Forest Grove Community Advantage Magazine December 2022

DINNER COMBOS FOR 2

Buy one dinner combo plus 2 beverages & get 2nd of equal or lesser value for $6 off.

Not valid on Holidays. With this coupon. Maximum 2 coupons per party. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 2/15/23

DINNER COMBOS FOR 2 Buy one dinner combo plus 2 beverages & get 2nd of equal or lesser value for $6 off.

Not valid on Holidays. With this coupon. Maximum 2 coupons per party. Not valid with any other offers. Expires 2/15/23

Your First Call in a Home Disaster

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer | Photos by Megan Rose Photography

Yikes! A water pipe bursts and the basement is flooding, or a severe winter storm topples a tree and demolishes a section of roof. Emergencies such as these require immediate assistance. What to do? Who to call? Rapid Response Restoration & Construction LLC will come to your rescue any time day or night, any day of the week—that includes weekends and holidays too!

Rapid Response Restoration & Construction realizes that emergencies don’t wait, so neither should you. Unique in the industry, they are the only “fullservice” restoration company in the area, serving communities spanning approximately a 2-hour driving radius from their McMinnville-based operation. Dryouts and damage repair from water, smoke, fire, etc. is only the beginning of the services they offer. Rapid Response Restoration & Construction also contracts the build-back and repair side of the project, “which is a bonus for our customers,” expresses co-owner, Melissa Watson. A homeowner is never “left stuck” by what to do next or where to turn once the initial dry-out or demolition is done. Rapid Response Restoration & Construction stays on the job and helps the homeowner “navigate the process from start to finish,” walking them through the needed repairs, as well as completing those repairs.

“It feels really good seeing the process through to the end,” Melissa says. “And we are proud to have partnered with some really amazing local companies and contractors with the same core values.” Rapid Response Restoration & Construction has worked hard to build their own community of partnerships by incorporating “likeminded” local and small businesses. These affiliates assist with projects during times of high demand, and those requiring specialty services (i.e. carpet services, electrical, plumbing, etc.). Customers can rest assured that the same quality of service will be implemented throughout the entire project.

Recognizing just how confusing and overwhelming it can be dealing with insurance while experiencing the heartbreak of a fire, the severity of water damage, or the like, Rapid Response Restoration & Construction is there for you. They work with ALL insurance companies and offer deductible assistance as well. As

Melissa relates, “We want to be that shining light, we want to be somebody that’s on your team, we want you to feel that you have a friend in the project, we really strive for that.”

Based in McMinnville, owners Joel and Melissa Watson started Rapid Response Restoration & Construction 7 years ago. Joel grew up in Newberg with a background in construction and had worked previously in restoration. He loved the science behind the repairs—drying out buildings, etc., and had the opportunity to work for a few large corporations. Although the Watsons found that large corporations were “not for us,” they gained valuable business knowledge. Having identified areas they could improve upon, they realized their vision would be best suited to the small town community. Melissa, who was born and raised in McMinnville, was excited to move back to the area to raise a family and “bring our knowledge back home,” promising that in our business “we would do all the things we saw the need for.”

Customers are top priority at Rapid Response Restoration & Construction! And if you’re wondering, they take on non-emergency jobs too. Offering full-spectrum construction, they “do it all”— fence building, deck building, kitchen remodels, etc.—whatever the customer needs. Towards the end of each project, homeowners are provided a complete “walk through” addressing

any remaining details, and upon completion they receive a Certificate of Satisfaction.

Joel and Melissa are proud of the reputation they’ve built for Rapid Response Restoration & Construction LLC. They can hold their heads high as they encounter their school children’s coaches and teachers, and their neighbors and friends, “because we believe in what we do,” says Melissa. They show their support for the community through attending local nonprofit events and sponsoring local youth teams.

On Call 24/7, Rapid Response Restoration & Construction LLC: Your first call in a home disaster! Call them at (917) 325-4609, email rapidresponse.or@gmail.com, or visit online at rapidresponserestorations.com.

Peppermint & Ginger The History of Christmas Treats

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

German choir boys, Egyptian pharaohs, the Brothers Grimm, and Queen Elizabeth I all shaped our Christmas treats and their storied past.

Decorate your Christmas tree, stir your hot cocoa, or eat a classic treat, because candy canes are the most versatile and best-selling non-chocolate candy during December, with almost 2 billion produced every year. But did you know that candy canes were likely invented for fidgety German choirboys?

Data suggests the candy cane goes back to 1670, when the Cologne Cathedral choirmaster in Germany needed to quiet down his choir boys during the Living Creche ceremony (live nativity scene). Carly Schildhaus of the National Confectioners Association says “[he] handed out sugar sticks among his young singers to keep them quiet.” It’s rumored the church elders were upset because sweets were inappropriate in church, so the choirmaster shaped the sugar sticks into shepherd crooks (like the nativity scene) to appease the church elders. This could be a coincidence, however, as candy canes were likely hung on Christmas trees during this time, along with fruit and cookies.

11th century Europe when the Crusaders brought ginger back from the Middle East. Once ginger became more affordable, gingerbread gained popularity.

Early European recipes for gingerbread called for ginger, sugar, rosewater, stale breadcrumbs, and ground almonds, which were mashed into a paste and pressed into wooden molds. These work-of-art molds made a storyboard that told the major news and took the shapes of kings, queens, emperors, and more. Cookies were sometimes decorated with edible gold or flat white icing.

Interestingly, candy canes used to be only white for hundreds of years. It wasn’t until the early 20th century and the advent of mass production that the iconic red-striped peppermint candy cane came into existence.

According to Egyptian, Greek, Roman and Germanic mythology, honey was a gift of the gods with the power to heal, give life, and banish demons. Gingerbread, in its early form as spiced honeybread, was found in pharaohs’ tombs dating to 1500 BC. Later, a more modern gingerbread appeared in

In 16th century England, flour replaced the stale breadcrumbs, and sweeteners and eggs were added. Incredibly, Queen Elizabeth I is credited for creating the first gingerbread man, which shocked visiting dignitaries who were given cookies made in their likeness. At fairs, gingerbread was tied with a ribbon and exchanged as a token of love. The gingerbread house gained popularity in Germany after the Brothers Grimm published their fairy tales, including “Hansel and Gretel,” in the 19th century. Later, German immigrants brought this lebkuchenhaeusle to America.

Today, gingerbread is often made with ginger, anise, cardamom, cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg, and sweetened with honey, corn syrup, brown sugar, or molasses. It comes in many forms, such as gingerbread people, houses, ginger snaps, and more. So when you’re munching on a gingerbread man or hanging candy canes on your Christmas tree, remember the countless individuals who quite literally shaped these fascinating treats!

Forest Grove Pizza Schmizza Old School Kitsch

By Brad Neuhoff, Contributing Writer Photos by Craig Brubaker

One whiff of their delicious pizza and your mouth will start watering, and the quirky decor and enthusiastic employees will ensure that you have a memorable visit. They opened in 1993, but Ron & Cindy Pestner took over the reins in 2018, trading in his corporate restaurant manager suit and tie for a slice of fun. “We’re kind of kitschy, kind of goofy,” he says. “We still have the stone ovens, and we are kind of old school around here.”

everything on the menu is made fresh. Ron & Cindy say their dough is handmade every day, and you can watch the staff hand-stretching your pizza behind the counter. “It’s really simple here,” says Ron, “If I wouldn’t eat it, we are not going to serve it.” That’s the motto at Pizza Schmizza here in Forest Grove.

That “kitschiness” is apparent upon first glance, with its colorful, crazy sign and patio picnic table painted with all sorts of brightly colored designs. The interior is even more eyecatching, with all sorts of fun and fascinating items mounted on the walls, and even old bicycles hanging from the ceiling!

If you can tear your eyes away from all the decor, even the food is in keeping with the eclectic and interesting theme of the restaurant. And there’s nothing old school or basic about it, as

Ron attributes that philosophy to a former boss. “We try to act as Forest Grove’s pizza restaurant. We try to keep it fun.” And Ron & Cindy and their staff deliver when it comes to fun and creativity. “We have some funky things [on the menu]. If you want to get a little crazy and go with our Sink, which has all of our meats and veggies; if you want to get a little goofy and go with our Foo-Foo that has artichokes and sun-dried tomatoes… We have the classics, and we’ve got spaghetti and meatballs on a pizza if you want it!”

If spaghetti pizza, or pizza itself, just isn’t your thing, there are plenty of other tasty pasta dishes, salads, and appetizers to choose from. Especially the wings, or “Schwings” as they’re

called, which Ron & Cindy boast are the best in the town.

According to Ron, the oldie but goodie collection of soft drinks they serve are incredibly popular. “We have a great selection of soft drinks in glass bottles. We have everything from Hollywood Shirley Temple to Sioux City Sarsaparilla to all the Coke and Pepsi in the bottle...we got it all.”

Pizza Schmizza is close to Pacific University, which Ron & Cindy say is the perfect spot to celebrate new and old traditions. “We have a family from Utah, a husband and wife, who both attended Pacific and got their doctorates. They come back once a year for vacation and they come back here to show their kids where they hung out in college,” Ron says.

If these walls could talk, countless “woo-hoo’s” would echo down through the years. Ron explains, “When anyone leaves a

tip, we ring the bell and give them a ‘woo-hoo!’, and that’s our way of saying thank you.” Ron & Cindy and staff have created an atmosphere of warmth and welcome. “We try to make sure that everyone who comes in feels that warmth, feels that hospitality. It’s why we stay open a half hour after we close.” They’re

not in a hurry to kick their valued customers out into the cold, even if it means staying late!

Pizza Schmizza is located at 2042 Main Street in Forest Grove, on the corner of 21st and Main near Pacific University. Visit schmizza.com to order online and see their menu, or give them a call at 503-359-5320.

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.

Pastry

INGREDIENTS

CRANBERRY SAUCE

1 C fresh cranberries

6 T packed brown sugar

1 T orange juice

1/2 t grated orange peel

BRIE AND PASTRY

1 T butter or margarine

1/3 C sliced almonds

1 (17.3 oz) sheet frozen puff pastry, thawed

1 (14 to 15 oz) round Brie cheese

1 egg, beaten

DIRECTIONS

1. In 1-quart saucepan, mix cranberries, brown sugar and orange juice. Heat to boiling, stirring frequently; reduce heat. Simmer uncovered 15 to 20 minutes, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens and cranberries are tender. Stir in orange peel; remove from heat.

2. In 8-inch skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Cook almonds in butter, stirring frequently, until golden brown; remove from heat.

3. Heat oven to 400°F. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. On lightly floured surface, roll pastry into 16x9-inch rectangle. Cut out one 8 1/2-inch circle and one 7-inch circle from pastry.

4. Place cheese round on center of large circle. Spoon cranberry sauce and almonds over cheese. Bring pastry up and press around side of cheese. Brush top edge of pastry with egg. Place 7-inch circle on top, pressing around edge to seal. Brush top and side of pastry with egg. Cut decorations from remaining pastry and arrange on top; brush with egg. Place on cookie sheet.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 1 hour before serving.

Serve with assorted crackers or sliced fresh fruit.

bettycrocker.com/recipes/brie-in-puff-pastry-with-cranberry-sauce

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

Ironwork at Timberline, Courtesy Oregon State Library

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