McMINNVILLE: IT STARTED IN 1938, IN 1961 (1960?) IT BECAME 'TURKEY RAMA'

Turkey Rama 2018 in McMinnville, which will be held July 13-14, is being billed in its 58th year.

When viewed on 6/25/2018 the online Oregon Encyclopedia, a project of the Oregon Historical Society, said, in 1961 the name Turkey Rama was adopted" for the event which started in 1938 as the Pacific Coast Turkey Exhibit in McMinnville.

Add 58 years to the year 1961 and you get the year 2019.

However, a June 28, 1983, Oregonian story with a McMinnville dateline by Jo McIntyre, a correspondent for the newspaper, said Turkey Rama, a "community extravaganza," came from "relatively small beginnings in 1960."

If 1960, instead of 1961, was the first year of Turkey Rama, the 2018 event will be its 59^th.

Add 59 years to the year 1960 and you get the year 2019.

The Oregon Encyclopedia says, "Perhaps Turkey Rama’s best known event is the turkey barbecue. In recent years, over 11,000 pounds of turkey are grilled and served during the festival, prompting promoters to bill the event the World’s Largest Turkey BBQ."

But, 2018 Turkey Rama, in its 58th (59th?) year, will not include its own barbecue. You'll be able to buy turkey to eat at a meal in downtown McMinnville. But, if so, what you eat there will not be part of the World's Largest Turkey BBQ because there will be no BBQ.

=McMinnville has an "annual Turkey Rama which began in 1938 when the area was a heavy turkey producer; the festival continues despite the disappearance of turkey farms," says The Oregon Companion: An Historical Gazetteer of the Useful, the Curious and the Arcane (2009) by Richard H. Engema.

=The Turkey: An American Story (2006) by Andrew F. Smith says in 1938 McMinnville citizens "launched Turkey Rama, which featured a turkey barbecue and turkey races."

= In 1963, the Oregonian said the 1963 Turkey Rama was its "third annual."

= In 1982, the Oregonian called Turkey Rama "one of the biggest and oldest community festivals in Yamhill County."

Color photos taken by Mac News on 6/26/2018

IS TURKEY RAMA 2018 GIVING A COLD SHOULDER TO TURKEY?

In 2017, the McMinnville Chamber of Commerce promoted Turkey Rama as “one of McMinnville's oldest and most loved traditions!"

In 2018, the Chamber website calls Turkey Rama, “Our Beloved Tradition.”

The July 4, 2017, print edition of the McMinnville N-R/News-Register broke the news that Turkey Rama’s signature event, the World’s Largest Turkey BBQ at Wortman Park, a “mouth-watering nod to the county’s former status as the state’s largest turkey producer” will “not offer sit-down meals this year. Organizers framed those as cost-cutting moves.”

In 2017, turkey was barbecued at Wortman, but “Sorry, no turkey meals this year,” said the Chamber.

The July 7, 2017, N-R online said, “While full meals will not be sold this year, barbecued turkey halves will go on sale at 10 a.m. Saturday at $22 each. Sales will continue until 5 p.m. or until the supply runs out. In addition to Wortman Park, fully cooked turkey halves will be available at the McMinnville Area Chamber of Commerce information booth on Third Street and the Bi-Mart and Town Center parking lots.”

That was then (2017), this is now (2018).

The Feb. 22, 2018, online N-R “Along the Street” column had a headline reading, “Turkey Rama, with all the trimmings.” Column said, “Plans also include the traditional Turkey BBQ…”

“Along the Street” June 21, 2018 in online N-R said, “The event has been scaled down and will not include the BBQ turkey event at Wortman Park. But BBQ turkey legs will be available downtown from one of the vendors, and most restaurants will feature a turkey special on their menu.”

So, bottom line, for the 58^th edition of Turkey Rama in 2018, one of McMinnville’s oldest, most loved and beloved traditions, will not include Turkey Rama organizers grilling turkey – grilling used to take place downtown and later moved to Wortman Park – selling turkey halves meals or turkey halves.

The World's Largest Turkey BBQ in McMinnville is no more.

Because “BBQ turkey legs will be available downtown from one of the vendors, and most restaurants will feature a turkey special on their menu” it’s not accurate to say Turkey Rama is going cold turkey on turkey to eat. But, it certainly seems Turkey Rama might be giving a cold shoulder to the bird.  

POSTSCRIPT

-First Baptist Church, First Presbyterian Church and Cooperative Ministries (United Methodists and ELCA Lutheran) provided tables and chairs in the Turkey Rama 2018 downtown entertainment and food court areas. At 7 o’clock in the morning on July 13, 2018, volunteers from each respective entity transported six tables and 35 chairs to Davis & 3^rd Streets. At 9 p.m. July 14, 2018, the tables and chairs were fetched. 

Meal photo by Mac News. BBQ photo by McMinnville Newcomers Club.

Founded in McMinnville, Twila's English Toffee is still wonderful, still sold in McMinnville. But, it's no longer made in McMinnville

Mac News learned (belatedly) that Twila's English Toffee, founded and manufactured in McMinnville since 1992, was sold, possibly in 2017.

Apparently Twila's English Toffee was sold to White Wedding Confections LLC in Lyle, Washington, across the Columbia River from Hood River, Oregon. 

Twila's English Toffee website says, "... Twila’s English Toffee has been crafted in small batches, using only the highest quality ingredients. Twila’s English Toffee is based in the Pacific Northwest Columbia Gorge ..." 

An earlier version of the website said, "Twila’s English Toffee was established in 1992. We are located in the Willamette Valley, in the heart of Oregon’s wine country." 

So, Twila's Toffee -- started and originally owned/operated by Twila Friberg -- is still wonderful as ever. But, the firm has been sold. The toffee is no longer made in McMinnville.

Business brokerage firm The CBB Group, Inc., of Milwaukie, Oregon, says at its website, "The CBB Group is pleased to announce the sale of Twila’s English Toffee. This 24 year old company was located in McMinnville, Oregon and manufactures the finest had crafted, all natural premium toffee using on the highest quality ingredients. Brent Freeman negotiated the sale and completed the closing to Lynn Martin of White Wedding Confections LLC purchased the business." This was apparently posted Jan. 4, 2018.

FBC Easter 4/1/2018 ...

Hotel Atticus/McMinnville 'Community Open House' with Nancy McCann Band

Public TV’s Mr. Rogers’ connection to McMinnville, Linfield

First person to buy Fred Rogers postage stamps Friday, March 23, 2018, at the McMinnville Post Office shows them to Mac News camera. They honor Rogers of "Mr. Rogers' Neighborhood" children's show of public TV fame. March 23 was the stamp's first day of issue at WQED-TV Fred Rogers Studio in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Mr. Rogers was in McMinnville in 1982. He spoke at Linfield Commencement and received an honorary doctoral degree from the college.

Linfield 1982 Commencement was Sunday, May 30, 1982. It was held in the Oak Grove. This photo, from Linfield Archives, shows Robert C. McHarness, Linfield Class of 1928, being hooded while receiving a Linfield honorary Doctor of Science degree while Linfield President Charles U. Walker reads the academic citation. McHarness worked for DuPont and was involved in the discovery and manufacture of Teflon and Freon. Looking on at the far left, sitting on the stage, is Commencement speaker Fred Rogers, who received a Linfield Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters degree in the same 1982 ceremony.

Linfield Alma Mater, a song to sing

Linfielder John Prutsman (Class of 1957) has a big booming voice and an ear for music.

He laments, “One tradition I think we at Linfield have lost is standing and singing the Alma Mater after every home football game.”

John, a grad of Portland’s Lincoln High School, played football for the Wildcats in the 1953, 1954, 1955, and 1956 (the season in which The Streak started).

As a Linfield football player John said, “I don’t recall team members singing the Alma Mater after the home games. But, the crowd did. I recall watching home football games in immediate years after I graduated. Those crowds did not leave the stands after games until they stood and sang the Alma Mater. 

“At that time the Linfield Pep Band sat in the stands just south of the Memorial Stadium tunnel out of the locker room. The band would play the Alma mater intro -- actually the end of the song where the words are ‘Alma Mater we’re loyal to you’ -- and everyone automatically would start singing.”

In more recent times so to speak, some 15 or 20 years ago John thinks, the Linfield Choir had a reunion on campus during a Homecoming. “Choir alums joined with the student choir members to sing the Star Spangled Banner before the game and Alma Mater at the end of the game. At choir rehearsal before that sheets with the lyrics were handed out because student in the choir didn’t know its words.”

Debbie Harmon Ferry (Class of 1990), Linfield Alumni and Parent Relations director, said the Alma Mater is sung at the conclusion of every Linfield Commencement ceremony. “Typically it’s led by a graduating senior, often someone who was in the choir,” she said.

With this story is photo of page from the May 14, 1967, Linfield Commencement printed program. Alma Mater lyrics are bottom of the page. (Lyrics are also below). Interesting to see only the first two of four stanzas of the Alma Mater are included.

In lyrics, note “The Old Oak gives us courage…”

(The Old Oak fell on Jan. 8, 2008. A newspaper story at the time said the Old Oak, an 80-foot tall white oak, “stood majestic when Linfield was founded 150 years ago.” It was estimated to be 200-250 years old when disease caused its death.)

Debbie said the Linfield Alma Mater “still references the Old Oak, but we now tend to use ‘the old oaks give us courage’ – referring to the oaks in the Oak Grove, not the Old Oak itself.”

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Linfield's Alma Mater: "We’ll Be Loyal"

We’ll be loyal to old Linfield
With her backing never yield
Each day will bring some vict’ry
One more honor for her shield.

The Old Oak gives us courage
Keeps us steadfast in our way
For her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!

You may search all Linfield’s hist’ry
For one more of disloyalty
Each student upholds her spirit
With her loyal faculty

Linfield’s friendships are the truest
They’ll back you in each test
For her we’ll fight will all our might
Alma Mater, we’re loyal to you!