Back, and Forth: Bearded space-fly guy comes in peace
Town festivals based on flowers, rodeos, derby races or other themes are always full of possibilities. But after seeing my second full-on version of the McMinnville UFO Festival, held May 19-20, I think ...
Back, and Forth: May the pendulum swing away from bans and bots
“Read or listen to an entire book in a weekend.” That’s a reading challenge issued by Linfield University’s Nicholson Library, in a pamphlet I picked up on campus last week. I ...
Back, and Forth: Linfield campus plaques keep history grounded
Not all archives are dusty documents in some closet or digital files stored in the cloud. Some archives you find at your feet, in the form of brass or marble markers, and when it comes to Linfield University’s ...
Back, and Forth: Healing power of art felt upon return visit
Places with a full sense of history also keep up with the times. I was reminded of this in a visit last month to Grand Ronde, a place I plan to return to again, this time before 36 years have elapsed. It’s ...
Back, and Forth: Pie auction serves to dish up a healthy taste of community
Pi Day is coming up March 14. But however you plan to observe it, I think I have you beat, thanks to my involvement in a recent pie night. A key lime came our way courtesy of the drama program at Patton ...
Back, and Forth: The night a fine fellow did a favor with fervor
I saw him only twice, but I considered Bill Schonely my friend. We met under unique circumstances, allowing me to see the beloved Voice of Blazer Nation for the showman and gentleman he was. His Jan. ...
Back, and Forth: Slow-thinking our way to fastening connections
My college days seem close at hand, living in McMinnville. Slow-thinking, I recently had the chance to sit in on a lecture by a Linfield University professor for the first time in 43 years. This was ...
Back, and Forth: Ten years now and counting: a project about metamorphosis
A bit of unfinished business, of the happy kind, connects me still to the community of Hood River, where I lived from April 2000 to April 2021. Make what you will of the fact that I started work at both ...
Back, and Forth: Bring Santa down to earth, and other parade suggestions
A Jolly Rancher candy once hit me in the eye. Cherry, I think it was. I was watching a Fourth of July parade and an enthusiastic Boy Scout hurled the candy our direction. The kid had a great arm. I was ...
Back, and Forth: Uncorking a few thoughts on ‘cozy’ towns
A confession: I love lists. The media term “listicle” faded a few years ago, but the items are still around, and we get them all the time in the form of press releases. Like some of these ...
Back, and Forth: Old world becomes new
The passion for journalism remains for Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist and lawyer Steve Kurkjian, who spoke Nov. 9 in Ice Auditorium at Linfield University. Kurkjian told the 50 or so people in the ...
Back, and Forth: More local quirk, the odd but good
Timeless and seasonal quirk in McMinnville stood out for me last week. My new favorite vehicle in town is the blue 1970s VW bus owned by Martin Solano of Reel Hollywood Video on Northeast Adams Street ...
Back, and Forth: Angles, parallels of crossed paths add shape to life
The angles and parallels of personal interaction continue to crop up. I’ve experienced continued crossing of paths between McMinnville associations and past ones from Hood River and other places. This ...
Back, and Forth: A timeless mural gets a new unveiling from
You want local color? Look around. Many large-scale murals have caught our attention in recent months. You could say Yamhill County is crawling with walls featuring large and vivid images. This has been ...
Back, and Forth: quirk helps define community, though somet
Let’s talk again about quirk, which our localities have aplenty. I wrote about it a few weeks ago, quirk meaning elements of local culture that you might not find anywhere else, elements that are ...
