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Old Mill & Garden’s Santa Saturday A8

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Wednesday November 26, 2025 | Volume 150, Issue 48

Real beard, real heart

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DHS presents McQuaddle’s journey to children’s theater

Perfect pictures with Santa

Non profit Santa’s Giving Project keeps growing By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

Just five short years ago, John Hanson was just a concerned grandparent worrying about how his grandkids would get a photo with Santa during the pandemic. Now, he’s the face kids love and president of the non-profit Santa’s Giving Project. During a holiday season kickoff event at the Dallas Area Senior Center bazaar, Hason recalled his humble beginnings that led to bigger efforts within Polk County. “My step daughter asked us if we knew where any Santas were going to be, because of COVID, there were none to be found,” Hanson recalled. So he quickly ordered a Santa suit from Amazon and took a photo to send to the grandkids. “But my step daughter said ‘No, you’re grandpa. We’re not going to confuse the kids,’” Hanson said. So his wife, Joeda, convinced him to put the suit to good use out in front of Walmart in McMinnville. People actually pulled over, got pictures and he gave out candy canes to kids. Then, people started giving him money. After four hours standing there, he went home with over $250. “I thought, ‘Woo hoo! Let’s go out to dinner! Then I realized, Santa is a giver, not a taker. We shouldn’t be taking this money,” Hanson said. So he refocused his efforts, purchasing 100 gift bags for the homeless. Between Thanksgiving and Christmas he collected $4,000, then took the bounty to Dollar Tree and filled four carts with toothpaste, toothbrushes, combs, soap, toilet paper, and sundries needed by a homeless person. Walmart donated reusable bags and 200 pairs of socks. He collected 200 pairs of gloves. Dutch Bros of Yamhill county donated 100 $5 gift cards. And he handed it all out at the mission. In 2021, Santa took the year off to move to Polk County. Then Hanson was back to work in 2022 at the Polk County Fairgrounds, the pet store and other venues sitting in as Santa. He also sought out giving trees, taking items off and buying gifts for the kids listing their Christmas wish lists on them. Through word of mouth, he also took on families in particular need. He was surprised by how successful his efforts were. “I’m dumbfounded. The first year in Polk County we only took on four families, 12 kids. I was scared. It was the first time we promised them we were going to be able to get gifts and help them over Christmas,” Hanson said. Last year, not yet a non-profit, he collected almost $8,000 in donations from Christmas bazaars. He gave away $1,500 in free groceries and took on 22 kids this time, giving them all free new sets of clothes See HEART PAGE 4

IN THIS ISSUE

By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

PHOTO BY DAIVID HAYES

Linda Henry loaded up a basket of Yorkies to get their photo with Santa Saturday at Old Mill and Garden’s annual event. The supply store partners to bring attention to two local rescues, 4 All Muttkind and the Willow Branch Horse Haven and Refuge. For more photos from the event, see page A8.

Blacksmith keeps pioneering spirit alive in 4-H class By DAVID HAYES I-O Editor

David Gibbons didn’t really set out to be a blacksmith, let alone a teacher of the arcane art, when he first started collecting in the 80s and 90s the antique tools in pursuit of his love for history. But a funny thing happened after he started blacksmithing in 1995, he needed a home for his hobby and an outlet to start sharing his growing knowledge. In 2016, Gibbons found the home at Brunk Farmstead, off Highway 20 heading toward West Salem, where he christened Pioneer Forge. Most of the forges in the converted shed, in one of the farm’s newer buildings, are his. “The original facility had a donated old forge, that was really yard art, that someone donated to the museum,” Gibbons recalled. He took that forge home and restored it to running condition to show he was serious. They grew to the idea of him giving demonstrations and building hardware to replace the antique fittings around the farm.

PHOTOS BY DAVID HAYES

David Gibbons leads a small class on coal blacksmithing for Polk County 4-H, teaching youth how to create their own ladles in this two-day class. Gibbons’s first classes were for adults at the museum. He has since expanded to 4-H participants, finding a second natural partnership. The Pioneer Forge is now one of three locations Polk County 4-H program offers blacksmithing courses, but the only one to feature coal furnaces. The other two feature propane furnaces, including Vonhelmick Knife

Company in Falls City with Gordon Hanson and the Crandall Forge in Rickreall with Matt Crandall. In his three years with 4-H, Gibbons’s classes are geared toward 14-18 year olds, but he allows some as young as 12 with a parent present. See CLASS, page A2

In the last 38 years of heading up Dallas High School’s theater program, Blair Cromwell has amassed quite the selection for her wardrobe department. You just never know when a onesie will be handy to have again. Such was the case when the students selected their own costumes for the schools’ annual Children’s Production. This go around, they needed dragons represented front and center for Eddie McPherson’s McQuadle: A Dragon’s Tale, not to mention myriad other colorful gowns and motley clothes worn by quirky characters a youthful dragon would meet along his journey of self discovery. Directed this year by Brianna Trickel, a student teacher from Western Oregon University, McQuaddle: A Dragon’s Tale is making its debut on the Dallas stage. The production, geared toward an audience of elementary students from Whitworth, Lyle and Oakdale (with invitations being sent outside the school district this year) features many other firsts. Senior Leander Halstead-Jeffreys, now in his fourth year in the Dallas theater program, has a bit of extra pressure of being in his first lead role as McQuaddle. He said while the children’s shows tend to be shorter and fairytale oriented, they like to slip in lessons for the kids. “The lesson in McQuaddle is finding your purpose. Sometimes it comes naturally and you don’t have to force it,” Halstead-Jeffreys said. As a tween (aged 10-12), McQuaddle the dragon is looking for his purpose. So, naturally, he goes on a quest. His first step is to call the evil queen who summons McQuaddle to help him find his purpose. “It turns out she puts him to use in her dungeon to be the castle’s furnace for the rest of his life,” Halstead-Jeffreys said. “His friend Littlefoot and others he met during his adventure try to help him to escape and learn his true purpose - make the first school in the kingdom.” So, in the important role of McQuaddle’s antagonist, the evil queen, naturally went to first time actor, Matthew Henderson. The senior usually works behind the scenes handling the technical side of the shows. “When I first got the role, I thought, ‘Ohhh, queen.’ But I’ve seen shows like at Enchanted Forest where there’s a guy playing queen, too. So I was like, wait, I can work with this. It will be funny. So I really started enjoying the role,” Henderson said, brushing back the long, flowing strands of his black wig from his face. “I think these shows are a lot of fun for the kids. See THEATER, page A3

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