuevo Vallarta for the last 10 years. Luis loves working with his uncles, Marcelino and Ismael, who together take great care and pride in their work as Nuevo Vallarta’s owners and chefs.
Supported by a small local staff of family and friends (about 15 in all), many have worked for the Robles brothers for years. The close-knit group of long-time employees and devout clientele has created its own family culture within the restaurant setting.
Spanning across three generations now, the Robles family legacy has been a part of the Canby community for so many years. A unique feature of Nuevo Vallarta is the Party Room in the back of the restaurant. “I’ve seen a lot of birthday parties here,” Luis remarks. “I’ve seen people bring their kids in car seats and come back when they’re turning 15 or 16.” Nuevo Vallarta is always willing to reciprocate in this long-standing relationship with the community. They support local church and school events through donating gift certificates, and participate in fundraisers that benefit the retirement homes in the area. “We help out where we can,” says Luis. “We feel very much a part of Canby.”
“We aim to become the number one choice in Mexican food in Canby!” Visit Nuevo Vallarta at 1385 SE 1st Ave. in Canby. Phone (503)266-1782 or visit their website, nuevovallartacanby.com.
Is it south-facing or north-facing? Knowing where the sun hits the ground will help you decide what to grow where. It’s also worth knowing what soil type you have. Take a look at what’s growing. Doing a soil test will also help you know your soil, and therefore what plants you can grow.
Plan what to grow where, rather than getting carried away at the garden center and ending up with too many random plants that neither look good together nor suit your growing conditions. Planning also enables you to use color and structure wisely, which will help you create a garden that looks great throughout the year.
Proper planting will ensure good growth and longevity. Make sure you weed and prepare the soil before planting, and add mulch or fertilizer where necessary. If you’re unsure how to plant something, look online for instructions or check the nursery tag.
Proper watering is the difference between life and death. As a general rule, water the root ball rather than the leaves, as the roots absorb the water. Soaking the root ball every week is better than watering a little bit every day. Feeding is also important. Generally you should feed every two weeks during spring and summer, and feed more if growing in containers.
Most garden pests don’t do much harm and can be left alone, as there are plenty of natural predators that will keep them in check. However, sometimes pests can become an infestation and you need to act. Keeping an eye out for pests in excess like aphids, slugs and snails will help keep your plants safe and save you a lot of heartache.
Composting kitchen and garden waste is good for the environment, wildlife, your wallet, and also your garden. Let the waste break down (usually for months) and then use it when planting or as a mulch around the base of plants in your garden and veg patch. There are also many ways to compost, so look online for ideas that work for you.
You may see wildlife as the enemy to gardening. But wildlife can be useful in the garden, too. Birds eat a variety of garden pests like slugs and snails, aphids and caterpillars. Bees pollinate our food crops. Creating habitats for them and learning to share your garden with them is the key to enjoying your space.
info from gardenersworld.com
Irish culture–a blend of folklore, superstition, and Catholic beliefs–is known for their lucky symbols like shamrocks, leprechauns, and horseshoes. But the phrase ‘the luck of the Irish’ wasn’t actually about good luck–originally it was bad luck! This was due, according to Elizabeth Stack, Executive Director of the Irish American Heritage Museum, to the high fatalities of Irish laborers during the gold rush. A big reason for these modern lucky symbols is due to Irish immigration into the U.S., as the Irish brought symbols of their culture as a means of comfort in a strange new land. And of course, like storytelling, the symbols changed over time. These days, the luck of the Irish is legendary and their symbols are popular worldwide.
You may not know this (I didn’t!), but shamrocks are not the same as four-leaf clovers. Shamrocks actually have three leaves, grow in clumps, and come in green, purple, or white. Whereas clovers grow alone, usually do not have four leaves, and thus four leaf-leaf clovers (as we know) are extremely rare. The shamrock is the true Irish symbol of luck, as St. Patrick used the shamrock, which has three leaves, to describe the Holy Trinity. Yet, for some reason, perhaps due to its rarity, the four-leaf clover took over as the more popular symbol.
The leprechaun, which we know from pop culture, may be rooted in the Irish belief of fairies, who supposedly live among us but stay hidden with magic. Interestingly, the leprechaun is believed to be one class of fairy among many, not a stand-alone magical creature. The leprechaun, of course, is a widely recognizable symbol, known as the mascot of Notre Dame Fighting Irish and Lucky Charms, but especially known are the potential rewards of finding a leprechaun and getting a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. So much so that there are countless designs for kids’ leprechaun traps online, but they are more for fun and celebration than catching the real magical creature.
Horseshoes are definitive in Irish culture for many reasons. In folklore, the devil appears at a blacksmith and demands shoes, so the blacksmith nails burning hot shoes to his hooves. The devil walks away in pain and swears to keep away from them forever, thus the idea of horseshoes warding off evil spirits. Additionally, early Western Europeans believed iron was magical and could drive away evil, such as malevolent fairies and witches–which is why witches ride broomsticks, not horses. Then there’s the number of holes in horseshoes, seven, known worldwide as lucky: seven continents, seven colors in the rainbow, seven seas, seven days of the week. And there are 2 ways you can hang a horseshoe for good luck. Hanging a horseshoe heels up (like a U) keeps the good luck from running out of the shoe and inside the building. And hanging a horseshoe heels down allows good luck to flow down on everyone who walks underneath it. Sometimes people would even bury a horseshoe under the cornerstone of a new building for good luck.
Average days on market: 56 (up from 95 in January)
Amount of active inventory: 38 (down from 32 in January)
Homes with a price reduction: 45% (up from 59% in January)
Median rent for 97013: $2395
Sarah Chapin 503.997.0133
Nicole Delozier 503.475.0865
Cindy McGraw 503.310.2840
Tax Lot 301 - 20 acres $349,000 SOLD
Easement from Fellows Rd. to access. Timber template feasibility in at County. Great building site w/ mtn. views.
RMLS # 22109565
Tax Lot 303 - 20 acres $299,000. SOLD
Easement from Fellows Rd. to access. Timber template feasibility in at County. Heavier natural vegetation. Area to build has not been cleared.
RMLS #22357726
Tax Lots 402/302 PENDING
(one legal lot of record) $445,000 17.73 acres and 2.31 acres, 302 sits on Fellows Rd. Property has older MFH, septic, well and power. Harvestable cedar behind MFH with tax lot 402 behind (sloped).
RMLS # 22610027
It takes more than LUCK to buy or sell your home in this market. Let our team help you navigate the process and get you into a home that is your pot o’ gold!
At TMK Creamery, it all comes back to the cows. That’s how it started, more than 30 years ago, and that’s how it continues to this day.
In the beginning, there was only one cow: a registered Holstein heifer named Jess, and her owner, a then-12-year-old named Todd Koch (pronounced “Cook”). “TMK Creamery started as my 4-H project when I was 12 years old,” Todd says. (The name comes from his own initials.) “It ended up being a dairy farm that my family and siblings all got involved with.”
When the creamery that the Kochs’ dairy farm had supplied for 23 years went out of business in 2016, the family decided to cut out the middleman and start their own creamery, producing awardwinning cheeses, cheese curds and ice cream along the way. This creative, “can-do” attitude, deeply embedded in the TMK DNA from its onset, has enabled the family-run farm and agritourism operation to survive, adapt, and even thrive over the years. It was also in no small way responsible for TMK’s most eyebrow-raising venture to date: last year’s launch of the nation’s first fully on-site farmstead distillery, producing vodka distilled from leftover whey from the cheesemaking process.
Turning sugar into alcohol is a relatively simple chemical process if you don’t particularly care what the end result tastes like, but that’s not the way the Kochs do things. Instead, they spent two years designing and engineering their own vodka, dubbed “Cowcohol,” eventually building their own onsite still and developing a unique heat exchange method to keep the protein-rich liquid from scorching during production. The end result: a well-received, top-shelf “sipping vodka” that Mashed.com declared one of the world’s 30 best last year.
“Although there’s no doubt that many people bought Cowcohol because of its unconventional ingredients, it’s no exaggeration to say that vodka enthusiasts will fall in love at first taste,” food and beverage writer Elizabeth Lavis wrote. “Cowcohol might be a little odd, but it’s got all of the flavors of your traditional high-end vodka, plus a beautiful satiny finish that will make you believe in moo-ricles.”
While TMK was certainly interested in making a great product — and finding a way to add value to what would otherwise have been a wasted byproduct in
the whey — Cowcohol also fit into the farm’s overall mission of education and agritourism, as Todd’s wife, Tessa, explains.
“We’re getting more people out at TMK to understand where your food and beverages come from,” she says. “Besides being a high-quality vodka, it comes with a great story of Todd and his siblings, who are first-generation dairy farmers, which is just unheard of in this day and age because of the infrastructure and the resources you need to build a dairy farm. With Cowcohol, you reach a whole other demographic and area of interest that you may not reach with cheese and ice cream. And that’s exactly what TMK wants to do: try to reach every demographic and get people interested in where your food comes from.”
Of course, at TMK, “educational” has never been synonymous with “boring.” Led by Tessa, the resident marketing guru, TMK has spent years making it fun to be at the farm, with one of the region’s best taprooms and unique events scheduled throughout the year.
On weekends, visitors enjoy live music, drinks, food carts — including TMK’s own, serving up grilled cheese, burgers and more made with their own cheese and beef — and the unique country atmosphere on the 30-acre farm on Dryland Road
south of Canby. Special events include Friday night “Milking with Marc” events, which give guests the chance to learn about the dairy operation and meet TMK’s “cowlebrities.”
“We just love investing in TMK’s hometown of Canby, and we love it when people can come out to the farm,” Tessa says. “Our barns are always open to the public. We have our food truck, we have ice cream, we have cocktails made from our Cowcohol. We just love for kids, families and everyone to come out and enjoy themselves. That’s what TMK was put here to do.”
As much as TMK has changed and grown over the years since that fateful 4-H project, one thing has stayed the same. “Really, when it all boils down, it all comes back to the cowlebrities,” Todd says. “She has to be comfortable, and she has to be living her best life to make a quality product all the way through, whether that be milk, cheese, ice cream or even alcohol. And we want that to always come through when we’re having conversations with the end consumer and promoting ag. Because, for us, it’s the cow. She’s really the hero of what we do.” TMK Creamery is open from 4 to 7 p.m. on Fridays and 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, and is located at 27221 South Dryland Road in Canby. For more information, visit them at tmkcreamery.org or follow them on Facebook and Instagram.
We LOVE sharing delicious food made with TMK cheeses, TMK all-angus beef, and fresh local ingredients!
The food truck is open on Saturdays and Sundays from 11am to 4pm. Visit the cowlebrities, enjoy fresh soft serve ice cream and more!
“As soon as he mentioned it, I was excited to be a part of such a great program,” J.D. said. “With the full support of CHS and its resources, we set out to get this program started. Inclusivity is something we are always working towards at CHS. Unified Sports felt like just one step in that direction.”
The Special Olympics-inspired program teams up high school students with intellectual disabilities, known as the “Athletes,” with nonintellectually disabled students, called “Partners.”
First, J.D. went to special education teachers Jenn Chaffee and Katie Brown about what the program entailed and discussed how to get things
By Tyler Francke, Contributing Writer & PhotographerThe ai r was electric, and the stands in the main gymnasium of Canby High School were packed. Fans wore Cougar jerseys, carried homemade signs, and screamed their heads off at every basket, while the Canby High School cheer team exhibited their best routines. The gym crackled with the atmosphere of a big, important game — maybe even the playoffs.
But it wasn’t the Canby Cougar men’s or women’s varsity basketball teams on the court that afternoon in mid-January. Instead, this was the first-ever game for Canby’s new Unified Basketball squad, a special program giving athletes with intellectual disabilities the opportunity to experience the joy and camaraderie of high school athletics.
“I could not have asked for a better result from our first Unified Basketball game at Canby High School,” says Activities Director and Leadership Adviser J.D. Bellum, who also serves as the team’s coach. “Students, staff, and community members all showed up and showed support for the team. It was also amazing to talk to people after the game. Everyone enjoyed seeing such positive, uplifting moments taking place on the court.”
Unified Basketball is a partnership between the OSAA and Oregon Special Olympics. Worldwide, more than 1.4 million people take part in Unified Sports, with ESPN serving as a global presenting sponsor since 2013. But the idea to bring it to Canby initially came from Athletic Director Ben Winegar.
started. “Being a non-SPED teacher, I knew I needed help recruiting players for the team, and I needed help working with students with special needs,” J.D. explained. “Together, we helped to identify those students that would qualify for the team as Athletes.”
For the Partners, J.D. turned his eye closer to home, toward his own students in the Canby High School leadership program. “I knew those students had the maturity necessary to help create this team,” he said.
The team practices during a fifth-period physical education class headed by J.D. and P.E. teacher and head baseball coach J.J. Stolsig. “All in all, our time together as a team has been nothing but fun,” J.D. said. “Our practices are fast-paced and exciting. I see lots of smiles on our Athletes’ faces every day. It’s something I’m very proud to be a part of. Working with the team really is the highlight of my day.”
J.D. was grateful to Canby’s special education department, which has helped get the Athletes ready for
the program, and Ben Winegar, who has done the lion’s share of coordinating the team’s four-game schedule against other schools. But he’s been especially proud of the Partner athletes who are participating in this year’s program.
“They have handled things with such maturity, and humility, it’s really humbling to watch,” J.D. said. “The Partners know that Unified
Basketball is about the Athletes and they do everything in their power to help lift up and support those Athletes. You can tell that our Partners really care about our Athletes.”
As for J.D. himself, he believes the experience will be just as unforgettable for him as it is for the Athletes. “This is definitely an experience I’m going to remember for the rest of my life,” he said. “I’ve never seen such joy and excitement. I’ve been amazed at the way our Athletes have improved each day, and I’m always impressed at the positive energy our Athletes bring to practice. We have fun every day!”
Canby’s unified team currently boasts 25 students, which include 15 Athletes and 10 Partners. At Unified
Basketball games, three Athletes will take the floor along with two of their Partner teammates. Outside of that, it’s a regular Canby High basketball game at the Main Gymnasium, with officials, scorekeeping, cheerleaders, fans in the stands — the works. That’s exactly the environment that came together on January 17, when Canby Unified Basketball held its first match against another Unified team from West Linn.
“Overall, I think the Athletes had fun during their first game,” J.D. said. “They loved seeing everyone there to cheer them on. Regardless of the score, they just loved being a part of the high school sports scene.”
For more information about Unified Sports, visit the website at specialolympics.org.
By Dennis McNabb, Contributing Writer
The coolest man with the coolest hair to ever rock the keys from the Pacific Northwest!
Mr. Congeniality himself, Blake Sakamoto of Dan Reed Network (DRN) fame, is one of the most affable guys you could ever meet. Warm, friendly, and incredibly down to earth, he is a human being first—a genuine family man—and an amazingly talented, world-renowned musician second. Born and raised here in Oregon, he is a local boy who made it big, who played on the world’s stage, and who continues to rock venues across the region with his own band to this day!
Ironically, Blake wanted to play guitar!
When he was 7 or 8 years old, his parents insisted that he learn to play the piano–that’s what all of the parents were doing at the time.
But young Blake envisioned himself slinging the six-stringed ax and playing the music he heard on the radio! It wasn’t until years later that he learned to appreciate the kind of versatility and unique expression the keyboard offered. And of course, it was his virtuosity and mastery of the instrument, not to mention his great personality, which brought him fame. He honed his chops playing in a variety of bands throughout high school, but they weren’t your typical “high school bands.” They were good! There were some extraordinarily talented players around Portland during that time–many who went on to make it big–and Blake was a peer. When one of them asked Blake to move to L.A. to join his band, he took the plunge!
Over time the band put some things together and were on the verge of getting signed, when Dan Reed called. Dan already had a record deal and was based out of Portland, Blake’s hometown. The opportunity was too good to pass up, and the rest, as they say, is history.
Blake played with the DRN from 1987 through 1993–their most prolific and successful period–at which point the band went on hiatus. Following that, he played intermittently with other bands–even forming a band called Slow Rush with DRN drummer Dan Pred for a few years–until the DRN reformed in 2012. They played together for another 3 years until Blake retired from the band in 2015 to spend more time with his family.
These days, Blake can be seen on stage with his current band, The Nu Wavers. The “sexiest of all cover bands” (Blake says with a nod and a wink!), they play creativelycrafted medleys of songs from the ’70s onward; all the best parts of all the best songs, and they are fantastic!
Blake is also a fullylicensed insurance agent–recruited by Country Financial during the pandemic–and spends his free time being a “foodie,” traveling, and attending the theater with his girlfriend Bronwyn—when she’s not performing as a guest vocalist for The Nu Wavers. Follow the band on Facebook to learn of upcoming shows!
Longtime Canby residents may be familiar that before Canby was officially named “Canby,” the town was instead known as Baker Prairie, a name that lives on today in the likes of Baker Prairie Middle School and Baker’s Prairie Bakery.
But very few will know the tale of the neighboring settlement of Wolfer’s Prairie. Though little known, the story of the Wolfer family certainly deserves to be told and remembered. It’s the story of what was once one of the area’s most prominent pioneer families — and one that dovetails with many of the region’s, and even the state’s, most formative events of their early history.
Our story begins with James F. Shirley, a Missourian who, at the age of 30, joined a wagon train bound for the Oregon Territory in 1847. Along the Oregon Trail, he met and married 17-year-old Luvina Mark. They arrived in Oregon City on October 12, 1847, and soon set their sights on a 596.62-acre donation land claim just south of what would become Mark Prairie, today the home of the still-standing historic Mark Prairie Schoolhouse.
A chilling piece of history that would follow both the Mark and Shirley families — as well as Philander and Anna
Lee, whose donation land claim would later be platted as downtown Canby, and others who traveled the Oregon Trail that year — was that their paths crossed with Marcus and Narcissa Whitman, and their doomed ministry to the American Indians of the Cayuse tribe at Waiilatpu, near modern-day Walla Walla.
In November 1847, mere weeks after the Marks, Lees and Shirleys had wound their way through the Blue Mountains in northeastern Oregon, Marcus and Narcissa Whitman and 11 others were killed by the Cayuse in an infamous episode that history would remember as the Whitman Massacre, the Walla Walla Massacre, and the Tragedy at Waiilatpu.
The Cayuse accused Marcus Whitman, a physician, of poisoning some 200 members of their tribe, when in actuality they were probably suffering from measles the doctor had been unable to treat. The incident led directly to the founding of the Oregon Territory in 1848 and the outbreak of the Cayuse War, which would last until 1855.
In 1856, William Keil, founder of the communal religious society in Bethel, Missouri, purchased land and a functioning mill south of Oregon City, renaming it Aurora Colony Mills after his daughter, Aurora. Ten years later, Keil purchased land from James and Luvina Shirley for $3,000, which he began sectioning off in parcels for colony members who did
not want to reside in Aurora and be a part of communal living.
Rudolph Wolfer, his wife Catherine Vogt Wolfer, and their nine children were among the members of the original Bethel Colony who traveled to Oregon in the second wagon train in 1863 to join the Aurora Colony. Keil sent the Wolfers and several other families out to settle the large tract in the Needy area that the colony had purchased from James Shirley.
Due to the large size of the Wolfer clan — which would continue to grow in the years to come — the area would soon come to be known as “Wolfer’s Prairie.” The Wolfers primarily farmed hops and grain in those years, and records show they were always willing to help neighboring farmers with their threshing and in the Zimmerman tannery, which later burned down likely around 1910.
Wolfer Prairie was a region densely grown over with timber, which the family harvested to build their homes. Before the railroad, lumber was expensive in the open prairie, but when the trains started, Cole’s sawmill was built in Aurora. James Shirley was a skilled carpenter and helped build the original log school at Needy.
One of the most prevalent timbers found on the farm was white oak, a naturally rot-resistant and strong species of
lumber, which made it a good choice for outdoor use. White oak has traditionally been used to make railroad ties, fence posts, ships, and whiskey barrels. The last of these trees were most likely harvested on the back portion of the 130-acre property in the 1950s.
Wolfer family lore holds numerous stories of interactions with American Indians, most likely from the Molalla tribe, who would travel on horseback across Bear Creek and across the area farms trading beads, wild game, and animal skins for chickens, potatoes and other vegetables, and fruit. There was an abundance of fruit trees on the farm, including plum, cherry, apple and pear.
Rudolph Wolfer, great-greatgrandfather of Judith (Wolfer) Aus of Canby, quit-claimed his 130 acres to his son, Benjamin J. Wolfer, on October 24, 1888, for the sum of $2,800. Benjamin carried on farming operations, adding fruit trees along with horses and cattle. Benjamin J. Wolfer died on June 14, 1926, from injuries sustained after falling out of a cherry tree, and left the property to his only child, Benjamin “Benny” Rudolph.
Benny Wolfer worked the fields by hand with his workhorses and plows. Soil aeration was usually done using massive spiked rollers pulled by oxen or horses that could weigh more than 1,100 lbs. When he bought his first tractor in 1954, he found old habits die hard. His son, Leonard, who was working in the adjacent berry field, would later recall
that he heard his father shouting, “Whoa, whoa!” along with numerous expletives. Needless to say, the tractor did not respond to Benny’s verbal commands — and plowed straight through the fence anyway.
Benjamin J. and Benny Wolfer were also well-known for raising champion fighting game fowl, strikingly colorful and notably aggressive birds who would occasionally chase the grandchildren if they happened to escape their cages next to the old farmhouse. While illegal in Oregon, the Wolfers found a market for good fighting gamecocks in southeast Asia.
Today, part of the Wolfer Prairie property on Zimmerman Road serves as one of the main research and testing sites for Pure Seed, a global leader in grass seed research, production, marketing, and services based in Canby.
A 15-acre portion was deeded to Benny’s son, Leonard G. Wolfer, and his wife Hazel Swartout Wolfer, on January 9, 1945, for $10. The property had a sheep shed at the front of the property, which Leonard converted into a two-story house with wood floors and no insulation. He established a berry farm with six varieties of berries that was later converted to Christmas trees.
When Leonard George Wolfer passed away on January 22, 2004, his death ended a deep heritage on the same soil — 140 years of Rudolph Wolfer’s ancestors residing on and working the rich soil of Wolfer Prairie.
Difficulty: Easy
© 2020 KrazyDad.com | Reprinted here with permission.
Fill in the blank squares so that each row, each column and each 3-by-3 block contain all of the digits 1 thru 9. Use logic and solve the puzzle without guesswork. For puzzle solving tips, and more puzzles, visit KrazyDad.com.
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