Author: grantspassmag

Thrifty Baking: A Magical Chocolate Cake with a Secret Ingredient By Rebecca Scott  As a baker, I love to push myself outside of my comfort zone. When I see a recipe with ingredients that make most people scratch their heads in confusion, I know that’s a recipe I must try. I found such an intriguing challenge with Chocolate Tomato Soup Cake. The earliest known printed recipe for tomato soup cake dates back to 1922, according to research from the Campbell Soup Company. It rose in popularity during the 1930s and 1940s, when baking staples such as eggs and butter were…

The Buzz with Steven Sabel     Grants Pass is home to an astounding number of cultural organizations offering an immense number of performance opportunities throughout the year. One of the freshest annual traditions to be added to that landscape is Shakespeare in the Park.    Presented by the Rogue Valley Shakespeare Company during the final three weekends in June, Shakespeare in the Park is performed on the lawn at the Harry and David Shelter in Reinhart Park. The productions offer audiences the opportunity to enjoy the works of the immortal Bard in a family setting under the stars.    This…

The Buzz with Steven Sabel Entertainment Holidays and Beyond Grants Pass is full of annual traditions, especially at holiday time, including a variety of entertainment options the entire family can enjoy. In addition to holiday tree lighting festivities and the ever-popular Evergreen Federal Bank fiberoptic greeting cards, downtown Grants Pass is aglow with light post snowflakes and giant nutcrackers stand as sentries overlooking elaborately decorated store fronts as part of the Grants Pass Chamber of Commerce window decorating contest. As delightful as a holiday stroll through downtown’s busy shops and unique restaurants can be, indoor entertainment options also grace the stages of our local performance venues…

Bridgeview Vineyards & Winery By Mitch Wilde Nestled in the heart of the Illinois Valley, near Cave Junction, Oregon lay one of Southern Oregon’s oldest vineyards—Bridgeview. Since Lelo Kerivan planted the first grapes in 1982, Bridgeview set out to create German varietals and a one-of-a-kind experience with their beautiful and welcoming vineyard. Bridgeview’s approach, from the beginning was to make the vineyard an extension of their family. Rene Eichmann, the vice president, and head winemaker at Bridgeview recently took the reins at Bridgeview from hisfather, Lelo, who still lives on the property and keeps a watchful eye on his family’s…

This year marks the 100-year anniversary of the Grants Pass Caveman. Beginning in 1922 stemming from the OregonCaves trail road built for tourism by local business owners with the idea of dressing up as Cavemen. In what some might say as odd the men put on a ceremony, claiming to be direct descendants of the Neanderthal Manof ancient times, incorporated as a unit Oct. 1922 in a ceremony held secretly in the depths of the Oregon Caves. One Hundred years later the Caveman is stronger than ever in Grants Pass. Evolving over the past century our Cavemen now do some amazing…

What Will Psilocybin Therapy Look Like in Oregon? By Brandon Davis In Nov. 2020 Oregon residents voted to pass Measure 109, Oregon Psilocybin Services Act, allowing psilocybin service centers and psilocybin mushroom manufacturing. Oregon Health Authority (OHA), along with recommendations from the OregonPsilocybin Advisory Board, has spent the last two years developing a framework for the program. OHA will begin accepting applications for service centers, facilitators, cultivation and laboratory licenses starting Jan. 2 2023,. It’s important to remember that even though Oregon has voted in favor of psilocybin services, some cities and counties have voted to opt out of having…

Thomason Hospitality Group Q&A With Restaurateur Dave Thomason Dave Thomason has an eye for food and beverage franchises. Be it a hamburger spot, coffee stop, or roadside eatery, Thomason has developed a knack for growing and fine-tuning food franchises. After starting with Carl’s Jr. more than three decades ago, Thomason Hospitality Group LLC now operates Elmer’s, Human Bean and Pita Pit franchises, along with Taprock Northwest Grill. Originally from Southern California, Thomason and his wife Doneta moved to Grants Pass when their oldest child, Danae, was just three years old. Danae now acts as regional manager for the firm’s Pita…

Third Annual 4TheKids Livestock Auction The Grants Pass Active Club will be conducting the Third Annual 4TheKids Livestock Auction at 9:30 AM on August 13 at the Josephine County Fairgrounds. Last year, the event raised more than $750,000 for the hard working kids in the program thanks to generosity of many local business as well as some from out of the area. As a non-profit organization, the primary fundraiser is the annual Boatnik Festival, but as a group of just over 50 members, the club has expanded its involvement in the community. The Club now has Boatnik, Christmas for Kids,…

Josephine County Fair Set for August The Josephine County Fair comes to Grants Pass every summer with games, rides, popcorn, cotton candy, shows, music, and lots more fun for the whole family. The Josephine County Fair is scheduled for August 10 – 14, 2022. For 2022, gate admission to the fair will be free for all. Gates open on Wednesday & Thursday, 4pm – 10pm and Friday & Saturday, 10am – 11pm. Fun activities include a pie-baking contest, home brew competition, a scarecrow contest, as well as Truck & Tractor Pulls, Rope 4 the Gold Rodeo, music, rides and great…

A quick golf exercise for a lifelong better game By Justin Klemballa Back when I was working as an assistant golf professional at Jim McLean’s flagship golf school in Dorak, Florida, I learned this tremendous drill from McLean himself. Not only is it a great drill for hitting good shots from fairway bunkers, it’s also effective for developing solid ball-striking in general, being that it helps to develop a power-producing lag in the swing. It also provides immediate feedback. Start by drawing a trench in the sand with the club (illustrated in Picture A). This creates a wall on each…