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Visit McMinnville, burst your Linfield bubble

Posted by :Troy Thomas On : September 10, 2013
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Category: Opinion

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The beauty of downtown McMinnville is often forgotten by students who are trapped inside the Linfield bubble. Professors and many others urge students to become involved in the McMinnville community, but too often students ignore the advice and rarely stray off campus.

As I walked down Third Street, strolled through the McMinnville Farmers Market and started an internship in the McMinnville community, I began to realize how important that advice is. The McMinnville community is incredibly welcoming and offers a chance for students to continue their well-rounded education outside of the classroom.

I too was stuck inside the Linfield bubble.

It almost comes naturally to spend the day in your dorm with your best friends, and even buying food is easily accessible on campus. Additionally, weekends are spent with friends and weekdays are spent in the classroom, so going off campus seems almost pointless. However, that is completely false.

By becoming more involved in the McMinnville community, students have the opportunity to network. We are constantly reminded that networking is crucial to enter today’s work force, and nowhere is better to start than here in McMinnville. Community members recognize the name and valuable education that is offered at Linfield. The community already has an established relationship with Linfield students. These people could become future bosses, friends and even references. Take the opportunity and use it to your advantage.

Additionally, graduate schools and employers look for students who are well-rounded and seek leadership outside of school. Being off-campus is also a great stress reliever, especially for underclassmen. Sometimes living in a small space with the same people every day can become exhausting and stressful. Volunteering in the community or visiting downtown can be a great opportunity to escape your everyday problems and take a break from extensive to-do lists.

I apologize if I am preaching about this topic too much, but it is something I wish I would have realized as a freshman. Forget the McMinnville “townie” stereotypes and embrace the community for the welcoming place it is. I challenge everyone who hasn’t done so already, to pop their Linfield bubble and make the most out of their time here. You will be happy that you did.

Alyssa Townsend / Opinion editor

Alyssa Townsend can be reached at linfieldreviewopinion@gmail.com.

Room For Rent

Posted by :Troy Thomas On : August 26, 2013
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Category: The Rest

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CPS officer arrested on drug charges outside his residence

Posted by :jprokop On : October 29, 2011
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Category: News

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Aaron Michael Lopez

A Linfield College Public Safety officer, who has been inactive since mid-September, was arrested Oct. 24 and is facing multiple drug charges as a result of an ongoing investigation by the Yamhill County Interagency Narcotics Team.

Aaron Michael Lopez, 30, of McMinnville was arrested at 2:50 p.m. outside of his residence, 1305 N.E. 14th Street, and was charged with unlawful possession of heroin and unlawful possession of methamphetamine, said Consuelo Christianson, the intelligence analyst for Yamhill County Interagency Narcotics Team.

Lopez is lodged at Yamhill County Corrections Facility, and his bail is set at $17,500.

According to Christianson and Amy Kepler, records specialist for the McMinnville Police Department, the case is still open so only certain information can be disclosed at this time.

However, the investigation started with Lopez’s girlfriend Angela Shelburne, 22, a transient. Detectives had information that the two were possibly living together. When the detectives first made contact, they found Shelburne in a vehicle parked outside of Lopez’s residence. Detectives found Lopez inside his home. After further investigation, Lopez was arrested outside his residence, Christianson said.

According to a Yamhill County Sheriff’s media release, Yamhill County Sheriff Sergeant Chris Ray said the case initially stemmed from a long-term investigation of heroin sales. However, when the narcotics team learned of the presence of Shelburne’s two-year-old son, it decided to end the investigation and made the arrests to ensure his safety.

Shelburne was charged with unlawful possession of heroin, unlawful possession of methamphetamine, delivery within 1,000 feet of a school and endangering the welfare of a minor, Christianson said.

The later charges came from a previous investigation, in which Shelburne allegedly sold drugs near a local high school during school hours, according to the media release.

Shelburne’s son was placed in protective custody and Shelburne was lodged at Yamhill County Corrections Facility. Her bail is set at $42,500, Christianson said.

During the arrests, the narcotics team found hypodermic needles, scales with heroin residue and pipes inside Lopez’s vehicle, Christianson said.

Linfield College administrators were notified Oct. 26 of Lopez’s arrest, said Mardi Mileham, director of communications.

According to CPS, Lopez, who is an officer and dispatcher, has been on CPS staff since August 2010. Previously, he held a job with the Spirit Mountain Casino Security Department in Grand Ronde, Ore., for four years. He is First Responder certified and is Oregon State Department of Public Safety Standards and Training (DPSST) certified.

DPSST was notified within 48 hours of the arrest, leading to Lopez’s suspension until the court process is completed. Prior to his arrest, Lopez was on medical leave since mid-September, Mileham said.

The college does not do random drug testing, but it forbids illegal drug possession and does test on suspicion of any employee. School policies, such as drug testing, are constantly reviewed, Mileham said.

“Linfield is a safe community. The college takes safety and security seriously. We work very closely with the McMinnville Police Department and coordinate with them,” Mileham said.

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Jessica Prokop/Editor-in-chief
Jessica Prokop can be reached at linfieldrevieweditor@gmail.com.

Recent encounters with locals cause stir

Posted by :jprokop On : September 27, 2011
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Category: News

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Since the beginning of the school year, many students have reported having intimidating encounters relating to members of the McMinnville community. Two events occurred at Delta Psi Delta Fraternity and multiple students have stated that they’ve been followed and sometimes even chased by who students believe to be McMinnville residents.

According to Robert Cepeda, chief of College Public Safety, “At 1:30 a.m. on Sept. 2, the McMinnville Police Department arrested two non-students, Clifford Johnson, age 20 of McMinnville, and Jacob Hull, age 19 of Cornelius, after an altercation in the Delta Psi Delta Fraternity house.  Both individuals were not guests of the fraternity. Both individuals have been banned from campus [for trespassing].”

In a similar event at the Delta Psi Delta Fraternity a non-Linfield student started an incident.

“On Sept. 11 at 1:20 a.m. A CPS officer observed an intoxicated non-Linfield student walking with a Linfield student, and attempted to strike another individual at the Delta Fraternity house. Other individuals intervened before anyone was struck. The McMinnville Police Department was contacted and the non-Linfield student initially departed with two other Linfield students and then fled the area when contact was attempted by McMinnville Police and CPS. The person of interest and the two Linfield students had been guests at the Delta Fraternity.”

In both events, the non-Delta members were asked to leave, said junior Michael Schmidt-Dipaola, president of Delta Psi Delta Fraternity.

“They were politely asked to leave and refused. They were asked a second time, more bluntly, and one of the individuals confronted one of our brothers. One of these McMinnville residents assaulted one of our brothers after being told to leave the second time. We immediately called McMinnville Police Department to report the situation. Linfield College Public Safety was notified of the situation and helped McMinnville Police Department sort out the situation and make sure that these type of people would not be allowed on Linfield Campus in the future,” Schmidt-Dipaola said. “Since this event occurred, Delta Psi Delta has stepped up the security of the House greatly and increased communication with Linfield College Public Safety and McMinnville Police Department to eliminate future problems.”

In other events, students have been followed by non-students. In one incident, a McMinnville resident followed junior Ashley Powers from Miller Hall to the Hewlett Packard apartments.

“I was walking back from Delta really late, like 2 or 2:30. When I got by Miller this townie came out of nowhere and followed me all the way back to my [apartment],” she said. “I didn’t [call College Public Safety] at the time because I called my roommate. I will if it happens again.”

In a similar event, junior Melanie Timmins was followed by three non-Linfield students, who made sexual comments the whole way from her apartment until Miller Hall, where the offenders sat on the porch outside. Once inside, Timmins called CPS with a description of the men following her.

“It was dark outside and I didn’t think that walking by myself would have been a bad idea because I had done it many times in the past three years that I’ve been here,” Timmins said in an email. “They made really inappropriate comments that didn’t make me feel safe, so I ignored them and kept walking. When they noticed I was ignoring them, they started following me and wouldn’t stop making sexually harassing comments about what they wanted to do to me. It scared me because they got really close and it made me uncomfortable so I ran up the stairs into Miller.”

If there’s ever times students don’t feel safe, there are options that CPS suggests to do to become safe.

“If its an emergency call 911, they can contact us via the Yamhill Communication Center. An emergency is what the students personally decide affects their own safety. Don’t second guess the situation. Remember that responses from Police or CPS could be delayed due to calls in progress. The sooner you call the better. Our number is (503) 883-7233 or SAFE. We have officers on duty 24/7. Have them program it in to there phones. Consider having it and 911 as a speed dial function. CPS conducts Courtesy Rides with the campus boundaries and foot escorts. Utilize the service if you feel unsafe. Utilize the blue light phones if location and time available,” Cepeda said.

Cepeda also said that all of the blue light phones are tested weekly to ensure they are working properly.

Cepeda says that students should be prepared and to “be good observers—get specific on your location, the person or persons appearance, individuals or vehicle direction of travel, specifics about vehicles.”

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Kaylyn Peterson/Sports editor
Kaylyn Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewsports@gmail.com.

 

 

New McMinnville restaurant serves up simplicity

Posted by :jprokop On : May 21, 2011
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Category: Culture

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McMinnville’s newest 3rd Street restaurant addition, Community Plate, specializes in American cuisine, which seems disappointing at first. As much as hamburgers, chicken nuggets and macaroni serve as comfort dishes, they don’t exactly thrill the inner foodie.

However, the initial disdain of eating the same food you could find in your grandmother’s kitchen wears off with the first bite of simple, uncluttered dishes, such as steel cut oats with cream and maple syrup.

The self-described “old school cookery” lives up to its name. Community Plate offers a quiet simplicity that extends to most of the dishes on the menu, including the “grilled cheeses” sandwich, which includes a mix of cheddar, Swiss and provolone on artisan bread with a sweet onion jam.

More hearty dishes include an apple, cabbage and roasted chicken sandwich; baked macaroni and cheese and meatloaf. A variety of fresh salads helps balance the menu, such as an elegant mix of field greens, goat cheese, pickled beets and filberts.

Owner and chef Eric Bechard, who also owns Thistle, prepares these simple dishes with as many local ingredients as possible, giving the old school dining experience a progressive twist.

Along with the breakfast and lunch menu, the establishment offers a coffee bar featuring in-house baked goods and fresh roasts from Stumptown Coffee Roasters. An extensive wine list and a variety of brews are also available.

Like the food prepared there, the interior of the establishment has an old-fashioned, understated feel. The unfinished wood floors, rusted pulleys and levers on the almost-bare walls and the Avett Brothers music playing in the background give the place a relaxed, barn-like atmosphere.

Mason jars and old dairy crates line the shelves behind the counters along with cookbooks with titles, such as “The Joy of Pickling.” The main grill and kitchen space are behind a bar lined with vintage stools, giving a personal feel to the food preparation process.

The food is slightly expensive for a college budget at about $20 for an entire meal and a drink, but since the ingredients are local, the cause seems to justify it.

Community Plate opens at 7:30 a.m. and serves breakfast and lunch. The restaurant will start dinner services May 19, Thursday to Monday from 5-9 p.m.

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Joanna Peterson/Managing editor
Joanna Peterson can be reached at linfieldreviewmanaging@gmail.com.

 

Chickens, ’Cats invade Third Street

Posted by :jprokop On : May 21, 2010
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Category: Culture

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Almost 5,000 spectators gathered in downtown McMinnville on May 15 to watch the annual UFO Festival Alien Daze Parade, which featured a float from a Linfield art class.

The UFO festival celebrates a famous UFO sighting outside McMinnville in 1950. Adjunct Professor of 3D Design Totem Shriver said that, according to the story, resident Evelyn Trent was feeding her chickens when she saw a large, silver disc floating in the sky above the coop. She and her husband, Paul Trent, quickly retrieved their camera and took several photos of the hovering object. His class’ float — a chicken coop — reflected the history.

Shriver said that in 1958, the News Register received the photos and published them in the newspaper. The Associated Press discovered the photos, and then eventually gave McMinnville worldwide publicity.

Sophomore Sabrina Coleman said she marched in the parade as part of a project for Shriver’s studio design class.

“It was an awesome experience,” Coleman said. “I feel like if the whole class wouldn’t have been as into it as they were, then we wouldn’t have done as well as we did.”

Shriver said that the class built a chicken coop from scratch for the float and gave it a background story.

He said that the class dressed up as half-chicken and half-alien creatures who protested the way the News Register published the UFO sighting photos of their alien ancestors, giving them unwanted attention.

Shriver said the class built the chicken coop because it was a functional piece that could be used after the parade was over.

“We even bought four chickens and each group in the class adopted one and named it,” Shriver said. “We raised them in cardboard boxes until they grew older and the coop was finished.”

He said that although the actual process of constructing and decorating a functional sculpture was the point of the project, he considered participating in the parade a valuable experience as well.

“It gave people one of those little slices of life,” Shriver said. “I think everyone should have the chance to be in a parade at least once in their life. It’s an opportunity to be someone else. When you put on a mask, you become a different entity, and you don’t have to worry about marching down the street in front of a packed crowd.”

Coleman said she enjoyed the opportunity to be active in the McMinnville community.

“Participating in community events gets students out of the Linfield bubble and shows the community that we care about McMinnville,” Coleman said.

Promotions Coordinator for the McMinnville Downtown Association Ginger Williams said that the festival began 11 years ago when McMenamins Hotel Oregon opened in McMinnville.

“When McMenamins opened Hotel Oregon, it dug into unusual facts and history about the area,” Williams said.

She said that when McMenamins heard about the Trent family’s UFO sighting, it decided to host an annual event that centered around the mysterious occurrence.

Williams said that the McMinnville Downtown Association saw the festival as an opportunity to draw new people into the area to enjoy the downtown businesses.

“The event has certainly grown over the years,” Williams said. “It’s gone from a handful of entries to more than 40 entries with about 400 people in the parade. People came from as far as Washington and Nevada to participate in the event.”

For more information, visit www.ufofest.com.

Joanna Peterson

Culture reporter

Joanna Perterson can be reached at linfieldreviewculture@gmail.com