Dallas Community Advantage Magazine December 2022

INSPIRING HOMEOWNERS FOR OVER 30 YEARS

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Small Town Comfort Food

By Angie Helvey, Contributing Writer Photos by Laurel Bice

Agreat Mexican restaurant is essential for every small town, and especially for those of us who love delicious Mexican food. And luckily here in Dallas we are spoiled with the culinary talents of Ixtapa, which serves up small-town comfort food with a Mexican flair.

And that friendly, casual atmosphere is what Jaime Rubio loves most about running Ixtapa Restaurant in the Dallas community. “We know almost everybody, it’s a small town so we get to know all our customers. Most of the regular ones, we know when they come in, what they want to eat, what they want to drink. Our customers are like family,” he says.

Family-owned and operated, Ixtapa has been in business since the 1990s and was purchased by Jaime, his wife Ofelia, and two partners about 11 years ago. Jaime and his family, including two sons, moved from Washington to run the restaurant, and Jaime brought over 30 years of expertise in the industry. Originally from Jalisco, Mexico, he shares recipes from his home and past restaurant experience in Southern California to create tasty, authentic Mexican dishes guaranteed to make your mouth water.

Guests at Ixtapa can relax in this intimate, family-friendly venue either inside the cozy space or on the patio if the weather is nice. Jaime recommends the Carne Asada—a flavorful skirt steak cooked the Ixtapa way–topped with fried onions and

tomato, served with guacamole, tortillas, and rice and beans. The Sizzling Fajitas are also a customer favorite—choose between steak, chicken, pork, shrimp, or a combination of meats marinated in Ixtapa traditional sauce, grilled over a bed of sautéed onions, fresh green peppers, and tomatoes. For a tasty, very authentic Mexican dish, try the Street Tacos. Pair them with a salt-rimmed margarita, and imagine you’re vacationing in Puerto Vallarta!

The menu is loaded with a huge selection of Mexican entreés, homemade with fresh ingredients. They’ve got all the classics: many varieties of burritos, enchiladas, tostadas, dinner combinations, soups, salads, and several vegetarian options. Specials feature Ixtapa-unique dishes such as the Ixtapa Platter—bacon-wrapped shrimp with carne asada served with rice, beans, sour cream, guacamole, and tortillas. Chef Jesus,

who has been with the restaurant for 20 years, does an excellent Molcajete—your choice of steak, chicken, shrimp, or a combo sautéed in a mildly spicy sauce with mushrooms, onions, and tomatoes, topped with melty Monterey jack cheese, and served alongside rice, beans, avocado slices, and tortillas. Smaller portions for little ones and a senior menu are available.

Featuring a full bar, Ixtapa offers a large selection of cocktails, but margaritas are their specialty and Mexican beers are popular, too. Tropical margarita flavors are available including banana, guava, watermelon, kiwi, and passion fruit. Or try a refreshing Shirley Temple with a cherry on top. Stop in at Ixtapa for a hot, authentic Mexican meal with fantastic flavors,

and enjoy the laid-back, small-town ambiance. Don’t forget to check out historic downtown Dallas and get to know this friendly city a little better. Ixtapa is located at 1320 SW Fairview Ave. in Dallas. Check out their menu and order online at ixtaparestaurantdallas.com, or give them a ring at (503) 623-0678.

IS YOUR CAR SICK?

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer Photos by Laurel Bice

Is your car sick? Or maybe just under the weather?

Visit The Car Doctor on Northeast Polk Station Road for a complete check up. The Car Doctor’s state-of-the-art diagnostics, and specialized technicians, team up to cure and maintain your vehicle’s overall health and well-being.

Rick Young, owner of The Car Doctor, “Polk County’s Source for Complete Automotive Repair,” started in the auto business at age 19 washing cars at the Ford dealership in Medford. He attended college on Ford’s behalf, graduating in 2001 with an Associate’s Degree in Applied Science and Automotive Technology. He then began working at the Ford Service Department in Dallas for several years before starting his own car repair business from his gravel driveway in April 2007. Moving locations twice to better serve the growing needs of the community, Rick came full circle, landing back at the old Ford dealership location where he got his start. The Car Doctor (a nickname bestowed by Rick’s nursefriend) is a specialized shop that has “really dialed it in,” where each person has a specialty. “Instead of having everybody do everything, we’ve broken it down to 3 different specialty areas,” Rick explains. A Drivability/ Electronics specialist; 3 Line-techs, good-naturedly called “the fixers,” as they’re “the ones out there fixing the cars”; and a Maintenance specialist, responsible for all fluids, oil changes, transmission services, and more. Techs regularly complete continued education, staying up-to-date on training and the ever-improving technology in vehicles. Completing the team are Service Advisors/Customer Relations specialists, and the Parts Manager, who provides the “best quality parts” at the most reasonable price. Services include digital vehicle inspections and health reports complete with digital photos—aka “Show and Tell.” Work is backed by a Nationwide 2 year warranty. Free loaner cars and shuttle services are available to customers as needed.

Celebrating 15 years of business, Rick admits to still developing company culture. “We’re just a big family that spends 5 days a week together.” Thursdays, the “family” is treated to a free lunch from different local restaurants each week, “so that we’re giving back to the community,” Rick says. He also gives back to the community through donations, fundraisers, and sponsorships to local organizations, churches, and schools. For Dallas HS Seniors Night, The Car Doctor gives away 2 certificates for service to ensure a “safe and reliable journey off to college.” Rick is a board member of CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates) for foster children, and his wife is an Advocate. He’s also donated cars to women in need through CASA and Titus House.

Lastly, there’s Gnomey, The Car Doctor’s Public Relations guy. A hit with the kids, you’ll find him poised out front between the plants. “Oh, I see you’re hanging with my Gnomey,” Rick says warmly to his future clients. The Car Doctor is located at 201 NE Polk Station Rd., Dallas. Give them a ring at (503) 623-8570, or visit their website, cardoctordallas.com.

o One in 3 people over the age of 60 Have hearing loss.

o Occurrences of dementia are 2 times higher in individuals with a mild hearing loss , 3 times higher in individuals with a moderate hearing loss and 5 times higher in individuals with severe hearing loss.

o Hearing loss is a major contributor to misunderstandings and broken relationships.

o Most people with hearing loss can be helped significantly with hearing aids.

o It is a common misunderstanding that current hearing aid technology can cancel background noise. It is more accurate to say that current technology can greatly help hearing in noise as it is better at managing the noise ... keeping it in the background.

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

Klaus (2019)

A SpanishAmerican movie written and directed by Spaniard Sergio Pablos, this is a wonderful alternate origin story of Santa Claus. In the movie, Klaus is a reclusive toymaker living in a fictitious 19th-century island town in the Far North who’s befriended by a mail man misfortunately stationed there. The animations are slick and fantastical, the characters well-voiced and sympathetic, and in this moody yet romantic world a heartfelt mystery unfolds. And the movie was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Animated Feature, the first animated Netflix film to ever be nominated. Starring Jason Schwartzman, J. K. Simmons, Rashida Jones, Will Sasso, Norm Macdonald, Joan Cusack, and more. This is a newer must see for the whole family. Rated PG.

Dr. Suess’ How the Grinch Stole Christmas (2000)

One of my all time favorites, this Ron Howard flick stars Jim Carrey in yet another “how did he do that?” stellar performance. Based on and expanding from the book,

this movie brilliantly recreates the Who world in all its magic, humor, and whimsy. We learn the Grinch’s new origin story as a bullied child who retreats to his mountain cave, and many years later he returns as he’s nominated to be the Holiday Cheermeister. A classic Us vs. Them, it’s also a tale of love, inclusion, community, and redemption, and a lovely expansion from the original movie and book. This star-studded cast also includes Taylor Momsen, Christine Baranski, Molly Shannon, Jeffrey Tambor, Bill Irwin, and more. A classic movie that’s great for the whole family. Rated PG.

Jingle All the Way (1996)

Produced and co-written by Chris Columbus (Home Alone), this is a lesser known cult classic begging to be watched. Starring Arnold Schwarzenegger, Sinbad, Phil Hartman, Rita Wilson, Jake Lloyd, and cameos from Jim Belushi and Robert Conrad, the uncanny cast carries the thinly-plotted movie about sell-out toys and the commercialization of Christmas. Howard (Arnold), a father and husband who chooses work over his family, soon learns his lesson when he delays and discovers his son’s Christmas toy of choice has sold out. From there, it’s a hyperbolic romp of Howard and Myron (Sinbad) maniacally running all over town in a flurry of hijinks, pranks, and fatherly desperation. It’s fun, silly, and emphasizes the importance of family over material goods for Christmas. A tad violent in a cartoony way, it’s rated PG but views like a soft PG-13.

Fatman (2020)

Pitch black, violent, and cynical, it’s a gritty postmodern Christmas movie just for adults. Chris Cringle (Mel Gibson) is a down-andout Santa barely surviving–kids have become so ruthless that half of them are on the naughty list, toy production has succumbed to outsourcing, and the U.S. government has halved their subsidy. This forces Chris to take on a shocking new government contract of production to pay the bills. After Christmas, a ruthless rich kid who, after justifiably receiving coal, hires a hitman (Walter Goggins)–who eerily and obsessively collects and stores Santa-made gifts–to kill Santa. All culminating in an ultimate showdown. It’s dark, serious, and surprisingly entertaining. Not for the faint of heart. Rated R.

Christmas movies to also include in your movie marathon: Die Hard (1988, R), Scrooged (1988, PG-13), Home Alone 2 (1992, PG), The Family Man (2000, PG-13).

Stream these movies where available, or rent from your local movie store, library, or rental kiosk.

A legacy of vision and hope

The History of Timberline Lodge

By Robert Matsumura, Contributing Writer

What trip to Mount Hood is complete without a visit to Timberline Lodge? As an Oregonian you are likely familiar with this iconic landmark nestled at the base of the state’s most prominent mountain, but are you aware that this historic alpine retreat was developed as a symbol of hope during one of the bleakest periods in American history?

Under President Franklin D. Roosevelt, the Works Progress Administration (WPA) was established in 1935 as a program to boost the economy by funding state and city projects. These public works projects generated jobs for millions of unemployed Americans victimized by the catastrophic economic downturn triggered by the stock market crash of 1929—known today as the Great Depression.

Timberline Lodge was conceptualized by a number of individuals including Jack Meier of the Mount Hood Development

Association, Francis E. (Scotty) Williamson Jr. of the United States Forestry Service, and Emerson J. Griffith, the WPA Director for Oregon. Timberline Lodge was envisioned as a triumphant symbol of the WPA, and a shining example of what it could achieve.

After funding approval from the WPA in December of 1935, Gilbert Stanley Underwood was selected as the lead architect for the project. Underwood had already successfully designed lodges at many national parks, including Yosemite and Bryce Canyon. Similar to the other lodges Underwood had completed, Timberline was planned as a rustic, asymmetrical structure with a rough-hewn style reminiscent of the region’s early pioneers. Underwood also suggested the lodge incorporate native materials, and that decorative elements be implemented honoring both the area’s Indigenous peoples and the pioneer settlers who had arrived on the Oregon Trail.

Constructed between 1936 and 1938, the total cost of Timberline Lodge was $695,730, of which 80 percent of the cost went to labor. Skilled trade workers made ninety cents an hour, and unskilled laborers received fifty-five cents an hour. A number of

Timberline Lodge, summer

the stonemasons were Italian immigrants and had been brought over from their homeland to work on the Historic Columbia River Highway. Workers were housed in a nearby tent city at Camp Zig Zag and Summit Meadow.

Two key goals of the WPA were to foster independence through training and to encourage private enterprise. Ray Neufer, who was in charge of the Oregon WPA woodworking shop, explained that many of the men who crafted the newel posts (support pillars for stairwells) were inexperienced as carvers. Neufer recalled: “Most of the men came in from construction projects and they didn’t know they could do some of the things they did. Most of them had been out of work a long time, then on construction jobs, and they had lost their self-confidence.”

Material costs for the lodge were kept to a minimum by utilizing recycled materials. Female seamstresses wove upholstery, drapery, and bedspreads. Hooked rugs were fashioned from old Civilian Conservation Corps camp blankets. Discarded cedar utility poles became lodge posts, their crowns hand-carved in the shape of seals, birds, and bears. Tire chains were welded into fireplace screens. And the signature iron work, as well as andirons, were crafted from railroad tracks.

The decorative and stylistic elements of Timberline Lodge were directed by Margery Hoffman Smith, the Oregon Arts Project Administrator for the Federal Arts Project. Smith created many of the beautiful patterns for the textiles and rugs, and she designed the iconic “Snow Goose,”

the 750-pound bronze weathervane perched atop the lodge. Smith’s inspiration for the forms and motifs resplendent throughout the lodge are derived from the art of the Tenino, an Indigenous people of the area. Smith, too, recalled how many of the workers on the project successfully transitioned their skills into new areas: “Carpenters became cabinet makers, blacksmiths became art metal workers, and sewing women became expert drapery makers.” For her work on Timberline Lodge, Smith earned the title of “Grand Dame” of the Arts and Crafts style, and in 1979 Governor Vic Atiyeh awarded her the Governor’s Award for the Arts.

While on tour of government projects in the Western United States, President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Timberline Lodge on September 28, 1937, five months before its opening to the public. He and his First Lady, Eleanor Roosevelt, arrived at the lodge via an open touring car, escorted by a motorcade of forty vehicles. As they wound their way up the Mount Hood Loop Road, horsemounted Forest Service personnel lined the roadway to salute and wave. From the terrace overlooking the main entrance, Roosevelt addressed a gathering of 1200 community members. “This venture was made possible by WPA emergency relief work,” he said, “in order that we may test the workability of recreational facilities installed by the government itself.” To this day, Roosevelt’s dedication on a bronze tablet is set in stone on the lodge terrace.

Following completion, Timberline Lodge was turned over to the U.S. Forest Service in January 1938, and opened to the public on February 4th of the same year. The Magic Mile chairlift was completed by the Riblet Tramway Company, and the WPA built the Silcox Warming Hut at the top of the lift.

Timberline Lodge was closed during World War II, but reopened again in 1945. However, discovering that the lodge and ski facilities had not been maintained properly, the U.S. Forest Service revoked the operating permit. Months later, Richard L. Kohnstamm was awarded an operating permit. He successfully restored the lodge, re-established ski education programs, and oversaw the construction of an outdoor swimming pool. In 1975, convention facilities were also added, and in 1981 the

Wy’East Day Lodge was built across the parking lot to serve the recreational skiers. Although Kohnstamm passed away in 2006, his family continues to operate the lodge through R.L.K. and Company.

Not surprisingly, Hollywood also found Timberline Lodge appealing. The exterior views of Timberline Lodge were used in the movie The Shining. Stanley Kubrick’s adaptation of the bestselling Stephen King novel depicted Timberline Lodge as the fictitious Overlook Hotel.

In 1975, the Friends of Timberline organization was formed to celebrate and preserve the heritage of Oregon’s signature mountain retreat. Two years later, on December 22, 1977, Timberline Lodge was designated as a National Historic Landmark, and the finest example of WPA mountain architecture. The next time you find yourself bound for Mount Hood, be sure to stop by Timberline Lodge. Stand atop the terrace where FDR stood, and appreciate the vision, commitment, and labor of the many men and women who made this grand concept into a reality, which generations of Oregonians have held so close to their hearts.

President Franklin D. Roosevelt dedicated Timberline Lodge on September 28, 1937, five months before its opening to the public.

Timberline Lodge interior

Timberline Lodge plaque

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