Aloha Community Advantage Magazine June 2024

• Nonna Emilia’s has been in business and family run since 1978

• Nonna brought the same recipes we use today from her Italian Cafe in 1921

• We offer Dine-in, Take Out, Banquet Room for large parties, and Catering

• We have a full Lounge with Video Poker

• Please visit nonnaemilias.com to Make Reservations, View our Menus, order Take Out online, and order from one of our Delivery Partners Old World Italian Traditions, Modern Flavors

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Step into Your Dream

Where beauty and safety converge

office team that does all of our customer care,” comments Vorster, noting that once the remodel is complete a team member as well as a design specialist will reach out to follow up and answer any questions.

By Patti Jo Brooks, Contributing Writer

Re-Bath of Portland. Now there’s a business name that conveys a clear message. As the largest complete bathroom remodeler in the U.S., Re-Bath has contracted more than 1.3 million bathrooms nationwide. A locally-owned and -operated franchise, ReBath of Portland serves an area that includes Clackamas, Clark, Clatsop, Columbia, Cowlitz, Hood River, Lincoln, Linn, Marion, Multnomah, Polk, Skamania, Tillamook, Wahkiakum, Washington and Yamhill counties.

Experts in the field, Megan Vorster, Sales Manager of the Portland franchise relates, “We do pretty much everything within the footprint of the bathroom.” Free consultation, free in-home design and quote are offered at no obligation. What are you waiting for? Give them a call today!

In just four easy steps, Re-Bath will transform your bathroom from “design to done.” Beginning with an initial in-home consultation with a design specialist to building a custom design package employing a traditional, transitional, rustic or contemporary design style, to removal and preparation, and lastly, finishing up with the professional installation of your “new” bathroom. “We have an amazing

Popular Re-Bath projects include shower conversions for aging and accessibility solutions. To make bathing safer for those individuals, Re-Bath will remove the tub and install a walk-in shower in its place with a low threshold configuration. Other remodels focus on updating a shower or tub design for those who want to enjoy something luxurious and beautiful. In addition, flooring, cabinetry and countertops are available. “We love to hear from people and help them create the bathroom of their dreams,” relates Vorster.

Owners Spencer Shaw and Evan Wyke opened Re-Bath of Portland in 2019 as their third franchise location. The original franchise opened in Boise in 2005, followed by Spokane. Since Portland, they have added a Seattle location. Shaw and Wyke, who love the Northwest, are happy with their four locations. Moving forward, they

just plan on taking care of their clientele and supporting their regional service areas. “It’s a family-friendly, family-run business – that’s why I like it here,” remarks Vorster, who joined the team in January 2021.

Each year Re-Bath of Portland donates a free tub or shower remodel to a charity organization. This year they’re planning on donating to a women’s shelter. Always on the lookout for a recipient, Re-Bath of Portland encourages anyone with a suggestion to get in touch with them.

Visit the showroom at 19300 S.W. 118th Ave. in Tualatin. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., Monday–Friday, and Saturday by appointment. Call 503-746-8522 or email rbportland@rebathnw.com. Please visit rebath.com to view the photo gallery, get more information and to get started on your remodel today!

CHILDREN’S CANCER ASSOCIATION

In the months of June and July, join Mattress World Northwest in supporting JoyRx, the mission delivery of Children’s Cancer Association, and bring Joy to thousands of seriously ill kids in Oregon.

Why is this nonprofit so important? JoyRx programs are designed to relieve the sadness, anxiety and isolation kids experience during hospitalizations. Through music, nature and mentorship, their no-cost Joy-based programming

has been providing emotional healing to children with cancer and other illnesses for over 27 years. JoyRx provides what every parent with a sick child so desperately hopes for — just a little bit of Joy to bring light to the dark treatment journey.

Family-owned and -operated, dedicated to providing their customers the best products at the best prices, all while donating to and participating in their local communities, Mattress World Northwest exemplifies the best of what retail businesses have to offer. This proves that not all mattress stores are created equal.

Get a better night’s sleep and help support your local community at the nearest Mattress World Northwest store. They are open every day or you can order online at mattressworldnorthwest.com.

Feeling Is Believing.

Exploringtheretrovideogamerenaissance

ByRobertMatsumura,ContributingWriter

most realistic, imaginative video games for both consoles and streaming platforms, many enthusiasts are increasingly looking to the past for a familiar, relaxing and affordable gaming experience.

With the dizzying array of tantalizingly new games out there, complete with ultra-high definition graphics and immersive music and storylines, the rising popularity of old low-tech games with pixelated graphics and simplistic controls is a bit of a head-scratcher. In order to wrap one’s mind around this curious phenomenon, it’s important to understand what the term “retro game” refers to. In gaming parlance the term “retro gaming” instantaneously evokes primitive but charming 8-bit graphics, intuitive straightforward gameplay that is addictive and challenging, yet is, at its core, innately simple.

The heyday of these retro games was back in the 70s and 80s when the internet was still a dream, and words like “cell phone” and “streaming” had not yet entered the common lexicon.

experience was to play these games standing up on arcade machines located in pizza parlors, convenience stores and malls across America.

For those of us who grew up during this era the nostalgia factor is immense. As the world continually grows faster and more complex, there is a certain comfort in the return to something familiar. Engaging again with the graphics, sounds and challenges of these simple games has the ability to evoke the past, like a time capsule transporting one back to the days of their youth. Whether rescuing the princess in the various castles of Super Mario Brothers, zapping fast flowing insects in Centipede or defending humanity from invaders from outer space in Galaxian or Space Invaders, engaging once again with these simple yet thrilling games is like reacquainting oneself with an old friend.

Another lure of retro games is their simplicity. Unlike contemporary video games whose complexity often mirrors real life, retro games offer a binary experience that requires minimal decision making and strategizing. In a world where everevolving technology demands increasing levels of expertise and knowledge,

the straightforward gameplay of retro games can be a refreshing change of pace. Basic hand/eye coordination and reaction time are typically the skills required in retro games, versus the detailed storylines and game mechanics common to today’s popular titles.

Aside from nostalgia and relaxing game play, the affordability of retro gaming is also appealing. The expense of today’s popular titles creates a strain on the pocketbook for budget-minded individuals. The inexpensive price of retro games — frequently bundled together at minimal cost — creates a democratizing effect, wherein the vast majority of gamers can afford to participate, rather than only the hardcore few willing to shell out significant dollars to stay up to date on the latest and greatest new releases.

Finally, one cannot discount the aesthetic appeal of retro games with their pixelated graphics and jaunty chiptune soundtracks that impart a certain charm to these old titles. While highly orchestrated

musical scores and jawdropping HD visuals are indeed impressive from a technical standpoint, there are times when simple equates to good. In a sense, retro games are the comfort food of the video game industry. While gourmet cuisine can be an amazing culinary experience, there are times when you simply desire a good old burger and fries. Leaning over a classic arcade machine, joystick in hand, is a completely different experience to gaming online via the latest PlayStation or Xbox console wearing a headset and communicating in realtime with players around the globe. So how has the recent resurgence in retro game popularity affected the gaming industry?

arcade establishments also double as restaurants serving food and beverages to hungry gamers as they strive to save the world from galactic invaders or guide Pacman through a labyrinth of hungry ghosts.

As one might expect, the surging popularity of retro video games has spurred demand for old gaming consoles. The resale market on sites such as eBay for vintage Atari, Nintendo, and Sega Genesis consoles has exploded as the younger generation of gamers discovers these old classics, and Boomers reengage nostalgically with the favorite games of their youth. The demand for retro game

The surging demand for retro games has manifested itself in a myriad of ways, from the creation of small hand-held arcade machines for gamers on the go to the digital remastering of classic retro titles. Game designers are also incorporating visuals, sound effects, and game mechanics from the old retro titles and developing new games that capture the essence of these timeless originals. In cities across the globe the burgeoning demand for retro video games has spawned arcade establishments catering to gamers wishing to play the old classics standing up, on machines like those of their youth. Often these new

in lockstep with the demand for the old consoles and games cartridges, driving a craze for all things retro gaming. No matter what your age or level of gaming experience — Baby Boomer to Gen Z, avid gamer to newbie – retro video games have something to offer everyone. Whether you grew up in the 70s or 80s and seek a nostalgic blast to the past, or hail from a more recent generation, the realm of retro gaming is a wonderful respite from the complexities of our modern life—digital comfort food for the soul!

Pioneering Legacy

Linn County’s first Black resident

By Oregon Black Pioneers

The first Black resident of Linn County, Oregon was a woman then known only as Cora Ann. She was born into slavery in Virginia between 1822 and 1833, and by 1837 was living in New Orleans, where she was purchased by 32-year-old Emeline Carey Sellick. In 1850, Emeline and Cora moved to Missouri, where Emeline married Samuel Johnson. That same year, the couple moved to Oregon, and Cora traveled with them on the Oregon Trail as an enslaved overland pioneer.

When the Johnson party reached Oregon in the fall of 1850, Cora became one of just 55 Black people in the Oregon Territory. African Americans – free or enslaved – had been legally barred from coming to Oregon since 1849. However, legislation targeting Black people often went unenforced within Oregon’s disparate farming communities. This allowed a handful of Black Americans to remain in Oregon despite their legal exclusion, but it also allowed slavery to continue long after the practice was prohibited. Oregon’s Supreme Court outlawed slavery in 1853; Cora, however, would continue to be held as Emeline’s slave until the 1860s.

Samuel Johnson claimed a 640 acre homestead near Brownsville in Linn County, and built a home which he and his wife shared with Cora. The Johnsons had no children. Samuel Johnson drowned in the Calapooia River in January 1858, leaving Emeline and Cora alone.

In December 1858, Cora married John Cox, a Black farm laborer. Theirs is the earliest recorded marriage of two Black people in Oregon. John Cox worked for Jefferson Huff, a white widowed father of two from Tennessee who was likely John’s former owner. Two months later, Emeline and Jefferson Huff were married, and all began sharing the same home.

Cora and John had a daughter named Adeline in 1860. In that year’s census, Cora and Adeline were listed as slaves, while John was listed as free. A second daughter, Angeline, was born in 1864. Cora was emancipated in or before 1864 as well. That year, Emeline sold her “former servant” Cora 36.3 acres of land from her homestead with Samuel Johnson for just $10.00, in recognition of “faithful services rendered.” This purchase made Cora one of the earliest Black landowners

in Oregon history. John Cox built a home for his family on this land that same year.

Cora remained close to Emeline even after receiving her freedom. In 1866, Cora testified in Emeline’s divorce trial against Jefferson Huff. The testimony of a Black woman was extremely rare in 19th century Oregon.

Cora was well known throughout the Willamette Valley; she and her husband were affectionately called “Aunt Cora” and “Uncle John” by their friends and neighbors. She was wellconnected within the region’s small Black community. Cora attended Oregon’s earliest-known Emancipation Day celebration in Salem in 1867, alongside fellow Black pioneers like Ben Johnson and Amanda Gardner.

John Cox died in 1875, but Cora remained in her home until 1886. She sold the house and land that year for $600 and moved to Brownsville. Cora lived comfortably from the sale of her property for the rest of her life. Sources say Cora even made a monetary gift to Willamette University Women’s College in her will. Cora Cox passed away in 1892. The house she lived in from 1864-1886 still stands today, making it one of Oregon’s oldest homes.

Oregon Black Pioneers is Oregon’s only historical society dedicated to preserving and presenting the experiences of African Americans statewide. To learn more, and to support this nonprofit, visit oregonblackpioneers.org.

Oregon Black Pioneers, 2024

Cora Cox home courtesy of Linn County Historical Museum

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