Newberg Community Advantage Magazine October 2022

Active Publishing

PO Box 672 · Aurora, OR 97002 503.825.2111

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

Holly Darling, Sr. Graphic Designer

Shawn Schmidt, Sr. Graphic Designer

Hilary Berg, 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

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 503.825.2111

WHAT TO DO IN A DENTAL EMERGENCY

It’s important to take action quickly in emergency dental situations. Below are a few tips on how to handle tooth injuries and pains:

KNOCKED-OUT TOOTH

Find the tooth immediately and place it in a glass of slightly salted tap water or cold milk without first cleaning or scrubbing it. Take the tooth to your dentist as soon as possible, preferably within 30 minutes of the injury, and he or she may be able to replace it in your mouth.

BROKEN TOOTH

Rinse your mouth with warm water to clean the area and soothe the tooth. Place an ice pack on the cheek nearest the injury to help keep the swelling down. See your dentist as soon as possible.

TOOTHACHES

Keep food away from the tooth that hurts. Rinse your mouth with warm water after eating and floss your teeth. If your jaw is swollen, place an ice pack on the cheek that hurts. Do not put heat or aspirin on the painful areas.

Toothaches can have a number of causes, such as an unnoticed cavity, gum disease, a crack in a tooth, or a new filling that doesn’t fit right. See the dentist as soon as possible, particularly if swelling is present.

MOUTH SORES

Avoid acidic foods, such as oranges and pineapples, which can “sting” the sores. Often, sores in the mouth are canker sores, which are small ulcers. Call your dentist if your mouth sores persist for more than two weeks. If you notice any lumps or white patches in or around your mouth, you should see your dentist immediately, as they may indicate a more serious problem.

Whenever you have a tooth injury or pain, it’s important to seek care from your dentist as soon as possible. Keep your dentist’s phone number handy!

This article was accessed and reprinted from the American Dental Association, http://www.ada.org/6152.aspx.

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.

CABINET CURES THE CURE FOR THE COMMON C ABINET

By Dennis McNabb, Contributing Writer • Photos by Carly Carpenter

For most of us, our kitchens are an integral part of our living space. No longer simply functional, they act as a central hub, a social gathering area for family and friends alike. To some extent, they are a visual representation of our personal aesthetic, and as such they have the strongest capacity to become outdated in appearance. Unfortunately, kitchens are simultaneously one of the most cost-prohibitive rooms to remodel. For a fraction of that cost, however, you can reface and refinish your cabinetry, and transform what was once an ordinary or outdated kitchen (or bathroom) into a fresh and luxurious custom showpiece using Cabinet Cures.

Husband and wife team, Kelly and Kelly Koch (pronounced Cook) founded the business out of their garage in 1985. Through hard work and tireless dedication to the highest standards of excellence in both customer service and craft, Cabinet Cures has grown to become quite simply the best in the industry. By using their own state-of-the-art process, they are able to perform unbelievably beautiful kitchen and bathroom “makeovers” without the higher costs and inconveniences associated with complete remodels— although, as an option, they do fabricate new custom cabinets as well. In fact, regarding options, they offer more design, modification, and color choices than any of the competition, and they’re the only ones who offer a guaranteed start date on every job!

While for a time they were focused

on expansion and franchise locations could be found across the country, the Kochs have since decided to reign things in and centralize their efforts on their Sherwood headquarters. Their main 20,000 sq. ft. production facility has actually been located in Sherwood since 2008, but it was just in July of 2021 that they opened their gorgeous brand new showroom. And what a sight it is to behold! This is not a retail space, this is a design space, established specifically for you, the customer, so that you can see first-hand exactly what Cabinet Cures can do for you.

This is truly a family business! It is locally owned and operated by the Koch family: Kelly and Kelly; their son, Charlie (Head of Production); their daughter Jamie (Design Manager); and Charlie’s wife, Julia (Lead Designer). Their other 23 employees are equally “part of the family,” as are their Sherwood neighbors. This is their home, and they are honored to service the western Portland metro area. Everything is manufactured in-house to your specifications. There is no cookie-cutter piecemeal work done here, and every job is completed one-at-a-time to ensure you get their full attention and support throughout the process.

If you are considering updating your kitchen or bathroom, there is only one place you need to call! Cabinet Cures: 1-800-975-2141 (for a free in-home design consultation). You can also check out their website, cabinetcures.com or visit their corporate office and showroom at 16008 SW Tualatin-Sherwood Rd. in Sherwood.

A STRONG NETWORK OF SUPPORT

by David Bates, Contributing Writer cancer withcourage.

Caitlin Sticka was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2014 when she was only 30 years old. She says she was blessed with having a wonderful support system of family and friends. “When I was recovering from one of my surgeries,” Caitlin recalls, “I was laying in bed and the thought came to me that I wanted to give back and to provide support for other women in my community who were going through something similar.”

That is how With Courage was born. Initially, the program was launched in 2016 under the umbrella of Hope on the Hill, working out of the Church on the Hill in McMinnville. “They were wonderful and allowed With Courage to grow, and eventually we decided to step out on our own,” she says. The group became a 501c3 this year.

As a two-time survivor herself, Caitlin knows that being in the company of others who have been through the experience is so important. The primary goal of With Courage is to provide a strong network of support to women and families affected by breast cancer. If you’re local to Yamhill County and are newly diagnosed, currently

undergoing treatment, or you’ve come through as a survivor, her group is here to support you.

There are multiple ways that With Courage lends its support, such as providing care packages with useful and comforting items for patients in active treatment. They also have a private Facebook support group, which is monitored by Caitlin and others from the organization. “This support is for our clients who are in any stage of their diagnosis or survivorship,” she says. “We know that the ‘after’ of cancer can be harder than the actual treatment.”

Normally they hold monthly in-person support meetings, but those remain on hold due to the pandemic, and will resume when it is safe to do so. Additionally, they strive to provide financial assistance opportunities for women in active treatment, paid directly to providers and companies for medical services. Since

their founding, they have delivered 50 care packages to patients in active treatment and given more than $30,000 in financial help and support to more than 150 families.

The team at With Courage pride themselves on holding unique and interesting fundraisers, and there was never a better time for creative fundraising than in 2020. “We had to postpone a few of our favorite events due to Covid, but we’re looking forward to hosting our 8th Annual Pink Ribbon Event on Oct. 1st. It will be much different this year but we are working hard to come up with something unique and fun!”

Those who are hesitant to reach out are encouraged to take a look at the With Courage Facebook page and read testimonials from some of the women who have been helped. “We know everyone has different comfort levels, and we hope that people feel safe and welcome in our group,” Caitlin says.

With Courage is located in the Cozine House in downtown McMinnville, at 105 NE Third Street, Ste B. Hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am - 2pm. Visit their website at www.withcourage.org, or call 503-02183703 for more information.

Custodial Worker’s Recognition Day

Fried Scallops Day

Name Your Car Day

Produce Misting Day GOE Day

Boyfriend Day Techies Day Child Health Day Consignment Day

Angel Food Cake Day Handbag Day • Metric Day

Cinnamon Bun Day Golf Lover’s Day

Taco Day

Vodka Day

Eat Fruit At Work Day

Apple Betty Day Do Something Get Funky Day Rhode Island World Teachers’ Walk to School Pumpkin Seed Coffee with a

Leif Erikson Day

Moldy Cheese Day

Pro-Life Cupcake Day

PANS/PANDAS Awareness Clergy Appreciation Day

Walk to a Park Day World Mental Health Day Columbus Day • Kick Butt Online Bank Day Native American Day

General Pulaski Memorial Coming Out Day

InterDay of the Girl Child Sausage Pizza Day

Farmer’s Day Gumbo Day • Curves Day • Emergency Nurse’s Stop Bullying Take Your Parents Lunch Day

Department Store Day Global Cat Day Dictionary Day

Liqueur Day Day

Swallows Depart From San Juan Capistrano Day

Black Poetry • Edge Day Mulligan Day • Pasta Day Clean Your Virtual Desktop Day BOSS’S DAY

United Nations Day Bologna Day Food Day

InterLegging Day Chocolate Cupcake Day Exascale Day No Beard Day Pharmacy Technician Day

LGBT Center Seafood Bisque BRA Day USA Hagfish Day Support Your Chamber of Commerce Medical Assistants Recognition

Magic Day Doorbell Day Apple Day

Day of the Deployed Financial Crime Mincemeat Day Mule Day Pumpkin Day Candy Corn Day Publicist Day Up Day

Chucky, The Notorious Killer Doll Day Greasy Food Day Sourest Day

Day

Something Nice Day Day Day

Teachers’ Day Day

Seed Day Day

• Freethought

• Savings Day

Fossil Day

Nurse’s Day

Parents to

Center Awareness

Bisque Day Local Commerce

Coaches Day

German-American Day Hatter Day Day

Orange Wine Day Size Appreciation Day

Chocolate Covered Pretzel Day

Inner Beauty Day

LED Light Day Day

Body Language Day Smile Day

Fire Pup Day

Black Dog Day Day

Homemade Cookies Day Spice Day

American Touch Tag Day Day Day

Hero Day Love Yarn Day

Pierogi Day Chess Day Swap Day

Motorcycle Ride Day

National Aesthetician Day

Cheese Curd Shawarma

Metastatic Breast Cancer Awareness Day Bra Day

Train Your Brain Day Pudding Day Birthday

Brandied Fruit Day & Waffles Day Confidence Day Smart About Day

Be Bald & Be Free Day Day

I Love Lucy • Grouch Day AIDS Awareness & Infant Loss Day

White Cane Safety Day

SWEETEST DAY

Deployed

Crime Fighter Day Day Beer Day Cat Day Day Day

Pumpkin Cheesecake Day Awareness Day Hazel Day Day

Color Day a Dog’s Day Day

Make A Difference Day

Chocolate Day Medicine Day

First Responders Day Buyer Day Day Friday Day Day Day Stroke Day or Treat Day

~ Carol Bishop Hipps

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.

Elmer’s Flag & Banner was started by Elmer Reider in 1963. A former car salesman, Elmer learned about a new kind of business when his car lot was visited by a man whose trade was decorating dealerships with flags, signs and colorful banners. “The story goes that there was a guy who was coming around doing decorations for the car lot,” explains Dave Anchel, president of Elmer’s. “Elmer asked him if he was making any money and the guy said, ‘Better than you!’” Elmer believed it, so he left auto sales for the car lot decorating business. The store prospered, thanks to his talent for spotting niche business opportunities, like flags and banners, and his commitment to building customer loyalty with quality products and honest service. Today, Elmer’s is Portland’s largest flag, banner and kite store, with 4,000 square feet of products, everything from weathervanes to windsocks.

Anchel grew up in rural northeast Pennsylvania, where he spent 22 years in the family business, learning how to run a successful small company. In their search for a business to purchase, Anchel and his wife visited Portland and fell in love. “We came to Portland, had some really good chocolate and said to each other, ‘We could live here,’” he recalls.

Variety is the spice of life and it’s also what you’ll find at Elmer’s. Anchel estimates the store offers some 8,000 different products, about 1,200 of which are available online. Elmer’s also makes its

own custom flags and banners, by hand and in-house. They make both high-quality, digitally designed flags and banners, and are one of the only companies in the United States that still does appliqué - the time-honored tradition of sewing one piece of fabric onto another - just like Betsy Ross.

“We make those by hand, upstairs in our sewing shop, and they look gorgeous,” Anchel explains. “It’s for when people want an heirloom qual ity flag, like of their family crest, or when a high school wins a cham pionship and wants to hoist a banner to their gymnasium ceiling.”

Elmer’s also manufactures, sells, installs and services custom poles, including two of the tallest in the state of Oregon, measuring 120 feet. “They’re monsters,” Anchel says with a laugh.

Elmer’s selection of kites, flags, banners, weather vanes, wind spin ners and other wind toys will amaze you. Looking to spruce up your home’s exterior? Stop into the retail store at 1332 NE Broadway in Portland, Monday-Friday from 8:30am to 5:30pm and Saturdays from 10am to 4pm. Or visit their website, elmersflag.com anytime.

MEET LOCAL NEWBERG REAL ESTATE AGENT Willcuts

Chase Willcuts, a native of Newberg, descends from a long and proud family heritage of farmers, educators, and… realtors!

Having worked in a funeral home, as well as having obtained both his B.A. (George Fox University) as well as his M.A. (Gonzaga University), it is of little wonder that Chase desires to bring his rich life experiences to the community that he loves and cherishes. Chase firmly believes in the importance, depth, significance, and reality of the home – where dreams are fulfilled, where relationships are created and sustained, and where legacies are made.

Chase’s number one goal is to bring that sense of home into the lives of all of the clients that he looks forward to journeying with.

Meet The Artist Olive Gallagher

My father, a brilliant attorney, reminded me he wasn’t surprised I became an ethicist when I founded Personal Best in 1985. Apparently, at age 7, watching him swear in a witness, I asked the difference between “the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.”

I began singing professionally as a child. After a thirty-year performance career—as a recording artist and ASCAP songwriter, blessed with mentors like Miles Davis, Eugene Wright, Dale Olson, and Leroy Holmes, appearing in 400+ commercials, creating two companies, and writing national branding campaigns—I launched a marketing campaign for Personal Best on KEARTH-FM in LA by telling corporate America to “clean up its motives.”

Within three weeks, Hilton hired me to provide leadership and performance skills for two executives. Then Toyota hired me to lecture, followed by other Fortune 500 CEOs who read my article on “Responsible Power™” in the national edition of Manage.

In 1988, I created, hosted, and produced my own television show. “The Inner Bottom Line®” ran from 1988 until 1991 and won three ACE Awards, followed by appearances on CNN, ABC, CBS, and NBC. After relocating to San Francisco in 1991, I accepted senior marketing projects. In 1996, as Creative Director for Softbank, I produced the first global conference introducing the World Wide Web. Then everything ended suddenly when I was injured and unable to travel to clients.

Armed with a laptop, camera, paper, and luck, I landed my first national branding campaign for Gallo and birthed Creative Infusion, the agency division of Personal Best. Then Lucent requested a global campaign for their latest product, followed by companies like Disney, AOL, and AllADvantage.com. The editor of the Silicon Valley magazine, Marcom Choices, liked my idea to write “The Inner Bottom Line” as a Q&A column

tackling ethical dilemmas and personal choices, entering national syndication in 2000 and running weekly until 2014.

In 2004, a national book and media tour followed my publication of A Simple Path to The Good Life. In 2009, after completing my MFA in Screenwriting from American Film Institute, my thesis film, “Blame It On My Youth,” won a 2009 Sloan Award Scholarship. Then I founded Moonlight Man Productions.

After delivering hundreds of keynote speeches and seminars for companies like P&G, Canyon Ranch Spas, PG&E, Department of Labor, and Pacific Bell, the ethics work became distilled: Choices. Values. Power. Control. Intention. Relationships. We make thousands of choices daily. Each carries a price. The question became “what price are you paying for the life you’re living today?” When the price gets too high, something must change.

In 2014, I returned to radio, hosting “The Inner Bottom Line” on BlogTalkRadio, featuring guests like Faith Maloney, a founder of Best Friends, and David Williams, CEO of Make a Wish Foundation.

The consulting, branding and writing continues. In 2021, I published three books: Provenance, a novel, Emma and Her Paint Brush Tail, a children’s book, and The Cage of the Soul, a book of prose. I’ve also started a second novel, Journeys. Now I consult daily with Personal Best clients around the country on Zoom, serve as a Wilsonville Planning Commissioner, and was named “Top 20 Coach of 2022” by the Coach Foundation.

For more information, call 323.836.5604 or visit www.theinnerbottomline.com.

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.

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.