Mount Hood

Pick the perfect fall pumpkin patch near Monmouth

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Need to grab some last minute pumpkins to carve? Want to get into a festive fall spirit and potentially decorate for the holidays? Check out these nearby pumpkin patches to satiate that gourd-geous desire. 

 

Davis Family Farm not only has pumpkins galore, but customers can also enjoy hayrides directly to the pumpkin patch and a trip through their corn maze. Located in Corvallis at 4380 NE Highway 20, the pumpkin patch stays open from Sept. 30 to Oct. 31, but stays open further into the year.

Various seasonal fruits and vegetables can be bought after pumpkin season has passed, and are available to be hand picked directly. In addition, it has cider and doughnuts available to purchase. 

Admission costs $4, and can be found on Facebook, on Instagram (@davisfamilyfarm.inc), and Twitter (@RussellDavis4).

 

Vince Woods Farm is located at 6435 62nd Ave NE in Salem and stays open for pumpkin picking during the month of October. Pumpkins, gourds, squash and wheat are available for low prices.

Along with their Pumpkin Forest, the farm has a corn maze and a caboose. The corn maze takes up two-thirds of an acre, and, according to their website, is deceptively simple. The caboose goes in hand with the Pumpkin Forest, and is supposedly “gently haunted,” according to their Facebook page.

Admission for this year is $1 for the Pumpkin Forest and an additional 50 cents for the corn maze. Vince Woods Farm can be found on Facebook and at their website vincewoodsfarm.com.

 

EZ Orchards, open year-round, is located in Salem at 5504 Hazelgreen Rd NE. Pumpkins are located across a field outside of their corn maze adorned with pumpkin-themed decorations.

A shop filled with produce and various Oregon novelties is located outside the field of pumpkins where customers can buy fresh, homemade pumpkin and apple cider doughnuts. Several seasonal crops are available for purchase during and after pumpkin season.

Admission costs $3 per person, which goes towards a discount for final pumpkin pricing; EZ Orchards can be found at their website www.ezorchards.com.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Cora McClain

Spirits you don’t need sheets to see

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Haunted houses begin to pop up once October rolls around, just in time for Halloween. However, there are locations near Monmouth that stayed haunted year-round.

Western’s own Todd Hall is said to be haunted. The legend at Western says it’s haunted by the former Dean of Women and Dean of Dormitories and the namesake of the building, Jessica Todd. According to current and former students, she doesn’t like males being in the building since it used to be a strictly female residence hall.

People have reported hearing footsteps in the hallway and see the lights flicker on and off. Objects such as paper are supposedly moved when no one has touched them.

Todd is also said to move locations to the Cottage, which was where she lived while working on campus according to the Hamersly Library Instagram. Supposedly, she moves there to scare people who have stayed out past dark.

Travel to Salem and visit the Elsinore Theater at 170 High Street SE, where visitors are said to feel an eerie presence when entering the building. It’s considered a historic 1930s landmark, and is a popular location for many modern theater productions.

According to traveloregon.com, there’s a girl in a white dress that is frequently spotted on the upper balcony. She’s said to be the original owner’s daughter, and fell from the balcony where she’s seen. A ‘ghost light’ stays lit on the stage, and workers and visitors have said they see shadows when no one is walking across.

The Bush House Museum is another location in Salem that’s reportedly haunted by Eugenia, the daughter of Asahel Bush II, the one who built the mansion. According to hauntedrooms.com, she’s said to be keeping watch of the building, where her apparition is seen often. Visitors have reportedly said a disembodied female voice can be heard throughout the house.

Salem Ghost Tours offers official history walkthroughs of locations that are considered haunted throughout the year which take place on Friday and Saturday evenings. Tickets cost $20 for adults and $15 for youth aged 7–17. More information and bookings can be found at their website salemghosttours.net. 

Independence hosts a Ghost Walk each year on Oct 5, which tours haunted spots such as the Pink House. Dallas has recently begun the History and Mystery tours of buildings that hold chilling stories throughout the town. It costs $25 a person and takes place Oct 1–Nov 1. Monmouth also hosted their first History and Mystery night this year where they talked about the ghosts of the town.

 NW Ghost Tours hosts a Walk with Spirits tour that takes place in Oregon City from June–December every year, and can be found at their website www.nwghosttours.com.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu

Find your muse in Monmouth with new costume shop “Dancing Muse”

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for a costume for Halloween, a party, festival, faire or convention? Search no further than Dancing Muse.

Dancing Muse is a costume shop located at 281 Main St. E in Monmouth — easily identifiable by the giant inflatable dragon in front. Enter through the door on the left and climb the steps to reach the store.

Officially opened on Oct. 18, the store is owned and operated by James Martin and Mary Harper, who bought the original costume shop that resided in Monmouth. The original shop was only open once a week, but Dancing Muse is open seven days a week, all year. 

“We embrace Halloween year round,” Martin said. Dancing Muse is full of costumes that vary from Halloween to sci-fi related to pirate garb. More choices are available for those looking for Renaissance faire outfits or cosplay gear. The center spread of costumes in the store also changes seasonally.

In addition to their current selection, Dancing Muse makes custom costumes and accessories for their customers, and will even repair damaged ensembles that are brought into their store. Presently, Martin and Harper are repairing their sewing machines, which is delaying their current sewing availability.

The store uses the tagline “We Dress Naked People” on their business cards and social media sites to reference their business direction — meaning their business serves to get people fully dressed up for events they are attending. 

“Naked is a community term referring to someone wearing street clothes, rather than garb/costume at a convention or festival,” Martin said. 

Martin also stated that Dancing Muse uses a type of therapy that involves dressing up in costumes.

“Putting on a mask or costume at a party allows a person to become someone else, or to help hide fears and anxiety from others,” he stated.

Dancing Muse is open from 10 a.m.–7 p.m. Tuesday–Saturday, and 12–5 p.m. Sunday and Monday. The store can be found on Facebook, Instagram (@dancingmusedist) and Twitter (@dancingmuseshop).

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Cora McClain

Six killer costumes on a budget

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor 

Caity Healy | Managing Editor

Halloween is just around the corner, and although college students may be a bit too old to trick or treat, one thing is for certain: one can never be too old to dress up. That being said, purchasing a costume isn’t always cheap — especially when they come directly from a pop-up Halloween store. Fortunately, making the switch from purchased to DIY can be both easy and fun.

To help with the inspiration, The Western Howl has compiled a list of potential costumes to get students started. We have included the prices of each costume — assuming the pieces don’t already live in the back of your closet — and where each item was purchased. Have fun with it, and happy haunting, Western. 

 

Couples Costumes 

 

#1: You and Your Boo

 

Jack and Wendy from “The Shining”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Wendy: 

Brown jumper dress — Amazon, $13

White tights — Ross, $2

Turtleneck — Goodwill, $3

Green flannel — Walmart, $8

Brown boots — Goodwill, $8

Baseball bat — Goodwill, $3

Total: $37

 

Jack:

Red shirt/jacket — Goodwill, $5

Old jeans — Goodwill, $5

Dark shoes/boots — Goodwill, $8

Fake axe — Goodwill, $3

Total: $21

 

#2: Friends ‘til the End

 

Spongebob and Patrick from “Spongebob Squarepants”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Spongebob:

Brown leggings — Goodwill, $6

White vest — Goodwill, $5

Yellow long-sleeved shirt — Old Navy, $6

Red bandana — Amazon, $4

White socks — Dollar Tree, $1

Black sneakers — Goodwill, $7

Total: $29

 

Patrick:

Purple and green patterned button up — Goodwill,  $6

Pink shirt — Old Navy, $4

Pink pants — Goodwill, $7

Pink vans — Goodwill, $7

Total: $24

 

#3 Dead Man’s Best Friend

Elliot and ET from “ET”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Elliot:

Red zip-up hoodie — Amazon, $10

Old jeans — Goodwill, $5

White sneakers — Target, $10

Total: $25

 

ET:

Old white blanket/sheet — Goodwill, $3

Total: $3

 

Extra points: An old bicycle and a basket big enough for your pet

 

Hot Costumes of 2019

 

#1: Season 3 Eleven from “Stranger Things”

 

What you’ll need:

 

Oversized ‘80s shirt — Goodwill, $7

Suspenders — Amazon, $5

Black pants — Goodwill, $5

White socks — Dollar Tree, $1

White shoes — Target, $10

Scrunchie — Dollar Tree, $1

Fake blood for nose bleed — $5

Total: $34

 

#2: Joaqin Phoenix as the Joker from “Joker” 

 

What you’ll need:

 

Face makeup — Amazon, $10

Green hair spray — Amazon, $6

Red jacket — Goodwill, $5

Green shirt — Goodwill, $3

Yellow vest — Amazon, $6

Total: $30

Alternatively, you can just do the face makeup to scare all your friends.

 

#3: Wednesday Addams from “Addams Family”

 

What you’ll need:

 

White collared shirt — Amazon, $10

Black long-sleeve shirt — Goodwill, $6

Black skirt — Goodwill, $7

Black tights — Target, $6

Black flats — Goodwill, $5

Total: $34

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photos by Caity Healy

The Donut Bar provides another cheap food option for students

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

The Donut Bar is a sweet-treat food truck located at 191 Monmouth Ave. N, just a ways away from the annex of food trucks across from City Hall. It’s a relatively new addition to the plethora of food trucks located in Monmouth, having only opened on Sept. 21.

It’s owned and operated by Eric Brown, who decided to start selling in Monmouth due to his church, Limitless Ministries, and family being located here. The Donut Bar’s target customers are the Western students.

Initially, the idea to sell doughnuts at a food truck was to help with funding the church he attends. The actual decision to start the food truck was based on Brown impulsively buying a trailer he had seen while on a trip to the coast.

The Donut Bar’s menu consists of many featured flavors to try, such as the maple bacon doughnut, the Reese’s doughnut, and a create-your-own doughnut option. The truck’s options are not limited to what is posted on the menu, and customers can inquire about other available flavors.

“We are a full kitchen so we can make (a lot) of things,” Brown said. “(There’s not) really a secret menu but there’s things that are not on our window menu.”

For first time customers, Brown recommends trying the Caramel Apple Pie doughnut or any option with peanut butter as a flavor. He claims their signature doughnut is the Apple Fritter with maple bacon and peanut butter.

The Donut Bar’s menu also rotates seasonally, which gives customers various new flavors to try. Currently, the truck has many fall flavors like the Pumpkin Pie doughnut.

Brown doesn’t plan to stop at the food truck, however, and plans to open a full doughnut shop in Monmouth. 

“My father owned 2 (doughnut) shops growing up,” Brown said, “I’ve always wanted to do this.”

The Donut Bar is open from 9 a.m.–5 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays, and from 8 a.m.–2 p.m. and 5:30–10:30 p.m. on Saturdays. They can be found on Facebook by searching “The Donut Bar”.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo by Brittany Figueroa

WolfStore sells backpacks to help families in need

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

The WolfStore at Western has recently obtained new stock from the brand Adventurist Backpack Co. Adventurist Backpack Co. is co-owned and founded by the wife/husband duo Matilda Sandstroem and Kelly Belknap.

Sandstroem and Belknap have teamed up with Western to sell their minimalist backpacks on campus in an effort to raise awareness about students and families in need. For every backpack purchased, 25 meals are provided to families in need through their partnership with Feeding America.

Their story began while backpacking around the world in 2017. After witnessing many families struggling with hunger, the pair decided they wanted to take action.

“Wanting to do what we could to help, we prepared meals each morning and filled up our backpacks, handing the meals out to anyone in need throughout the day,” they stated on their website. Adventurist Backpack Co. was founded upon their return to the U.S. They were able to fill up their backpacks with 25 meals each, hence why 25 meals are provided to families in need with each purchase of a backpack.

The backpacks have a minimalist design, and are made with high-quality all-weather materials, along with minimalist elements from Sweden — Sandstroem’s home country.

Belknap and Sandstroem, after successfully integrating their backpacks into Urban Outfitters, have begun partnering with other universities around the country by selling their backpacks in campus stores.

“We partner with university hunger programs in order to donate a percentage of net profits from each backpack sale to help provide “meal swipes” so that food insecure students are able to eat at the dining halls on campus and also have access to a mobile food pantry, or to local food banks,” Belknap said.

Adventurist Backpack Co. has a goal of providing over 250,000 meals by the end of their third business year. Nearly 100,000 meals have been provided to families in need across the world since the business began in 2017.

“We aim to be at the forefront of brands using business to do something larger than just provide a great product or service, but to help change the world for the better through entrepreneurship,” said Belknap.

More information on Belknap and Sandstroem’s story can be found in the WolfStore and on their website http://www.adventuristbackpacks.com. They can also be found on Instagram at the handle @adventuristbackpacks, and can be reached at hello@adventuristbackpacks.com for any questions.

Contact the author at rhorrall17@mail.wou.edu

Spooky DIYs for Halloween

Rylie Horrall | Lifestyle Editor

Looking for cheap and fun ways to decorate for Halloween this year? Try out these DIYs to get prepped for the spooky season.

 

Witch’s Potions

Make some witch’s potions to set on a windowsill, at the front door or just miscellaneously around the house. Start by taking any old, preferably glass bottles lying around, such as a wine, cider or seltzer bottle. Fill the bottle with some sort of liquid — water dyed a different and/or unnatural color, juice, or something carbonated to give the potion a bubble-bubble-toil-and-trouble look. 

Take the witch’s potions up a notch by adding in various “ingredients”. Add in gummy worms to give an impression of living things being included, or some substance such as ketchup to thicken the liquid, increasing the murkiness and mystery.

 

Floating Ghost

Create a spooky ghost to hang from the ceiling using simple household items. Take a round object like a tennis ball to use as a head, then gather some spare cloth thats cut into a square — length of cloth may vary depending on desired decoration size. Glue the tennis ball to the center of the cloth and attach thread to the top once dried.

Googly eyes can be glued on to add a cuter spooky feel. Variations of the tennis ball could be a balloon, a stress ball or other ball. Cloth can be from old sheets, clothes or various fabrics.

 

Witch’s Spellbooks

Utilize old books that are no longer in use by transforming them into witch’s spellbooks. Head to a used bookstore and pick up some tattered books – or just use older books lying around the house. Cover the book in shabby cloth by either gluing or taping it on. Alternatively, painting the book also works, the goal is just to hide the cover.

Wear down the pages by dampening with water, or coffee to stain the pages to age the book further. Take a lighter or match to the edge of the pages – if the cover is paperback, this works too – to add to the wear and tear.

 

Contact the author at rhorrall17@wou.edu

Photo Cora McClain (Witch’s Potion)

Photos by Caity Healy (Floating Ghost and Witch’s Spellbook)

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