Monmouth Independence Community Advantage Magazine October 2022

GROCERY OUTLET GIVING BACK

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer

Welcome shoppers! Independence now has its very own Grocery Outlet stocked with overthe-top amazing bargains. Peruse the aisles. Explore the shelves. Search the cold cases. Great buys and extra savings await you at every step. If you need milk, eggs or bread, no worries, Grocery Outlet has plenty of everyday staples to keep your pantry and refrigerator filled.

atmosphere. “Number one,” Cheri emphasizes, “we believe in giving back.” Their love and commitment to the community is evident through their involvement and partnerships with nonprofit organizations such as the Food Bank and Blessings in a Backpack. The Morins also strongly believe in helping their Grocery Outlet employees when they’re struggling. “It’s just really about creating a family culture,” Cheri explains, “and I think it goes hand-in-hand with a small town, close-knit environment. We try to keep very positive and be understanding of everyone’s needs.”

One of the town’s newest venues, Grocery Outlet opened its doors to the Independence community June 16th of this year. Owners Dave and Cheri Morin are excited to bring their particular brand of bargain hunting to your neighborhood. Franchise veterans, the Morins owned their first Grocery Outlet in Southeast Portland for six years prior to selling it and opening the Independence location. Dave had been in retail grocery for 38 years when he was first approached by Grocery Outlet to see if he would be interested in owning his own store. Cheri had a background in retail sales as well, and she relates, “It’s kind of been an adventure that we have taken on together.” Married for 39 years, they have raised 2 daughters, and are grandparents to 3 lovely grandchildren. Residing near Independence and having friends and family living in the community, the Morins take great pride in cultivating the store’s family-like

Following a huge opening turnout for hiring employees, your local Grocery Outlet is fully staffed with friendly, qualified personnel ready to assist you throughout the store. “The bargain hunting is what makes us unique and fun,” says Cheri. Purchases are made “opportunistically” by the warehouse and what a store receives can vary from order to order which allows for the “super low” prices where consumers can save 40 to 60 per cent. Veterans and military members can participate in the Honorary program for additional discounts and savings.

So stop in often and keep coming back. You’re sure to find new and interesting items at Grocery Outlet that you won’t find at other stores. And at bargain prices!

Grocery Outlet is located at 1405 Monmouth St. in Independence. Give them a call at (503)751-1034, email independence@groceryoutlet.com, or visit their website groceryoutlet.com/grand-opening/independence.

E V ERY DOG

L O V ERS DR E AM

By Olive Gallagher, Contributing Writer Photos By Laurel Bice

If you’ve taken your beloved puppy dog to the groomer for “the works,” then you know that walking into most shops can be a very noisy and stressful experience: dogs of all sizes, in cages waiting to be groomed or ready to go home, barking or whining, while others are hooked into a collar and standing on a grooming table being trimmed or dried with a noisy blower.

Well there’s a new shop in town and it meets the needs of any dog lover’s dream. In fact, that’s its name! Doggy Dreams. Operating currently as a brick-and-mortar shop on Main Street in Monmouth by Summer Hile, a Certified Groomer, the shop provides one-on-one quality attention and care for your pet without the typically stressful

environment so many dog owners have experienced over the years. Summer had worked for other groomers for over fifteen years, and she learned a lot about what did and didn’t work to keep pets stress-free and calm while they were being groomed. And so, at the beginning of 2022, after making it through COVID-19, she finally decided it was time to open her own shop and do things her way. Additionally, Jennifer Combest and Jennifer Thompson, both Certified Groomers, also offer a complete range of grooming services in the shop.

Doggy Dreams is, in fact, every dog lover’s dream. No stress, just fun while excellent services are provided with a smile and gentle hand. During the one-on-one appointments, your pet will get undivided quality attention and tender care, from a menu of all-inclusive services ranging from shampoos, cuts, nail trims, bottom and ear cleaning, and teeth brushing. And of course, lots of complimentary hugs provided along the way! Whatever your breed needs, Doggy Dreams provides it in a quiet, restful setting, which guarantees your pet will come home looking great while feeling happy and relaxed after an hour or two of puppy fun. “The dogs are in charge when they come in,” Summer said emphatically. “If they don’t want something done, we move past that to something else. Maybe we’ll get to that item next time.”

Doggy Dreams’ customers are people of all ages with a dog, including college students to families with children and seniors with special needs. Monmouth is a big dog lover’s community, and Doggy Dreams is currently the

only groomer in the heart of town. “We are committed to providing a really enjoyable, relaxed and happy environment,” Summer added, “where we get the job done while the dogs get lot a of puppy play time,”

Deeply committed to all pets, Doggy Dreams currently offers free services for any dog being fostered through a non-profit organization. As a new business owner committed to supporting and helping her community thrive, Summer now has her sights set on some upcoming late April attractions in Monmouth in which Doggy Dreams will be participating to support “man’s best friend.”

Doggy Dreams Grooming is located at 1270 Main St. in Monmouth. For more information, please give them a ring at (503) 551-5038 or email summerhilegroom@gmail.com.

“The Georgie.” MM

the ADDA ms FA mily (1991)

“Smell that air, Fester! Like a tomb.”

Another of my favorites, this dark comedy

is based on the 1964 TV show! Starring Anjelica Huston, Raul Julia, Christopher Lloyd, and Christina Ricci, the movie follows a gloomy but loving family of outcasts who live in a gothic mansion on the hill. Full of the macabre, cartoony violence, and biting social commentary, the jokes and goofs land like punches in this otherworldly romp. Rated PG-13.

CA s P er (1995)

“Who says there’s no such thing as ghosts?” In this dark fantasy dramedy, afterlife therapist Dr. James Harvey (Bill Pullman) and his daughter Kat (Christina Ricci) move into a haunted mansion to exorcize ghosts for a greedy inheritor bent on finding treasure. It’s silly and slapstick, yet serious and contemplative–after all, you can’t have ghosts without death. Good for kiddos 6+. Rated PG.

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

h o CU s Po CU s (1993)

“Oh, look. Another glorious morning. Makes me sick!”

One of my favorite Halloween movies, it’s the story of three witches burned at the stake who return to terrorize the children of Salem, Mass. With a killer cast including Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Thora Birch, it’s whacky, spooky, and actionpacked. Rated PG, but with strong language and mature themes it’s more like PG-13.

ghostb U sters (1984)

“Who you gonna call?”

There’s nothing like it, pure and simple. A supernatural comedy starring a legendary cast, including Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Harold Ramis, Sigourney Weaver, and more. Parapsychologists turn ghost hunters in New York City and end up saving the world. There’s ghosts, marshmallow giants, and so much nostalgia. Rated PG, but with strong language and mature themes it’s more like PG-13.

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

Nightm A re o N elmstreet (1984)

“Whatever you do, don’t fall asleep.” I binged all 7 of these movies last year, and they are equal parts horror and camp. They’re so bad that they’re good, you know? Imaginative, terrifying, funny, and always graphically violent, Robert Englund haunts my nightmares indefinitely! Adults only.

Rated R. AUN o F the D e AD (2004)

“Winchester?”

One of the very few horror comedy zombie movies, this movie has “killed” since released. Like Simon Pegg and Nick Frost’s other movies, this plays on genre tropes and makes for geniuslevel comedy. Ultra violence and profuse profanity really make this a dirty pleasure movie. Adults only. Rated R.

The Tale of Stingy Jack

Exploring the myth behind Halloween’s pumpkin pastime

By Krysta M. Nelson, Contributing Writer

Oh autumn, what a wonderful time of year! A time to break out all my favorite sweaters just as the leaves are turning into vibrant shades of yellow, orange, and red. And best of all, the arrival of Halloween, my favorite holiday. My nickname as a kid was Little Miss Mess Maker, as carving pumpkins has always been my favorite Halloween activity–one time I even recreated a horror movie with gourd guts. While carving pumpkins is extremely popular, most people don’t know the myth behind the mess and tradition.

Long ago in a small Irish town, a drunkard named Stingy Jack earned his moniker after tricking the Devil himself. Jack was notorious in his little town, and Satan had heard of his mischievous deeds. Jack may have been known for being a drunken scoundrel—scuttered and bollocksed—but he was also a clever lad, so he convinced the Devil to take him to his favorite pub as a last request and to pay for the bill. When the tab came due, Jack convinced the Devil to turn himself into a coin so Jack could pay for the drinks, then they could leave for the underworld.

The Devil was fooled. And instead of paying up, Jack dropped the coin into his pocket alongside a silver crucifix, trapping the fiery foe in the form of a coin. The Devil begged Stingy Jack to

release him. And so Jack released him, but only on the condition that the Devil would not bother him for another year, and should Jack die, Satan could not claim his soul.

True to his word, the Devil didn’t return for a whole year. When the Devil finally reappeared to claim his soul, Jack tricked the Devil to climb a fruit tree and pick him a last meal to eat before traveling to Hell. Once the Devil reached the top of the tree, Jack carved a cross into the bark of the tree trunk, trapping the Devil high among the branches. Again, Satan begged Jack for freedom, but this time, Jack made the Devil promise to not bother him for another 10 years. Of course, the Devil agreed to his terms and was freed.

Jack died soon thereafter. Because of his mischief and sins, he was denied entrance to Heaven. Upset by the trickery and scheming, and true to his word of not claiming his soul, Satan denied Jack entrance into Hell, too. As a parting gift, the Devil gifted Jack a lump of burning coal to light his way

and sent him off into the night. Jack placed the burning coal in a hollowed out turnip, and he has roamed the earth ever since. The Irish began calling this eerie creature “Jack of the Lantern,” or “Jack O’Lantern” for short.

In Ireland and Scotland, people began carving their own unique versions of jack-o’-lanterns, cutting terrifying faces into turnips, potatoes,

beets, or rutabagas, and lighting and displaying them near doors or windows to frighten away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits. In the mid-1800s, Irish and Scottish immigrants brought the jack-o’-lantern tradition with them when they moved to the U.S. And they soon found that pumpkins, a large fruit native to America, made for perfect jack-o’-lanterns.

Since then, there have been many attempts in popular culture to revive this long-forgotten tradition of carving jack-o’-lanterns from turnips. In 2015, due to a severe pumpkin shortage caused by severe rain, the charity English Heritage called for Brits to rekindle their love for turnip carving and return to the original tradition of turnip jack-o’lanterns. English Heritage even went so far as to install many ghoulish turnip jack-o’-lanterns at Dover Castle to inspire others to do the same. Whether carving trunips will become popular again is still unknown.

In Ireland and Scotland, people began carving their own unique versions of jacko’-lanterns, cutting terrifying faces into turnips, potatoes, beets, or rutabagas, and lighting and displaying them near doors or windows to frighten away Stingy Jack and other evil spirits.

There are, however, many benefits to turnip carving over pumpkin carving. There’s no stringy pumpkin mess or seeds to clean out. Turnips are quite small and portable, so they can actually be hung like little lanterns. Also, turnips are cheap! So you can afford to make dozens and dozens if you’re so inclined. If they’re careful with a knife, older kids can carve a turnip by themselves because they’re so much simpler and smaller. The red-white color and eerie roots are scarier than pumpkins. After you scoop out the insides of the turnip, you can make mashed turnips. Yum! And because they’re available year round, you can carve turnips for more than just jack-o’-lanterns — votive holders, artwork or whatever you want.

So, there you have it. I love it when holidays and their fun-filled activities have such a rich history as Halloween and the Stingy Jack origin of pumpkin carving. And the fact that the history is also a ghost story is even more fun! Whether you choose to carve a pumpkin or turnip, I hope you and yours have a safe, fun, messy, and memorable holiday.

Halloween Popcorn Balls

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup unpopped popcorn

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter (1/2 stick)

1 tsp vanilla

4-5 cups mini marshmallows

3/4 cup Reeses pieces

3/4 cup candy corn

3/4 cup white chocolate pretzels (chopped)

DIRECTIONS

Pop your popcorn and put in a large bowl. In a large pan over medium high heat, melt your butter. Add in your vanilla and marshmallows, stirring constantly until melted and creamy.

Pour the marshmallow mixture over your popcorn and stir until popcorn is fully coated.

Allow to set for a couple minutes, then stir in half the Reese’s pieces and candy corn.

Separate your popcorn into 10 sections.

Press in the white chocolate pretzels (they’ll melt if they go in sooner) into each section.

Shape popcorn into balls. If the mixture is sticking to your hands, spray them with nonstick spray as needed.

Press additional candies onto the outside of the popcorn balls.

Place balls on parchment paper and allow to set for about an hour.