Trip Report

On April 20, 2010, a group of 25 Obsidian members and guests braved the wet, Oregon spring weather to discover Newberg, Past, Present, and Future. We left the Shopko parking lot at 8am and had our coffee break in the light rain at the rest stop north of Albany, where we met and included the Beards. With guidance from co-leader, Ray Jensen, we found our way to Newberg and the ADEC complex. Our ADEC guide, Krissi Kizzler gave us protective glasses and an audio amplifier and we spent the next two plus hours being impressed and amazed by the complexity and precision of building dental equipment. More than just a manufacturing business, this family-owned concern has its emphasis on communication, teamwork, and quality control. We were impressed with the way this company treats its workers and how it supports the Newberg community. We were also impressed with the innovation to facilitate production.

We drove by the Austin family owned Allison Spa, planning to return for a closer look if time permitted later in the day.

Lunch waited for us at George Fox University, after which we traveled to the "quad" and met Roger Minthorne, our historian tour guide. This charming man told us many wonderful stories about the campus and about Herbert Hoover, who would have been a cousin-many times removed.

Our next, and nearly final stop was at the Minthorn House Museum where we toured the home that the Minthorn family lived in. They took in their orphaned nephew, Herbert Hoover and he lived with them in that home from 1885 to 1889. Our tour guide, Gordon Hall and his daughter shared much about the life in that area at that time, and gave us an insight into the man who would become our 31st President.

Riders were members: Ethel Allen, Alice Anderson, Bill Arthur, Barbara Beard, Paul Beard, Louise Behnke, MaryLee Cheadle, Sharon Cutsforth, RoseMary Etter, Barbara Flanders, Dennis Flanders, Ray Jensen, Verna Kocken, John McManigal, Lenore McManigal, Barbara Payne, Don Payne, Liz Reanier, Julia Snell, Dick Speelman and Janet Speelman; and guests: Marcia Claypool, Irene Lund, Edith Pattee and Carol Volesky.