In brief: CASA fundraiser; DSA banquet; poet, flautist

Solid Foundations tour will help kids

Tickets still are available for the Solid Foundations Tour, the second-annual fundraiser for the Yamhill County Court-Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) program.

CASA trains volunteers to advocate for children who are involved in the court system. CASA volunteers are the only non-paid individuals involved in cases, and their recommendations are considered by judges in deciding what’s best for the children, CASA officials said.

“CASAs help the child find their voice and talk about their needs,” said Sarah Johnso, director of the non-profit program. “Our volunteers help them navigate all the other areas of life, too, with their teachers, their doctor…”

She added, “we want children to leave with a solid foundation.”

That’s why CASA started the Solid Foundation Tour, a self-guided tour of historic or unusual homes and businesses. The debut event was held in McMinnville. This year, tourgoers can visit six properties in Newberg between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18.

The tour will start at the Chehalem Cultural Center, 415 E Sheridan St., Newberg. Guests can choose the order in which they visit: The Baird House, a 1912 Colonial Revival home; University House, a 1906 residence near George Fox University; the 1888 Building, which held Newberg’s first bank; an 1896 Queen Anne style building that was one of the first homes in Newberg’s commercial district; a 1919 Craftsman-style home with original wood floors; and the Hoover-Minthorn House, now a museum, which was a home when future president Herbert Hoover, then a boy, came to live with uncle and aunt, Dr. Henry and Laura Minthorn.

Tickets are available online, or people can sign up as volunteers. Ticket prices start at $25 to $30, plus a fee if ordered online.

For more information, go to www.solidfoundationstour.org.

DSA awards banquet May 13

Several local notables will be honored May 13 at the annual Distinguished Service Awards banquet.

The event will begin at 5:30 p.m. that evening in The Grand McMinnville, the ballroom upstairs at 325 N.E. Third St. Tickets are $50 each for the awards and a family-style dinner catered by Harvest Fresh.

The McMinnville City Club hosts the awards. This year’s winners will be chosen by past winners in the categories Woman of the Year, Man of the Year, Junior Citizen, Outstanding Educator and Outstanding Farmers.

McMinnville Jaycees started the DSA program in the 1950s to honor local volunteers and those who perform service to their community.

A link for buying tickets is on the 2026 Distinguished Service Award Facebook page.

Poet, flautist to present

Poet Renee Roman Nose will share her writings Thursday, April 16, at the McMinnville Senior Center on McDaniel Lane. The free program will start at 6 p.m.

She will be accompanied by Native flautist Peter Ali.

Their presentation is part of National Poetry Month, which runs through April.