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Annual Easter Egg Hunt Saturday, April 4 at 10 a.m. at North Plains Elementary School. Sponsored by the North Plains Events Association and Washington County Fire District #2. This is a free event for children ages 0 to 10 to enjoy.

14th Annual Volunteer

Recognition Night and

Spaghetti Dinner The North Plains annual Volunteer Recognition Dinner will take place on Thursday, April 9 at 6:30 p.m. at the Jessie Mays Community Hall. This is an excellent opportunity to come and say thanks to the many volunteers in North Plains who make this such a great place to live. The North Plains Senior Center will provide a spaghetti dinner for attendees. The Volunteer of the Year and the Lifetime Achievement recipient will both be announced during the evening.

NORTH PLAINS FARMERS’ MARKET Join us at the North Plains Thursday Marketplace, Thursdays, June 4-September 24 on NW Commercial Street in North Plains, Oregon! If you would like to join the market board or volunteer this year at the market, please e-mail, northplainsfarmersmarket@gmail.com. Our next market board meeting will be May 4, 2015 at the Rogue Brew Pub at 7:00 p.m. The North Plains Farmers’ Market is a direct project of the Dairy Creek Community Food Web, a 501(c)3 non-profit that serves western Washington County. New Seasons Market Grant Program will be sponsoring the Market Sprouts Kids’ Club in 2015. The Oregon Trail Card Match will be $5.00 per person, per market. Our “live” music sponsor is the Rogue Brew Pub and Eatery.

Interested in being a vendor? Our application is located at www.ManageMyMarket.com.

Weed Watcher Workshop

Tualatin Soil and Water Conservation District and the City of North Plains will be co-hosting a weed watcher workshop on Tuesday, April 28 from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at the Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street. This will be an interactive workshop and presentation by highly qualified weed experts. In addition to covering the new weeds of concern and how to report them, we will take more questions about controlling weeds and cover basic weed control approaches around the watersheds in the North Plains area. These watersheds can be a hot zone for the spread of garlic mustard. This workshop will empower residents to help keep the garlic mustard out! These watersheds have been selected as a priority area by the District through the end of 2015, so we really want to give you all of the resources and services we can. Weed identification books and snacks and beverages will be provided for participants.

“ACTING WITH MO” Come see and support the children of North Plains in their performance at the Jessie Mays Community Hall on April 20 at 5 p.m. Over 20 of our children will perform two one-act plays. Maureen Hicks and Julia Richards direct the children, ages 5-12. Bring a can of food for the North Plains Food Pantry for this city sponsored event!

This class is open to all kids for free, and no experience is needed.

Community Newsletter

City of North Plains, 31360 NW Commercial Street, North Plains, OR 97133

(503) 647-5555 info@northplains.org www.northplains.org Events: www.npfun.org

Your City Council: Mayor David Hatcher, Council President Teri Lenahan

Robert Kindel, Sandi King, Charlynn Newton, Sherrie Simmons, Scott Whitehead

April 2015

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Shredding Event in Banks Please join us for the Banks BIG Recycle Event on April 18- presented by the Banks Chamber of Commerce and EG Metal of Hillsboro, at Banks High School, 13050 NW Main Street, Banks, Oregon. What to bring: Electronics Computers Mobile Phones Other Electronic Gadgets Charge for anything with CRT tubes, such as old TV's and old Monitors is $5 or $10. Metal Scrap metal Iron Steel BBQs Aluminum Brass Copper Old lawn mowers (fuel drained out) Old propane tanks (with valves removed) Documents Enviro Shredding will

be on site shredding old documents. This service is sponsored by SWATCO, Shafer Diesel Repair, The Grove and Gardens Assisted Living, and the Banks Chamber of Commerce.

What NOT to bring: No garbage No yard debris No hazardous waste or other toxic materials No light bulbs of any kind No Styrofoam Cost: FREE unless noted above. Donations to the Banks Chamber of Commerce Scholarship Program are greatly appreciated. For more information please contact the Banks Chamber of Commerce at 503-324-1081.

City-Wide Garage Sale May 2 Let’s get set for a garage sale bonanza The North Plains annual Garage Sale will be held on May 2 this year. Everyone is encouraged to participate in this free event either as a buyer, a seller, or both.

There is no cost to you to participate as a seller, and free garage sale signs are provided to participants. If you would like to participate in this year’s event, please call Patti Burns at 503-647-2619 or send an email to lochlolly1@aol.com.

NP Senior Center BBQ May 2 The North Plains Senior Center will have its BBQ on the Porch fundraiser on May 2 starting at 10:30 a.m. during the City Wide Garage Sale. Burgers and hot dogs will be served for a donation.

Annual Spring Plant Sale May 2 The North Plains Community Garden Club (NPCGC) will be selling plants at its annual sale on Saturday, May 2, from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Look for the tents at Jessie Mays Community Park, two blocks west of Glencoe at 30975 NW Hillcrest Street, North Plains, Oregon. Thousands of healthy plants, selected and grown for this area, will be available at prices pleasing to the pocketbook, including herbs, annuals, perennials, vegetables, succulents, and house plants. Purchase planted pots, hanging baskets, or garden art for the perfect Mother’s Day gift. Funds raised from the sale support NPCGC gardening and charity projects in North Plains and Washington County. Help us support our community by making your world more beautiful.

Chowder and Sandwich Bar May 2-

Cancer Care Fund Knights of Pythias The Knights of Pythias are going to host a chowder and sandwich bar at the North Plains annual citywide Garage Sale on Saturday, May 2 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The proceeds will go to our Cancer Care Fund to

support those in our community who have battled or are battling cancer. This fund is to support local families who need help with paying bills or assisting with purchasing groceries

while going through treatment. We will be set up on the sidewalk in front of the Pythian Hall and next to the Treasure Chest at 31550 Commercial Street. In case of inclement weather, food will be served in the Pythian Lodge above the Treasure Chest Antique Mall. We are asking for donations to support the cause. Hope to see you there.

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DID YOU KNOW?... Did you know that North Plains’ residents can drop off wood and yard debris at Nature's Needs/Recology at no cost year round? You only need to present your ID to prove residency.

LIBRARY NEWS Fourth Annual Haiku Contest. Celebrate National Poetry Month with us this April. Enter your haiku poems from April 1-27. This year’s theme is Super Heroes - recognizing the new movie, Avengers: Age of Ultron, to be released on May 1. Contest winners from each of three age groups (K-6, 7-12, Adult) will receive $20 gift certificates to Regal Cinemas. Storytimes. Children ages 0-6 are invited to participate every Wednesday at 11:30 a.m. in the children's section of the Library. April 1 Storytime with Miss Marion: April Showers

April 8 Storytime with Teacher Barbara: Weather

April 15 Special Guests: Bunnies with Becky

April 22 Storytime with Youth Librarian Jackie: Monkeys April 22 Storytime with Youth Librarian Jackie: Dogs

Writers’ Group. Share your writing projects and receive feedback from peers on Thursday, April 2 at 6:30 p.m. New members are welcome to join. (This is not a teacher/trainer-led class.)

First Friday Flick – Join us on the first Friday of each month at the Jessie Mays Community Hall at 6 p.m. for a FREE movie showing. On Friday, April 3, come see the 2014 version of the PG-rated comedy-drama about a young orphan girl who is rescued by a wealthy businessman. Refreshments will be served.

Friends of the Library- There will be a general meeting of the Friends on Monday, April 13 at the Library from 7:30-9 p.m. New members are welcome to attend. Super Saturday – The Portland Ballet. Members of The Portland

Ballet Youth Company will come to North Plains to perform in the fourth annual preview of excerpts from the upcoming Spring Concert. This free program will begin at 1 p.m. on Saturday, April 11 at the Jessie Mays

Community Hall. The excerpts will include both traditional and modern pieces. All ages are welcome. Lego Palooza! Friday, April 10 is a no-school day. Come to Jessie Mays Community Hall and use your imagination to make fantastic LEGO creations. Drop in between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Kids, teens, and adults are welcome. We will provide the LEGOs (for ages 6 and up) and DUPLOs (for ages 3 and up), so please leave yours at home and ours at Jessie Mays! Art Exhibit. The art exhibit continuing through April features works by Anne Marie Grgich, a Portland-based collage artist with national and international acclaim. Grgich is known as one of the most innovative American artists in the group known as Outsiders. Her one-of-a-kind art features expressionistic faces and figures. Quilt Display. The quilt on display above the checkout desk throughout the month of April will be Tulip Quilt, owned by Jean Noltensmeier and purchased in Monroe, WA in 2009. Its provenance is unknown, but its maker used mid-1900s reproduction fabrics to create a multicolored sampler bordered in blue and white. It contains both pieced and appliqued squares and is machine quilted, measuring 60" x 88". Art of the Story Festival. This 11th annual, week-long storytelling extravaganza features seventeen storytelling performances throughout Washington County. On Friday, April 17. national storyteller Sam Payne of Utah will perform at the Pumpkin Ridge Golf Club beginning at 7 p.m. His storytelling skills, jazz-inflected folk music, and soaring tenor voice have established him as an engaging performer. This FREE program, sponsored by the Washington County Cooperative Library Services and the North Plains Public Library, is designed for an adult audience. Refreshments will be served. Full details and all countywide performances are listed here: http://www.wccls.org/festival Beginner Internet Genealogy. Learn how to use Heritage Quest and Ancestry databases. Explore websites such as Family Search and Find-a-Grave. Three FREE classes will be taught by Library staff member Donna from 6-8 p.m. on consecutive Thursday nights. Class size is limited to nine people using Library computers and four people using their own laptops. Participants must commit to all three classes. Call the Library to sign up (503-647-5051):

April 16 Basic Record-Keeping and Heritage Quest

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April 23 Family Search and Find-a-Grave

April 30 Ancestry (not accessible from laptops) and Wrap-up

Classes will be hands-on. Come prepared with whatever information you have about people you want to find - names, dates and locations of birth, death, and marriage.

An Evening with Author Lisa McMinn. The Friends of the North Plains Public Library will host the second event of its “An Evening with an Author" series on Saturday, April 25, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Library. Oregon author Lisa Graham McMinn, Ph.D., is a Writer in Residence at George Fox University, where she previously taught Sociology. She writes mostly about sustainable agriculture, contentment, and environmental issues. Dr. McMinn has been invited to discuss her newest book, Dirt and the Good Life. This non-fiction work is both inspiring and challenging and addresses issues to which all of those concerned with living a good life in love and community should be committed. For more information visit the author’s website: http://preservinglifeatferncreek.com/.

North Plains Senior Center News BREAKFAST Every Wednesday, beginning April 1, the Senior Center will be offering breakfast starting at 7:30 a.m. The first breakfast will be French toast, sausage, eggs, juice or coffee for $6.00. We will also offer an assortment of bagels. WE NEED YOUR HELP! You can help the North Plains Senior Center earn donations just by shopping with your Fred Meyer

Rewards Card. Fred Meyer is donating $2.5 million per year

to nonprofit organizations in Alaska, Oregon, Idaho and Washington, based on where their customers tell them to give. Sign up for the Community Rewards program by linking your Fred Meyer Rewards Card to North Plains Senior Center at www.fredmeyer.com/communityrewards. You can search for us by our name or by our nonprofit number—92742. Then, every time you shop and use your Rewards Card, you help the North Plains Senior Center earn a donation!

DEEP IN THE HEART OF TAXES . . . IT’S THAT TIME Once again AARP will provide free tax service Thursdays

from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Appointments are being taken now, so call the Center and get your name on the list: 503-647-5666. Remember, when you come in to have

your taxes done, be sure to bring all W-2s, 1099s, the previous year’s tax return, your social security card and photo ID. DONATIONS WELCOME

Just a reminder that the Senior Center runs on community donations and proceeds from our various fundraisers. If you’d like to make a tax-deductible donation, send it to North Plains Senior Center, PO Box 147, North Plains, OR 97133. Please contact 503-647-5555 for more information. MEAL TICKETS

We are selling meal tickets at the center for congregate

meals. The tickets are $30 for 10 meals. This would

make a great gift for a special loved one in your life.

POP AND PAINT NIGHT

Pop and Paint night at the North Plains Senior Center, Wednesday, April 15 from 6:30 – 8:30 p.m. “Wild Blue Elephant” will be the picture being painted. $37.00 is the cost of the class. Snacks and drinks will be served. Register at www.popandpaint.com. EXERCISE GROUP The Exercise Group, open to the public and not just for seniors, is meeting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays in the lower level of the Senior Center. New cardio exercise will be included. Meeting time is 9:30 a.m to 10:30 a.m. Work at your own level and enjoy the fun! TOPS Come and join TOPS for a fun and supportive way to lose weight on Thursday evenings from 6-7 p.m. Call Karen at the North Plains Senior Center at 503-647-5666 for more information.

Advertise in NP Community Newsletter. Rates range from $10-$90 per month. The newsletter is mailed with over 800 water bills and another 500 email addresses. Local non-profits and youth leagues receive up to a half page at no cost. Ads must be submitted by the 15th of the month. Email: info@northplains.org

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April 2015 Calendar See community events at NPfun.org 4/01 Storytime 11:30 a.m. at the North Plains

Public Library, 31334 NW Commercial Street

4/03 First Friday Flick 6 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/06 Historical Society 1 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/06 City Council Meeting 7 p.m. at North Plains Senior Center, 31450 NW Commercial Street

4/08 Garden Club 9 a.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/08 Storytime 11:30 a.m. at the Library

4/08 Planning Commission 7 p.m. at North Plains Senior Center, 31450 NW Commercial Street

4/09 Volunteer Recognition Spaghetti Dinner 6 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/09 Food Pantry 5 p.m. at 31311 Commercial Street

4/10 Lego Palooza 11 a.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/11 Super Saturday 1 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/13 Budget Committee 7 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/15 Storytime 11:30 a.m. at the Library

4/15 Pop and Paint 6:30 p.m. at North Plains Senior Center, 31450 NW Commercial Street

4/16 Beginning Genealogy Classes 6 p.m. at the Library

4/16 Library Book Club 7:30 p.m. at the Library

4/17 Art of the Story 7 p.m. at Pumpkin Ridge Golf Course

4/20 City Council Meeting 7 p.m. at North Plains Senior Center, 31450 NW Commercial Street

4/22 Storytime 11:30 a.m. at the Library

4/22 Parks Board 6 p.m. at North Plains Senior Center, 31450 NW Commercial Street

4/24 Food Pantry 5 p.m. at 31311 Commercial Street

4/25 Envision North Plains Community Workshop 10 a.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/27 Budget Committee 7 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/28 Weed Watcher Workshop 7:00-8:30 p.m. at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street

4/29 Storytime 11:30 a.m. at the Library

5/02 May Garage Sale Madness-All over the town of North Plains!

5/02 North Plains Community Garden Club Plant Sale 8 a.m. – 4 p.m. at Jessie Mays

5/02 Knights of Pythias Community Cancer Care chowder and sandwich bar, 31550 NW Commercial Street

5/02 Senior Center BBQ 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 31450 NW Commercial Street.

5/09 City Clean-Up Day-Mark your calendars

YOUR HELP IS NEEDED The City of North Plains has three openings on its BUDGET COMMITTEE; two openings on its PARKS BOARD; and one opening on the PLANNING COMMISSION. If you are interested in any of these positions, please call City Hall at 503-647-5555 or visit our webpage at www.northplains.org for an application. The BUDGET COMMITTEE will have the first 2015-16 budget meeting on Monday, April 13 at 7 p.m. at the Jessie Mays Community Hall. A second meeting will be held on April 20 at the same time. This committee reviews the City Budget and the URA Budget and submits a recommendation to the City Council for adoption. If a third meeting is necessary, it is scheduled for May 11, 2015 at 7 p.m.

Volunteer Recognition Spaghetti Feed 2012-2013

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Those were the good old days… The Greatest Show on Earth

By Melvin Van Domelen Mountaindale, Oregon

In an earlier issue of the North Plains newsletter I told of the advertising posters that were painted on our Mountaindale barn before the circus came to Portland. In return, my parents

received free tickets to the circus. I would like to tell how the circus looked in the eye of a child. We could ride into Portland on the Oregon Motor Stage that came right by our house. All we needed to do was to wait by the side of the road. When the circus was in Portland it was usually set up in the old Guilds lake area, just below what was then the Montgomery Ward store. This was the same site where the 1905 Lewis and Clark World Fair had been held. After spending some time at the Montgomery Ward

store, my mother first took me to the circus tents that were nearby. We were there in the early afternoon and had time to walk among the tents that held

the animals. This was as close as I ever came to the elephants, giraffes, lions, and the like. In one corner of the animal tent some men had a shell game going on. We watched for a while, and even I could tell which cup the rock would be under, or so it seemed. A local neighbor, no name mentioned have, bet a dollar and won. He bet a dollar again and won again. But, when he tried it for 10 dollars, he was taken. The operator was slick and could fool your eye.

My mother got caught up in the excitement of the moment and bet her five dollars that she could pick the correct cup and find that rock. Of course, she lost her money as quick as a wink. As we backed away from the game, a stranger came by and nudged my mother. He said “Mack doesn’t like to take money from ladies.” And he slipped her a five dollar bill. So there was some honor among thieves. On the bus ride home my mother told me to “never tell anyone about the shell game”. I never revealed much until now. There is another evening trip to a three ring circus with my parents that is still on my mind. The ring master came out into the spotlight, dressed to the hilt. He had his speech down like a boxing ring announcer. “Ladies and Gentleman, let me direct your attention to the blue show ring where the human cannon ball is about to be shot out of a cannon”. A lot of tension built up as they adjusted the cannon to get the proper elevation. I can remember anxiously waiting for the big bang. And, in a puff of white smoke, the cannon ball came flying out. He had his arms pointed over his head, red cape flying behind and landed with a bounce into the net. It was great! Soon there was so much going on it was hard to take it all in. There were dancing bears, performing elephants, lion tamers, flaming torch jugglers, and the tiger jumping the ring of fire. So much going on. There was a clown act that I could never figure out. A small yellow car was driven into the ring with horn honking and flashing lights. The driver and passenger get out, and clowns just kept coming out of that car. I can’t recall the exact number, but it was unbelievable. A short time after a soda pop, my Father and I set out

to find the men’s room. This, we located in a corner behind a flap of canvas. The facilities here consisted of a trench dug into the ground. Being a country boy, this didn’t bother me a bit. In later years, I’ve often wondered what the ladies room looked like. The flying trapeze act was staged during the later part of the show. To watch the midair summersaults the double bar bypass and the perfect timing was something grand for a youngster to watch. Everyone

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would gasp if a catch was missed, only to be completed with perfection on the next try.

These trapeze artists were the elite of the circus performers and they paraded around before and after their act wearing long colorful capes. The best was saved for the final parade, when the entire

cast of the circus performers were presented. This was like a curtain call in a swirl of color. The calliope led off followed by all of the circus folks in their costumes. There were the decorated wagon displaying the wild animals and the show girls riding the elephants. The white horses with plumes on their heads, the clowns, the music, and the smell of sawdust. Three times around the tent. To a kid from the country, with a hot dog in hand, this was truly, as advertised on our barn, the Greatest Show on Earth.

Annual Spring Community Cleanup: Junk Materials If you find yourself left with lots of junk after your garage sale on May 2nd, cheer up. You can still get rid of it the following Saturday, May 9. Our Annual Spring Cleanup will be held again at the Jessie Mays parking lot from 8:00–11:00 a.m. at Jessie Mays parking lot. Recology/Oregon Compost is accepting yard debris at their North Plains location, free of charge for residents of the City (9570 NW 307th Avenue).

ENVISION NORTH PLAINS Community Workshop!

Visit www.envisionnp.org Join us in the Community Vision Process! What do you value most about North Plains today? What might make it even better? Join your friends and neighbors on Saturday, April 25 from 10:00 a.m. to noon at Jessie Mays Community Hall, 30975 NW Hillcrest Street for the first Envision North Plains Community Workshop. All interested North Plain residents, businesses, and community members are invited to participate in this workshop where we will begin to shape and guide the planning of our community for current and future generations. All ages are welcome. Refreshments and kids activities will be provided. PARTICIPATE ONLINE!: Go to www.envisionnp.org to answer a first survey about the present and future of North Plains. Share with friends, co-workers and family!

Fun Facts about North

Plains!

-Did you know... The City of North Plains became incorporated as a city after the Columbus Day Storm in 1962, to be eligible for FEMA aid? -Did you know… The current City Manager, Martha DeBry, is only our second City Manager? Up until 2000, we didn’t have a City Manager position! -Did you know… In 2005 the Elementary school caught fire when the North Plains Substation malfunctioned after a squirrel chewed through some wires? -Did you know… North Plains has a few homes throughout the city that were relocated from Vanport after the flood of 1948?

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Presents…

April Art Night

Art night @ the Crick returns in April! We took March off to focus our energy on the art of bottling

our 2014 whites and rosé.

Join us on April 17th from 6-9pm for a pleasing evening full of local and imported flavors!

(Teaser Alert!)

Be sure to bring all your tastebud-dies for a rich evening!

Customary tasting flights, wine by the glass, and bottle will be available.

Live, laugh, and drink good wine!

Sante!

Until then… Meet us @ The Streets of Tanasbourne Every Thursday from 4-9pm come discover our new pop-up boutique tasting room. Stop in for a

glass or a combined tasting flight with premium wines from Abbey Creek and a monthly-featured

local winery.

For more info about this or any upcoming events please call or email at

503-389-0619 or info@abbeycreekvineyard.com

31441 NW Commercial in North Plains

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