Face masks. Photo: Chas Hundley
On Wednesday, November 18, an executive order by Governor Kate Brown halted some businesses, changed how others operate, and impacted local gathering places. We contacted local small businesses in our area to see how they are grappling with the new rules and how local shoppers can help support their businesses.
If you are a local business that has been impacted by the coronavirus, please email us at [email protected] so we can add your business to subsequent stories on how our readers can help.
OutAzaBlue
This restaurant featuring international cuisine inspired by Chef Gabriel Barber’s Mediterranean heritage is located on Highway 6 in Glenwood. It’s the last remaining eatery in the Gales Creek area, after Coleman’s closed earlier this year.
With the “freeze” order, the restaurant has had to close their dining room, but they’re still doing take-out and curbside contactless delivery. They’ve experimented with delivery options in the past, and may attempt to do so in the future if the “freeze” lasts longer than two weeks, but their remote location — OutAZABlue is the westernmost restaurant in Washington County — with a customer base split between Forest Grove and Banks makes the logistics of delivery difficult.
“We are in the planning stages of offering meal kits, cooking classes via zoom, extended hours to include lunch and possibly weekend brunches, and more over the next few months. Winter is typically our slow season, so it’s giving us lots of time to get creative and see how we can best stay ahead of the ever changing restaurant industry, and best help our community through these times,” the general manager of the restaurant told the Gales Creek Journal in an email.
Hours: Thursday through Sunday from 4-8 p.m.
Order online, read a menu, or buy a gift card at www.outazablue.com.
OutAZABlue is located at 57625 NW Wilson River Hwy just east of Glenwood.
Shell Station
A mix of fall and winter hours and the impact of COVID-19 have shortened when the Gales Creek Shell Station is open, according to Nikki Sheldon of Sheldon Oil, a family-owned Tillamook company that owns several Shell stations in rural areas of NW Oregon, including in Banks and Gales Creek.
Hours: 5 a.m. – 8 p.m. daily.
The Gales Creek Shell Station is located at 55870 NW Wilson River Hwy in Gales Creek.
Apolloni Vineyards
Apolloni Vineyards, located on Timmerman Road on the north side of Highway 6, has closed their tasting room through December 2 due to Governor Brown’s most recent executive order.
That being said, you can still pick up a bottle or three of their Italian-style wine with curbside service and retail wine purchases.
Of note is the vineyard’s Holiday Gift Guide, which is packed with bundles, deals, and ideas for holiday gifts.
“Essentially, it’s just trying to do our best to have wine available for folks at a discount on some nice fun packs and doing stuff like that,” said Cellar Club Coordinator Zack Keffury in a phone call.
Hours: Thursday (closed for Thanksgiving Day) – Monday 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. or by appointment; call 503-359- or email [email protected] for more information, or visit their website at apolloni.com. Find the winery at 14135 NW Timmerman Road in Gales Creek.
Camp Turnaround
Due to the governor’s “Freeze,” Camp Turnaround, located along Highway 6 between the Timber Road junction and the junction of Highway 6 and 8, is closed.
The event space is host to a number of different events throughout the year, but they are known mainly as a wedding venue on their picturesque property overlooking Gales Creek.
“We have been severely limited since last March,” said camp director and owner Julie Morrison in an email to the Gales Creek Journal. “The numbers of people allowed throughout the last several months has changed many times, leaving couples severely confused about what to do. Most have postponed to 2021 as they did not want to plan with such uncertainty and/or low numbers,” she said.
To possibly cover their losses due to the pandemic, Morrison said it’s essential to fill up their available dates at their venue.
“People can help by passing on our website information to people planning weddings next year,” said Morrison.
Website: campturnaround.com
Phone: (503) 359-1438
Editor’s note: As journalists, we try to avoid finding ourselves in our own stories, but we would be remiss to not mention, as a local business in Gales Creek ourselves, that the coronavirus pandemic has severely affected our work. We have lost much of our revenue since March. Support our work with a digital subscription here.
Chas Hundley is the editor of the Gales Creek Journal and sister news publications the Banks Post and the Salmonberry Magazine. He grew up in Gales Creek and has a cat.
