West Linn Community Advantage Magazine October 2022

PO Box 672 · Aurora, 97002

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

Tyler Francke Dennis McNabb

David Bates Robert Matsumura

Patti Jo Brooks Olive Gallagher

Angie Helvey Sherry

Carly Carpenter Kara Langley

Laurel Bice Hayley Starkey

Malaina Kinne Angie Helvey

Brittney Waterman Schifter

Andrew Sambuceto

Don Ormsby Bill Kistler

Stephanie Baker Jim Belan

Peggy Jacobs David Long

Chris O’Brien Zobrist

Brad Marti Shelley Zeman

Tina Toney Dwyer

Repairs Done Right

By Donovan Darling, Staff Writer

Started in 2001, CompRite has served the Portland Metro area for 20 years! Eric Varivoda, franchise owner of CompRite West Linn, and his talented team at CompRite, take great pride in their work. What sets them apart is that they are a locally-owned small business, made up of honest individuals who do good work, and their business is incredibly well-rated online. They’re more accommodating than their competitors, offering borrowable devices for lengthy repairs, including phones and laptops. They also offer expedited repairs when you’re in a hurry!

CompRite West Linn offers a variety of repair services, device and accessory sales, technical and set up assistance. Some of the repair services they offer include: smartphone, computer and laptop, tablet, replacement screens and devices, batteries, hardware, and micro-soldering. But I.T. isn’t just repairs with CompRite. They also sell the devices themselves, including computers, laptops, tablets, and phones. But that’s not all! They also do home visits for repairs and device set up, as well as I.T. assistance via phone and face-to-face. Run a small business yourself? You’re in luck, because they partner with a sister company to provide business server and I.T. services as well.

Why Choose CompRite?

• The lowest price computer repair in West Linn, GUARANTEED.

• 60 day repair guarantee: never pay for the same computer repair twice!

• 4 convenient locations in West Linn, Portland & Vancouver.

• Home of the Flat Rate computer repair = no hourly charges.

• 20 years in business means you get experienced computer repair technicians.

• Over 58,000 satisfied customers: simply the best customer service.

• Component level repair including micro soldering done in shop.

• We never ship any computers out for repair. Everything is repaired only by us.

• We offer same day emergency computer repair service in West Linn.

• We offer onsite I.T. service and I.T. help to small businesses.

• Your hard disk data is kept strictly confidential.

Among the 4 locations in the Portland Metro area, CompRite West Linn is something special. They’re a down-to-earth small business committed to earning your trust. They’re honest, hardworking, and have over 20 years of experience in the I.T. industry. Give them a call today at 503-342-8210, or stop by in West Linn at 21530 Salamo Rd.

KNOCK-KNOCK!

By Tyler Francke, Contributing Writer

Ghosts, ghouls and other “creatures of the night” are set to take over the Canby Fairgrounds again this fall, for the 2022 edition of the Canby Haunted House (formerly known as the Clackamas County Scare Fair) — and this year’s version promises to be the spookiest one yet.

Creatures of the Night, the haunting experts who have collaborated with the fairgrounds for three straight years of thrills and chills, are set again to present this year’s uniquely tailored Halloween experience, “Knock, Knock,” which will take place over four weekends in October.

To say Creatures CEO David D. Jones is excited would be a bit of an understatement.

“Halloween is one of the most universal of celebrations for us as a people,” David says. “Halloween is the one day that we feed the people who come to our door. It’s the one day that every child is safe. It’s the one day that we all agree to play the same game — and that’s worth protecting.”

David and his nonprofit team, which has included family, friends, and hundreds of volunteers over the years, got into the scaring business sort of by accident.

“Creatures of the Night started nine years ago in the Mary S. Young Park in West Linn, where we accidentally created an urban legend,” he says. “We literally got into haunting as a lark, as a goof. It wasn’t for ‘realsies’, it was just us being silly. We entered a contest, and we realized we were

weirdly, really good at this. So we continued, and we started studying and doing research and becoming better at it.”

Creatures of the Night creates highly crafted, thoughtful haunts that are uniquely tailored for each year and location they partner with. Though the team presented an in-person haunt in a different location at the fairgrounds last fall — this year’s will be completely different. The haunters also rely heavily on ancient myths, more modern urban legends, local lore, and interviews with hundreds of area residents, business owners, and leaders to produce their unique experiences.

“If you just do a collage of mad scientist, alien, Godzilla monster and so on, it doesn’t resonate,” David explains. “You’ve got to have a cohesive story, a narrative. It’s got to be like a three-act play: beginning, middle, and end. You start with universal stories, and then you get more specific. You have to reflect the stories and fears of people now. So when we start writing the story in early spring or the turn of the year, we’re trying to guess what people are going to be scared of 10 months from now.”

And when we say Creatures’ haunts are “uniquely tailored” and “hand crafted,” we mean that literally. David and his team spend the weeks leading up to October training volunteers and staff — as well as building their haunted houses and all of their associated set pieces by hand. Many of their volunteer actors who participate in the haunt also lend a hand or, you know, paw, claw, talon, or fin.  The actors, which the outfit usually refers to as “creatures” or “haunters,” are a huge part of the experience — and much more goes into it than you might think. As David explains, these are not people pulled off the street, given a mask, and simply told to lunge and go “Rawr!” at whomever passes by. For Creatures of the Night, there is an in-depth training and character development process spanning at least two months.

“They are a full character: There is a history, there is a complete story — and it’s actually a tragic story,” David says. “Like Frankenstein’s monster, every monster was somebody who was on a hero’s journey, which is what a haunt really is. We’re creating an environment where we tell a story, but the guest is the hero of the story. They’re the ones that have to fight the monsters. They have to figure their way out of the maze.”

But as to the specifics of what guests might experience at the Canby Haunted House this year, David’s lips are as sealed as Billy Butcherson’s in Hocus Pocus, saying it would be like a magician revealing his secrets — before the show. The only way to find out is to dare to enter the Canby Haunted House for yourselves.

The Canby Haunted House will be open from 7 to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, October 7 through the 29th. It will take place in the 4-H Hall at the Clackamas County Fairgrounds and Events Center, located at 694 Northeast 4th Avenue in Canby. For more information, visit creaturesofthenighthalloween.com or connect with Creatures of the Night on Facebook at facebook.com/CreaturesHaunt.

“This year’s uniquely tailored Halloween experience promises to be the spookiest yet.”

72 DEGREES

QUALIT Y HVAC SERVICE SINCE 2003

By Dennis McNabb, Contributing Writer • Photos by Kim Elliott

I’m sure most of us have had our share of problems with contractors and service technicians: inconsistent reliability, questionable advice, inflated diagnostics, the list goes on and on. The problem is that when it comes to specialized repairs for our homes, we’re generally at their mercy. They’re the “experts” and we have no point of reference to question their integrity or to hold them accountable.

That’s why it’s so important to find the ones who are honest and who can be trusted to do the job right every time. When it comes to trustworthy service for your HVAC system, the only name you need to be familiar with in the Portland Metro area is 72 Degrees. Steve Green is the owner, and he takes an incredible amount of pride in making sure his company operates the right way. Steve is not only well-versed and educated in all aspects of the industry, but he also runs an extremely tight ship, holding himself and each of his employees to impeccably high standards.

Employees receive weekly training to stay informed on the latest products and technologies, and understanding methods of handling various customer service scenarios. In addition to the rigorous testing and continuous education received in-house, all of the 72 Degrees technicians are NATE certified, which is the gold standard for the industry. It means that if you hire 72 Degrees to do a job for you, whoever they send is going to be highly-trained and capable of handling any situation. They also adhere to the Technician Seal of Safety, which is the highest of industry standards. Every employee goes through rigorous background checks,

drug testing, and professional training, so you can feel at ease welcoming them into your home. That level of comfort extends to the job itself as well. Steve is adamant in making sure that his technicians educate their customers, rather than trying to sell them. He wants you to have complete peace of mind, knowing the service you receive is exactly what is needed and that the cost is fair and competitive.

Additionally, 72 Degrees uses a very unique and very cool hi-tech gadget called “The Inspector,” which is rarely used by other HVAC companies. This nifty device catches about 80% of your heat exchanger cracks, as opposed to other methods which only catch about 10%, meaning that their technicians are able to give you the most comprehensive diagnosis available. This is the perfect time to ask them about the multitude of products they carry which can kill up to 99% of the mold spores, allergens, viruses, and bacteria that cycle through your air system.

This is truly a first-class operation. 72 Degrees has the most highly-qualified, highly-trained technicians and the most cutting edge tools to provide you with the best service possible. All of this, and they are a locally-owned and operated family business. Give them a call today, and make sure your HVAC system is ready for winter!

72 Degrees is located at 18825 Willamette Dr. in West Linn. For more info or to schedule your service, call 503-655-0556 or visit 72degrees.cool.

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–afterall, 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.

sh 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.

Locally owned and operated, Mattress World Northwest (MWNW) is the preeminent mattress retailer in the northwest. As an integral part of our local community, they have consistently served our sleep needs for over 27 years. Sean Hathaway and his amazing team of professional associates are well-trained to match each customer with the sleep system best designed to meet our individual needs by assessing personal sleep histories, sleep postures, patterns, tendencies, and preferences.

MWNW RESTS ON ITS CORE VALUES

At the heart of their business, lie three core values. First, is their sincere dedication to helping every customer get a better night’s sleep. They have the largest selection of name brand mattresses and specialty mattresses in the Northwest, from handmade to 100% natural latex, as well as adjustable frames. They carry every type of mattress for every type of sleeper!

GET A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP

Second, MWNW believes in empowering employees to live their best possible lives. Happy employees means happy customers, so you can trust you’ll be greeted with a smile and an attentive ear. Mattress purchases are done only a handful of times in our lives. That experience, good or bad, leaves a lasting im pres sion. At MWNW, they have perfected the process to ensure that you get the best possible service and overall experience every time.

A FOUNDATION OF PHILANTHROPY

Third, and perhaps most importantly, is their dedication to philanthropic work. Each and every month, MWNW supports local charities and schools in a variety of ways. To date, they have donated over $230,000 to local high schools and other charities! Giving back to the community is an integral part of what defines this organization.

DEDICATED CHARITABLE SUPPORT

In October, all locations will be accepting donations to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in support of their work to provide the means to find the cure for CF and ensure that those living with the disease can live long and productive lives. MWNW is gladly donating to this benevolent cause while also raising awareness by offering to take donations on the organization’s behalf. Please help raise funds by donating online or visiting one of their local stores.

Family owned and operated, dedicated to providing customers the best products at the lowest prices, plus donating to and participating in our community is proof Mattress World Northwest exemplifies the very best of retail.

COME IN TODAY – FOR A BETTER NIGHT’S SLEEP!

Please join us in support by making your donation at any MWNW location or through our website. Ask us how.

HILLSBORO 3011 SE 75th Ave • 503-747-6427 SQUARE 87755 SW Cascade Ave Beaverton • 503-567-3321 29660 SW Town Center Loop • 503-218-4497

OPEN: 10 am -8 pm MON-SAT 10 am -7 pm SUNDAY

Visit mattressworldnorthwest.com for a location near you or call 503-594-0551 to order by phone. 503-594-0551

They’ve got our backs ... literally!

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.

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.

Ace Nilson Dakar Rally Competitor

By Dennis McNabb, Contributing Writer

The Dakar: 9,300 miles of the most intense, grueling, and exciting motor racing in the world! It all began back in 1976, when French competitive racer, Thierry Sabine, went off course and got lost in the Ténéré Desert while competing in a Abidjan-Nice Rally. He was so enamored with the terrain that he vowed to share it with his fellow racers. After working tirelessly throughout the following year to establish a new course, one which incorporated the desert he was so inspired by, in December of 1977 the first Paris-Dakar Rally was staged. It was a unique event, open to all riders, and promoted a sense of friendship and camaraderie between competitors. 45 years later, the race is still organized and run with that same spirit, and it has never once failed to challenge, surprise, and excite both racers and spectators alike.

This is the biggest rally-raid in the world; it’s legendary, and as such, participation for bikers and quads is limited. Candidates’ applications are carefully reviewed and selected based on previous experience in similar races. Only the best of the best are invited. So it is with great pride and gratitude that local resident, Ace Nilson, has been chosen to participate as a member of team DUUST.CO (a satellite of Red Bull KTM Factory Team). Being accepted with your first application is almost unheard of, but it speaks to Ace’s skill level

and dedication to the sport. This truly is a dream come true.

During the day, Nilson is the manager for the respiratory and cardiopulmonary departments at Legacy Emanuel Medical Center in Portland. In addition, he founded, owns, and runs High Desert Adventures, Oregon’s premier off-road motorcycle adventure company. So he is clearly a very intelligent, ambitious, and driven individual, but dirt bike riding is his true passion. This is where he gets to escape, to let everything else go, and simply focus on the task at hand. These rally-raids are a serious test of endurance, but they are also the most therapeutic and exhilarating experiences you can imagine.

Of course, the cost of entry is astronomical–in the vicinity of $100,000 for entry fees, team fees, travel, etc.–and cost-prohibitive for many people. So if you’re interested in finding out more on Ace’s adventure, fundraising or advertising opportunities, please contact him via email at Ace@highdesertadventures.net. And check out his and others’ adventures at highdesertadventures.net.