Dressed for the season – and, here, operating Oaks Park’s Holiday-themed Herschell-Spillman ‘Noah's Ark’ Carousel – it’s Amusement Park Rides Manager Celeste Walker. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
‘Winter Gleam’ lights up Oaks Park for the Holiday Season
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
For the first time since it opened in 1905, nonprofit Oaks Amusement Park is presenting a Holiday Fantasy World lit by dynamic light displays, immersive light tunnels, and twinkling pathways. It’s called “Winter Gleam”.
While most of the amusement rides are lit up for this, they’re not operating, except for the historic Herschell–Spillman ‘Noah's Ark’ Carousel – and the famous, now Christmas-themed, historic miniature Oaks Park Train, rides which are included at this ticketed attraction.
“Although our production company is best known for our signature Hallowe’en-themed event, ‘Scaregrounds PDX’, we work with others to put on different production events throughout the year,” pointed out the lady behind the Holiday lights, Estelle Fulmor of Vendetta Productions LLC. “With Winter Gleam being our first Holiday-themed event, one might say we’ve officially shifted from ‘spooky’, to ‘jolly’ – and all within the span of just a few weeks.
“We’ve been toying with the idea of producing a Christmas event for the last five years – and that’s how long it took to execute the planning, and build out this project,” Fulmor told THE BEE. “Throughout the park, we’ve created brilliant light tunnels, animated lights on Christmas Trees – and, yes, there’s even Santa Claus!”
Available for purchase are several hot food and beverage selections, as well as ciders and beers for the grown-ups. “Yeti” Mini-Golf, carnival games, and roller skating are also offered, but are sold separately.
“We hope people go away with the feeling that they’ve experienced the ‘magic of Christmas’, wherein families can enjoy the Holiday together,” Fuller said.
Everyone 6 and older must have a ticket to enter the park during this special December event; and the parking fee is enforced. For more information, for driving directions, and to purchase tickets, go online – https://wintergleampdx.com
Now, walk with us…as we stroll through “Winter Gleam”, in a brief and exclusiveBEE VIDEO –
After hitting the curb on westbound S.E. Powell Boulevard for some reason, and then rolling over, this battered Scion xB subcompact sedan was tipped back onto its wheels by a few husky bystanders, allowing traffic on the busy highway to proceed. The occupants of the wrecked car gathered their possessions from inside it, and then just ambled off. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Just as the Thursday evening rush-hour was getting started on Thursday afternoon, November 21, traffic was brought to a halt by to what was at first characterized as a three-car pileup on S.E. Powell Boulevard, just west of 47th Avenue.
At 4:50 p.m., East Precinct officers, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R), and two ambulances were dispatched to that location.
Arriving within minutes of dispatch, the Ladder Truck Company – it carries the power rescue tools – from Woodstock’s Fire Station 25 arrived. “The occupants are out of the vehicle, no one is pinned in – and somehow – this car is on its wheels!” the Portland Fire lieutenant radioed back to dispatch.
An East Precinct officer at the scene told THE BEE that, in actuality, and for unknown reasons, the Scion xB subcompact sedan had driven into the curb, flipped over, and rolled onto its top in the westbound traffic lines of Powell.
“The Scion is the only vehicle involved,” confirmed the officer. “Two vehicles stopped to help and to block traffic; three or four big guys got out and rolled the car back onto its wheels, near the curb and out of the center traffic lane.”
And, sure enough, there was the battered car, stopped against the curb, with its occupants gathering their belongings from it before just walking away.
Hundreds of folks came out to sing carols, and to celebrate the 35th annual lighting of the SMILE Christmas Tree. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Throughout the Holiday Season and into early January, this full-size living Christmas Tree on the edge of Oaks Bottom, at the north end of S.E. 13th, will be beaming Holiday Cheer to the wide area from which it can be seen. Here’s a look at it from right up close. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
SMILE’s Sellwood-Westmoreland Christmas Tree again lit
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Chilly, breezy, but dry weather was a boon to the two dozen volunteers who were again installing the lights on the neighborhood association’s “SMILE Christmas Tree” – a full-size live tree perched on the edge of the Oaks Bottom Bluff, at the north end of S.E. 13th Avenue. The strings of LED lights were installed on the tree – with the permission of its owners, who are residents across the street – on Saturday morning, November 23.
On the ground, members of the Heiberg and Hainley families and their friends rolled out the strings of lights, tested each strand, and replaced any broken lamps.
“Over the years, we’ve figured out a pretty good system for getting the lights up on the tree,” observed Bruce Heiberg, as he watched Matt Hainley and Randy McAdams up in the high lift – working up near the top of the tree, hauling up strings of lights.
“It’s hard to believe we’ve been doing this for 35 years now,” Heiberg reflected.
And, still under clear but cold skies, on the evening after Thanksgiving Day, November 29th, a crowd of Westmoreland and Sellwood residents gathered near the tree for the annual Christmas Lighting Tree Ceremony.
This year, to keep people from spilling out onto the busy street, volunteers opened the fence near the tree, and marked off the edge of the bluff with safety stanchions and caution tape.
SMILE President David Dugan briefly opened the ceremony, and then turned the program over to Matt Hainley. With the accompaniment of a brass trio, Hainley led the group in a group sing of Christmas Carols.
Then, after a countdown, the tree was illuminated, and oohs and ahhs emanated from the crowd that numbered at least 250 celebrants.
“Overall, this was out best tree decorating, and lighting, ever,” Hainley later told THE BEE. “And, with two additional strings of lights on the tree, it’s bursting with color!”
The tree is a beacon in Southeast Portland – and is clearly visible at night from Interstate Five across the Willamette River, south of downtown Portland.
The organizers expressed gratitude to the nearby Beeson Wellness Center for again donating the electricity powering the lights; and for the support of Pape Equipment, Heiberg Garbage & Recycling, Treecology, and the Edwards Family.
You can help support this all-volunteer community project by donating securely online, here – https://tinyurl.com/yhjued59
Witnesses testified that this unarmed man – Raja McCallister – was fatally shot by Teddy Wayne Hall Sr. two years ago in the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood – in the midst of a dispute over a parking space. (Family-provided photo)
Culprit sentenced in Creston-Kenilworth murder
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
A disagreement about a parking space at the Creston-Kenilworth neighborhood’s Cora Park Apartments, at 4207 S.E. 37th Avenue, led to the fatal shooting of Raja McCallister on November 23, 2022.
Two years later almost to the day, on November 25, 2024, the shooter – Teddy Wayne Hall Sr. – after entering a guilty plea, was sentenced to 240 months (twenty years) in prison, for three Felonies: Manslaughter in the First Degree, Unlawful Use of a Weapon, and Felon in Possession of a Firearm.
Here’s what investigators established about the shooting that took place two years ago:
Arriving Portland Police Bureau officers found an adult male victim, Raja McCallister, suffering from multiple gunshot wounds – and despite attempts to save his life, the victim was declared dead at the scene.
Multiple witnesses told officers that the victim had been arguing with Hall, the boyfriend of another resident, when Hall pulled a gun and shot McCallister four times. Later that day, Hall was arrested, and the investigation continued.
In later interviews with law enforcement, Hall stated that despite McCallister not having any weapons, and not threatening him nor physically assaulting him, he had nonetheless “felt threatened” in the argument, and shot him four times.
Consequently, on November 26, the day after his guilty plea and sentencing in the Creston-Kenilworth homicide, Hall was transferred to Coffee Creek Correctional Institution to start serving his sentence.
Oaks Park Roller Rink’s STEM Program Coordinator and Educator – Milan Woods – demonstrated, for those attending, the mechanics and engineering of a roller skate. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
‘STEM Day’ celebrated in Oaks Park’s famed Roller Rink
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
Just in time to celebrate “National STEM Day”, the Oaks Park Roller Rink kicked off its all-new Roller Rink STEM & Skate program with a special Friday evening session on November 8th.
If you’re not familiar with STEM, the letters stand for Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math – representing an interdisciplinary approach to education that integrates these subjects to prepare students for future careers. It emphasizes real-world applications and problem-solving skills.
So, at the Oaks Park Roller Rink, the evening started with an hour of STEM activities that highlighted how these four elements apply to roller skating. “We’re implementing the curated ‘Roller Rink STEM curriculum’ developed by the national Roller Skating Association,” The Oaks’ STEM Program Coordinator, and also their STEM Educator, Milan Woods told THE BEE.
In this introductory session – called “The Science of Roller Skating” – Woods incorporated the elements of geometry, friction, reverse engineering, and design, while informing the participants about:
The parts of roller skates and online skates
How skates function
How to maintain, and build up, a skate
How surfaces in the rink, and how different materials, affect the skate in motion
Then, participants that evening had the opportunity to showcase their creativity by designing a new feature or design for a roller skate.
Skate programs for all “One of our programs is providing field trips for the schools, in which students and staff come and have a two-hour educational session here,” Woods explained. “And, we’ve also started sessions for homeschoolers to come and participate, too.
“Plus, coming up on December 30th, the night before New Year’s Eve, we’ll be rolling out our ‘Sip-n-Skate’ program for guests 21 years of age and older, which incorporates science, roller skating, and alcoholic beverage sipping, for adults who so choose.”
To learn more about Oaks Park Roller Rink’s STEM & Skate programs, visit their informative webpage right here – http://www.oakspark.com/stem
Still smoking in the intersection after the crash were the Chevrolet S10, and RAM 1500, and GMC pickup trucks. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Three-truck smashup at Foster & Powell sends woman to hospital
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
On Thursday, November 21, three pickup trucks were involved in a smashup during the evening rush hour, at the complex intersection of S.E. Foster Road, 50th Avenue, and Powell Boulevard.
At 6:54 p.m., East Precinct officers, Portland Fire & Rescue (PF&R) , and an ambulance were sent to this incident describedas an “injury accident with entrapment”.
Officers found three smashed pickup trucks: a Chevrolet S10, a RAM 1500, and a GMC pickup.
One of the occupants had called 9-1-1, and told the operator that that person was trapped in the smoking vehicle and could not escape. A crew from PF&R Woodstock Station 25’s Ladder Truck Company – equipped with power rescue tools – was dispatched to the scene. Moments later, PPB officers radioed that everyone had managed to get out of their vehicles, and that the rescue equipment wasn’t needed.
However, two of the three trucks were disabled in the eastbound lanes of Powell Boulevard, and were blocking westbound movement of Foster Road. The third truck’s driver was able to move his vehicle into the Burger King parking lot.
An officer started up one of the trucks, revved up the engine, and with tires smoking and squealing as they rubbed against the truck body, managed to drive it out of the intersection. An ODOT Highway Emergency Response truck hooked a tow cable to the other truck, and dragged it a bit south on S.E. Foster Road – where it was eventually moved out of the street by a tow truck.
An ambulance lingered at the scene; a PPB officer confirmed that a woman involved in the smashup would being taken by ambulance to a local hospital for observation and treatment.
Men from the three vehicles were cordially exchanging information on the corner; one of them admitted fault in the crash. However, looking at the mangled vehicles, it wasn’t possible for us to pinpoint which truck was actually his.
Some good advice: Drive carefully, especially with darkness coming early this time of year.
At this “Fall Free Workshop”, Brentwood-Darlington NET member Jim Quinn showed an emergency tool that all households with natural gas service should have – a “shut-off valve wrench” – one of which he gave to anyone present who needed one. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Brentwood-Darlington relies on Neighborhood Emergency Team for help
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
In September through early November, the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Association (BDNA) was hosting “Fall Free Workshops” at the Brentwood Darlington Community Center on Monday evenings. These workshops included educational sessions on topics such as computer security, personal finance, taxes and investments, cooking on a budget – and the final one of the series, which THE BEE attended on November 4, was on “Emergency Preparations”.
Stephanie Torgerson, Co-Chair for BDNA, and was the organizer of this series of special programs, and she thanked the sponsors of the workshops, which included Portland Parks & Recreation. She then introduced the evening’s speaker, Jim Quinn.
“In addition to being part of the Brentwood-Darlington Neighborhood Emergency Team (NET), I also work as a Solid Waste Resilience Planner at Metro,” Quinn said. As a neighbor who “lives a couple blocks from the Community Center”, Quinn got involved with NET in 2016.
Most Southeast neighborhoods are served by their own, or a neighboring location’s, NET team. These are composed of neighbors who step forward for training by the Portland Fire Bureau in rescue techniques, and who are standing by to be of essential aid in the event of a major emergency.
“All about building resilience” “NET is all volunteer; I think it’s important for people to be as prepared as possible, to be as resilient as possible. This will help them better ‘weather the disasters’ that can happen to us here,” Quinn observed.
Being prepared for disaster boils down to three main things, he said:
Knowing what the risks are, and what could happen
Making a plan with your family
Getting supplies together to be on hand when needed
After taking and passing the free training program, NET members are expected to be able to:
Be self-sufficient for at least two weeks during an emergency
Provide emergency assistance to their neighbors and family
Work with an emergency response team to save lives and property
Guide other volunteers who want to help during a disaster
Away from the meeting, Quinn told THE BEE, “In a disaster, the actual majority of rescues and immediate help doesn’t come from bureaus or authorities – it comes from your neighbors. The more prepared neighborhoods are, the more they can help each other out.”
In Inner Southeast Portland, the Christmas decorations at the Apostolic Faith Church Campground are a delight to see, all through the entire Holiday Season. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Apostolic Faith Church’s campground decorated for Christmas
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
On December evenings, anyone who drives or rides along S.E. 52nd Avenue near Duke Street, in the Brentwood-Darlington neighborhood, has certainly seen the colorful decorations at the Apostolic Faith Church Campground. Being curious, THE BEE asked what it’s all about.
“Our church has owned this campground property for over 100 years, and its primary purpose has always been to host our international convention in the summertime,” explained their “Christmas on the Campground” Committee Chair Matt Hanson. “We have performed Sunday School Christmas programs at our church for decades – but, in 2009, we decided to attempt a program that would use our campground to tell the true Christmas story, and also share our celebration with the community.
“That first year was simple but fun, so we decided to continue the new approach,” Hanson continued. “Over the years, we’ve added more lights and more activities, and it has quickly become one of our favorite traditions!
“These days, Christmas on the Campground is the culmination of thousands of hours of work by hundreds of people – with about 100 volunteers helping on each day of our big two-day, mid-December, open-campground celebration for the public,” Hanson pointed out. But the colorful lights are on all season.
Months in the Making Preparation for the two-day public on-campus celebration, which this year was on December 14 and 15, takes months – and includes stringing up countless lights, coordinating a live Christmas pageant, making cookies and cocoa for about 8,000 guests, bringing in animals for the petting zoo, assembling staff for logistics and security, and many other tasks.
“While it is a ton of work, for us it is a labor of love, because each of us have had our lives powerfully changed by Jesus Christ,” Hanson shared. “Our tabernacle building is inscribed ‘Jesus: The Light of the World’, and every Christmas light we install is meant to echo that message.”
Their Christmas lights are on – viewable all season by the public from the sidewalks and street – and during those two days from inside the campus as well – from dusk to dawn every evening, through the end of the year. Seasonal music plays from 4:30 until 9 p.m. each evening.
Learn more about the Apostolic Faith Church, and their Portland world headquarters, by going online – http://www.apostolicfaith.org
At the Portland “Weird Festival” in Oaks Park, the originators of the “Keep Portland Weird” slogan – Music Millennium, in the form of the company’s logo designer Steve Blackburn, and store manager Phil Coons – showed off in their booth their own weird branded merchandise. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
Citywide ‘Weird Fest’ happened in Sellwood, at Oaks Park
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
For the first time ever, the Rose City’s Weird Portland United (WPU) organization held an outdoor special event on September 7th that they called the first annual “Portland Weird Festival” – and it was at historic, nonprofit Oaks Amusement Park.
The festival offered dozens of “Weird Vendors” selling unique and offbeat items – from peculiar antiques, to imaginative handmade crafts. And, throughout the day, five local “Weird Bands” performed – pushing the boundaries of genre and performance.
“In years past, WPU has done fundraising with our ‘Weird Gala’,” recalled the organization’s President and event organizer, Christine Lassiter, whose alter ego was a unicorn centaur named “Aurelia Stardancer”.
“This year we wanted to do something that touched upon all the different aspects of our mission statement: ‘Celebrate, amplify, and incubate all things weird’ – by hosting this public festival,” Lassiter told THE BEE. “So, we thought the best way to do this was by creating a ‘Weird Festival’ that features a considerable cross-section of ‘all things weird’ here in Portland, which we’re successfully doing here today.”
In addition to purveyors of the weird and wacky, the festival also featured:
Weird Pie Eating Contest: A pie-eating challenge like no other
Family-Friendly Free Weird Games: A variety of whimsical games and activities designed for kids
Pop-Up Movie Theater: Showing a curated selection of weird local short films
“In the end, the best thing that can come out of this is that people who were not part of the ‘weird community’, or didn’t know much about it, could come here and be part of it and appreciate it,” remarked Lassiter. “And, maybe, maybe by being part of our celebration, it’ll spark a little weirdness in them, too!”
Guests will view works of art created by naturalist artist Christopher Marley and his staff, now on display in his “Exquisite Creatures Revealed” at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry. Here, engaged in quiet contemplation, are Claire Flynn and Tommy Klein. (Photo by David F. Ashton)
‘Exquisite Creatures’ exhibition open thru mid-February at OMSI
By DAVID F. ASHTON For THE BEE
After hosting a previous showing at the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry (OMSI) back in 2019, naturalist artist Christopher Marley opened a stunning new edition of his “Exquisite Creatures Revealed” exhibition there on October 5th.
Again, his complex artworks feature rare lifeforms collected from across the globe, including a Amazonian stingray and 10-foot Japanese Spider Crab, all incorporated into insightful and eye-catching displays of nature’s exquisiteness.
“This exhibition is all about connecting people with nature, and the beauty and diversity of nature,” commented OMSI’s President and CEO Erin Graham, at the art show’s preview fête. “Biodiversity is incredibly important to our world, because it’s one measure of planetary health.
“Exquisite Creatures Revealed helps fulfill the mission of OMSI to inspire curiosity – as guests see these amazing specimens from around the world,” Graham told THE BEE.“And then, this inquisitiveness will hopefully encourage people to take informed action, and engage in dialogue about how we can sustain our planet.”
Exhibit’s “last tour stop” As he spoke during the exhibition’s preview gathering, Christopher Marley, of Christopher Marley Studio, detailed the steps involved in creating the art – and told about the work that went into preparing this showing.
Due to the labor involved in mounting a traveling exhibit like this, Marley added, this would most likely be his final museum installation. “I've chosen OMSI, the museum I grew up loving, for my final temporary exhibition, before it moves to its permanent home.”
Visitors wandering both levels of OMSI’s Featured Exhibit Hall will see a mesmerizing collection of preserved specimens, including:
The first leafy sea dragon ever preserved whole
A rarely seen Weedy Sea Dragon
Deep sea spiders
Rare and expertly-preserved orchids
Exquisite Creatures Revealed runs through February 17, 2025, at OMSI – just north of the Ross Island Bridge, on the east bank of the Willamette River on S.E. Water Avenue. The exhibition is included with the cost of museum admission. Learn more online – http://omsi.edu/exhibits/exquisite-creatures-revealed
If you’re not yet convinced that you should make the trip to OMSI to see this, take a moment for a brief and exclusive preview of it, to help you make up your mind – in thisBEE VIDEO –
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