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Join the holiday scavenger hunt for hidden gnomes

“Gnome on the Roam,” a free holiday event in Independence

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

In order for the community to celebrate this year’s holiday season, many local events and traditions have to make accommodations. “Gnome on the Roam,” a free family-friendly scavenger hunt, is a holiday event hosted by the Independence Downtown Association. Running from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. and spanning from Nov. 28 to Jan. 9, there will be plenty of time for members of the community to participate in the scavenger hunt and find the 15 plus gnomes that are painted in the shop windows along Main Street and C Street in downtown Independence. 

These crafty little gnomes will be hiding well, so be on the lookout and pick up a scavenger hunt form ⏤ they will be available in front of Indy Commons and other businesses starting Nov. 28. Once all the mystery items have been found, people can drop off the form in the dropbox at Indy Commons, 154 S Main Street, for a chance to be entered into a weekly drawing. 

The prizes will include $20 gift certificates to any downtown business of your choice. Updates on the “Gnome on the Roam” scavenger hunt and future events can be found on the Independence Downtown Association’s Facebook, and their Instagram page @downtownindependence. 

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Enjoy fresh movie theater snacks at home from Independence Cinema

Find out what movie theaters are doing to stay afloat

Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor

Many small businesses have been affected by the pandemic, and local shops in Oregon have especially been impacted by the recent two-week freeze mandated by Governor Kate Brown. However, this hasn’t stopped small-town shops from finding creative ways to stay open while putting safety first — like the Independence Cinema. Although they are not currently offering in-store purchases or movie viewings, people can still enjoy those classic movie theater snacks and other items with their curbside concessions.

During the two-week freeze, their curbside concessions will be open every Friday and Saturday from 5 to 8 p.m., where customers can get some snacks and also purchase gift cards, which are available on their website, battlegroundcinema-com.3dcartstores.com.

Along with providing goodies to all the movie lovers out there, Independence Cinema is also advocating for meaningful relief before 2021 to be provided by legislation. Movie theaters have been some of the hardest businesses hit during the pandemic, and certain measures have to be taken in order for businesses like these to still be a part of our community. Additional information on these legislation efforts, as well as future showtimes, can be found on their website, independencecinema8.com.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

Say hey to Santa at the online 53rd annual tree lighting ceremony

Enjoy the upcoming holiday tree lighting event online 

 Natalie Dean | Entertainment Editor 

The holiday season and a pandemic don’t make for the most ideal of conditions, but there are still plenty of local holiday events for people to enjoy at home. 

One staple of the holiday season in Monmouth is the 53rd annual tree lighting ceremony, a live broadcast of the massive Sequoia Tree that sits on the lawn of Campbell Hall. For many students at Western, especially first-years, getting bundled up and braving the cold to see the lights is essentially a rite of passage. 

This year, staff and students get to enjoy the comforts of home and spread the holiday spirit since it will be an online event. It will be held on Friday, Nov. 20 from 6 to 7 p.m. and can be found at wou.edu/livestream, or on wouTV. So get a blanket, cocoa or some apple cider to settle in. 

Along with the view of the lights on the tree, both of the mayors from Monmouth and Independence ⏤ along with President Rex Fuller ⏤ will be reading a winning essay by a local Monmouth elementary school student. Don’t forget to catch a special visit from Santa and Mrs. Clause who will be at the event to supervise and say hello, but it has not been confirmed if they will be riding in on the reindeer pulling the sled.

Contact the author at ndean17@wou.edu

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Western Oregon University in Monmouth, OR is located within the traditional homelands of the Luckiamute Band of Kalapuya. Following the Willamette Valley Treaty of 1855 (Kalapuya etc. Treaty), Kalapuya people were forcibly removed to reservations in Western Oregon. Today, living descendants of these people are a part of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde Community of Oregon and the Confederated Tribes of the Siletz Indians.

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