Hey there Reader! Welcome to the launch of…The Orenco Press!

☕ The First Sip

“Before you scroll… let the vibe steep.”

Hellooooooooooo Hillsboro!

I am so excited to introduce The Orenco Press! A friendly, chill, often informative, often funny (if I do say so myself!) neighborhood newsletter for Hillsboro, Oregon.

Before we get into the meat and potatoes of what to expect from The Orenco Press, I wanted to give the reasons why. Why am I starting a free neighborhood newsletter? What neighborhood? Why is it free? And can’t we just look at the websites and magazines Hillsboro lovingly (and freely) provides it’s peeps? After all, we have a hopping community, full of festivals and celebrations. We have Art Walks and a lively Tuesday Market. The Food Pods are ahhh-mazing, with new Food Carts popping up every day. Some restaurants have live music every week during the summer, and I almost forgot to mention the free Summer Concert Series!

Aaaaaaand that, my friends, is the point. Sure Tuesday Market is obviously on Tuesdays…but do you know when the Foo Fighter Tribute Band is playing at Shute Park? (It’s on July 3rd) Did you know that was a thing?? When is the Hispanic Festival? Are we having a Celtic Festival this year? Has anyone kept track of how many privately owned coffee shops there are so we can support them? What can I do with my pre-teen who is suddenly too cool for “dumb stuff” like side walk chalk or geocaching? (I beg to differ, child!) And where in the Bigfoot can I go on a date with my hubs?!

Though we have lived in this wonderful community for nearly 13 years, the question: “What do you want to do?” is still the one I ask my family all the time. And then we end up turning on Netflix because we can’t find the catalogs, we can’t remember what restaurant has live music, and next thing we know it’s 8 pm and time to wind down for the evening so I can get my adorable gremlin to bed with minimal arguments before 10 pm. “Because it’s summer so bedtime should be later….” is the argument I often hear. 🙄 (Pleeeease tell me I’m not the only one.)

It’s embarrassing really. Partly because my neurodivergent brain can’t remember if TODAY is Tuesday or still May. And partly because there’s so many amazing things, it’s a bit overwhelming to comb through allthethings the DAY you want to do something when you have family, jobs, businesses, and the horrible nagging suspicion you forgot to put the thing in the calendar that you were actually really excited about. (Or is that just a me thing?)

And thus…The Orenco Press was born! Begun? Built.

So let’s get into it, shall we?!

That means for every business that decides to support The Orenco Press, their website links will also get a little boost because of the amazing SEO, marketing, and web design work from the team members at The Viable Source. They are even setting up my website so that when The Orenco Press has grown, I can invite local contributors to write about their adventures in Hillsboro! (And a few other surprises coming this fall!) It has been a joy working with The Viable Source team. They are all very kind, patient, and thorough. If you’re looking for a beautiful, fast-loading, and professional website, some monthly marketing support, or need better Google ratings I highly recommend sending Jeremy a message for a consult!

TheViableSource.com

^{Sponsored by The Viable Source}

📻 What’s Brewing (also known as: Events)

Your go-to list of local happenings, side quests, and a few excuses to put on pants.

Yup. You read that right. This little section here is where I’ll let you know about the stuff going on around Hillsboro. It’s a quick look at what you should pack the kids up for, including art shows, makers markets, music, exhibits, and performances. And if this introvert is excited to put on pants for it, you know it’s gonna be good!

🎪 This Week’s Main Event — “Big crowds. Big vibes. Big fun.”

Bring the kids, bring a camp chair, and definitely bring the sunscreen!

🎡 Out & About — “Local fun for all ages.”

• ⚾ The Hillsboro Hops will be hosting an All-American Weekend celebration from July 4th through July 6th, including fireworks after the games on Friday and Saturday, and a "Salute to Service" event on Sunday. Tickets start at $10.00

  • Friday, July 4 @ 7:05 PM against the Eugene Emeralds;

    • Game Highlight: Fourth of July Celebration

  • Saturday, July 5 @ 7:05 pm against the Eugene Emeralds;

    • Game Highlight: 5th of July Fest - Fireworks Saturday

  • Sunday, July 6 @ 1:05 pm against the Eugene Emeralds;

    • Ticket Offer: Salute to Service

      Join us as we honor the brave men and women who serve and have served in our armed forces. We're proud to recognize local military members and veterans with special in-game tributes, patriotic festivities, and a heartfelt display of gratitude from the entire Hillsboro community. Active Duty, Reserve, and Veterans receive $3 off your tickets when purchased in person. Tickets can be purchased at the box office day of or at the Hops Front Office. (ID Required) |

    • Game Highlight: Kids Run the Bases

      Round the bases and race your friends! Every Saturday and Sunday kids(12 and under) get to run the bases.

🍴 Bite Club (Food & Drink)

Craveable bites, fork-worthy finds, and snack-sized updates from around town.

Because OBVIOUSLY! This section will not only host some craveable delights, but as we know all to well in our household, sometimes you need more than just “is it good?” So we’ll have some fun features like:

🍴 Fork Yeah! — “Home-cooked meals worth cheering for.”

Send in your grandma’s gumbo recipe, or your favorite summer side dish, or a Pinterest find that made your toddler eat thirds! We want them all. (No but seriously. Help me figure out what to have for dinner!)

🧀 The Snackdown — Polls + paid member assignments.

Oh yes. There WILL be a Snackdown! I’ll ask our community to compare dishes like: best pho, best birria, best chai, etc. and for our paid subscribers (it will literally be less than a latte to say thanks for all the hard work) you will get exclusive newsletters with bonuses, special local coupons, and assignments to give your 5-taco rating of different flavor filled adventures. Speaking of…

🌮 Taco Index — Our cheeky rating system using 5 tacos instead of stars.

Listen, when my Triple Taurus hubs found out he had Celiacs, the tears and struggle were real! Not only is this man’s love language good food (the dude went to the Art Institute for Culinary Arts for heaven’s sake!), but then he was told “Oh yeah. Except doughnuts. Or cake. Or pasta.” So because food is no joking matter in our home, each delightful culinary will include visual tags like:

• 🎉 = GF or Gluten-friendly

• 🐶 = Pet-friendly

• 🍭 = Kid-approved

• 🍷 = Date Worthy

• 👠 = Dapper worthy

It’s not just a visual key to let you know what to expect when you go out to eat, it’s to help you decide the energy level needed to go out to this place to eat. (You’re welcome.)

🏆 Big Deal Energy

Because the little things are the vibe.

Of all the sections within The Orenco Press, I have to say I’m the most excited about this one!

Big Deal Energy is the heart-centered focus on our lovely Hillsboro community. We’ll feature “Local Legends” like the Fire Chief, the Mayor, and the guy who makes the BEST 🍩 doughnuts every Friday morning. 🤤 The big wigs and the unsung heroes alike.

I’ll find fun little corners of our city to share with you, and I’d LOVE for you to share with us as well! Follow The Orenco Press on Insta, and when you find a jewel (Chalk art, community murals, or quirky finds) tag us in your post and use the hashtags #PressItHillsboro and #OrencoPress. You might get your photo featured!

This is also where I’ll let you know about who around town needs volunteers. Maybe you want to help an elementary school paint the playground for the kids - like hopscotch, maps, and “wiggle” challenges. Maybe you want to learn about fostering kids in need. Maybe you want to help pick up trash on TV Highway. Let’s put the human back in humanity and do a little good. ❤️

AAAAND!! If I can swing it, connect with the right people, and find some digital stuff I can put in here for you, we’ll also have a feature called: 📜 Timekeeper’s Corner — “This day in Hillsboro history.” Why? Because I find history fascinating and Walt Whitman told me to “stay curious.” There’s NO WAY I’m going into the tunnels though……maybe we’ll find a ghost-hunter volunteer during October. 😬😳

There’s plenty more planned, and lots more to do so I can provide the bestest neighborhood newsletter this side of the tunnel! But for now I just want to say thanks. Thanks for joining my very long group chat in my brain, for all your future suggestions to share with others, and for hanging out all the way to the end.

I’ll see you next Wednesday, and I hope you have a GREAT week!