Welcome to Our New Hood River Residents!

ACC members come from all over the world, and more of our community members are moving to this area now. Many months ago, Maggie moved to the area from California. Marilyn joined us from Colorado. Barnaby, Molly and their daughters Zora and Cleo moved here from Columbia, South America. Recently, Kevin and Deb moved here from Ellensburg, WA. Kevin recently retired as a doctor, and Deb works from home. So they are excited to start their new life in Hood River. Welcome home!

Jerri sold her house in Washington and is living in her RV, traveling and visiting friends and family for 1½ years, but she considers Hood River her home now. We have 4 families who live in the Portland area who will be joining us and several families in California and Washington. Ann and Fred will be joining us from New York. It will be truly a day of celebration when everyone arrives and we are all moved in! Singing, dancing, food, kids running around, and never a moment without conversation or Jack’s jokes.

We loved our time there, and here are some highlights: Becki and Patrick Rawson deserve a place in the Hospitality Hall of Fame. Though we barely knew them, they treated us as old, cherished friends, giving us beds to sleep in, cooking us dinner and breakfasts, providing us bikes and kayaks and advice about where to go and what to do, making us feel so very welcomed and at ease. And their beautiful 26-year-old daughter whisked Isaiah off to play games and swim in the river with her and her friends within our first half hour. Perfect! The beauty of Hood River is breathtaking, and the friendliness of its residents is delightful. (Maybe one has to do with the other?) Everywhere we went, we encountered warmth and friendliness, from waiters to grocery store clerks to Peter and Isaiah’s windsurfing instructor, Brian. My guys loved windsurfing, but only had their lesson the day before our departure, so it's something they both look forward to returning to. So many other delights: hiking the Indian Creek Trail, my shrimp fajita salad at the Hood River Taqueria (absolutely killer. If you’re a shrimp fan, don’t miss it.) The dazzling 4th of July fireworks, live Blues in Downtown Hood River before the fireworks, the view from Three Rivers Grill, Mike’s Ice Cream, a five-star, five course meal at Chez Lerner, the list goes on and on. And of course, finally getting the chance to work on restoring beautiful Adams Creek, during the weekly Wednesday morning creek clean-up. OMG, that creek if so beautiful - a little piece of Heaven. I’d never seen it before. But boy-oh-boy, pulling up ivy is no easy task, and those blackberry thorns are vicious. I have fresh appreciation for all the hours and hours of work that people have put in before now (300+ according to Becki M). That gorgeous, tranquil creek is such a gift to all of us, and restoring it feels like a gift we’re giving ourselves, our neighbors, and future generations, who will be soothed by its beauty and its gentle song. But beyond the beauty and many charms of Hood River, the part that really made our visit so special and memorable were the encounters we had with members of the ACC community. We regret that we could only see and meet a few members but those hugs and eye contact were such a novel treat after months of only zoom. The time we spent with ACC folks was meaningful, funny, fascinating, the conversations deep and wide-ranging, and the bonus was that I felt like I not only got to know them better, but I got to know and appreciate my husband and son better in the bargain. Our son will be starting his second year of college soon. And he revealed on this trip that he was looking forward to visiting us in Hood River more than he looks forward to visiting us in Redwood City, because of the connections he made with the ACC folks on this trip. It’s true what we say: A life well-shared is a life well-lived. We can’t wait for more!

The creek is named after William Lysander Adams. But who was this man? He was a simple farm boy born in the 1820’s in Ohio who followed his parents to Oregon in the 1840’s when he finished his schooling at Bethany College in Virginia. Of course, he met his future wife, Frances Goodell, while attending college. They got married, lived in Galesburg, Illinois where he taught school and they built a one-room log cabin, farmed, and had two daughters. But William had adventure in his soul so he decided to try his luck in the Oregon Territory. He bought a covered wagon, two oxen and a cow and they joined a group of 40 wagons, pretty much Cambellites heading west. The Cambellites were named after Thomas Campbell, founder of the Disciples of Christ Church and his son founded Bethany College. William was always interested in religion so this attracted him. After all, the 1830’s was the era of the “Great Awakening” in America and William had an inquisitive mind. They settled in Yamhill country a little north of McMinnville where he started a school with 22 children. He must have been an excellent headmaster because he groomed a future governor of Oregon and Utah, a US Senator, a Representative to Congress, an Oregon Supreme Court Judge, a state Commissioner of Higher Education, and seven physicians! Quite impressive!! So, how did William get to Hood River? Tune in to the next edition of the Adams Creek Newsletter to find out.

Cohousing communities usually buy land when they are looking to develop their project. ACC was fortunate in that we found property on 2.4 acres with the family house intact. This house has become so much more to us that just a house: it became a home for our meetings, our potlucks, open house concerts, gatherings and activities for our children, hours of discussions, guest bedrooms for family and friends visiting, campground for visiting RV’s, and quiet solitude for many members.

In summary, Sherman Avenue house became the heart and soul for our developing community.

Now, we must say “Farewell and Good-bye”.

It is the end of planning for construction and the beginning of building our new community. It is with a sad but grateful heart that we say good-bye.

Sherman House Farewell was held on July 24, 2021 with a hearty potluck, games, music, and many memories to cherish as we move towards a new beginning.

Stay Safe.  Stay Healthy. Stay in Touch.

Friends@AdamsCreekCohousing.com