Team Update

Eric is back on the BBQ trail! On June 22nd, he attended a Steak Competition in Lebanon and finished 6th place. Then 2 weeks later to Sweet Home for the big BBQ Competition in which the team overall finish was 21st. The big winner was Eric’s wife Amy, as she finished 2nd place in the ancillary dessert division with her Muscovado Caramel Apple Brandy Vanilla Cheesecake. She earned her ‘Golden Ticket’ to the World Championships in Fort Worth, TX for March 2025! Way to go Amy!

Katie’s big news, and constantly at the forefront of her mind, is that she is engaged! Her fiancé Steve gave her a ring at the end of June, and they are planning a fall wedding. In the meantime, mini trips with family and friends, boating, camping, hiking, spelunking, berry-picking and preserving jam have rounded out her summer. Getting to know and merge two families is a fun adventure as well.

Katherine has been enjoying this beautiful summer with projects around the yard and a few trips to the Oregon coast. She and her Sheepadoodle, Quill, are now a certified therapy team with Alliance of Therapy Dogs. This allows them to be a therapy team at Salem Hospital usually visiting two times a month. They continue to participate with Read to a Pet at the Salem Library.

This summer has been a fun one for Larry and Laurie.  They enjoyed fishing on a dory boat trip out of Pacific City.  Captain Mark Lytle of Pacific City Fishing donated the trip to the 2023 Boys and Girls Club Rivalry Auction where Larry and Laurie were able to get the winning bid.  They limited out on crab, rock fish and were 2 Lingcod short of their limit.  Yes, Laurie caught most of the fish.  They also enjoyed a catered dinner that was donated to the Liberty House Mega Raffle by Ricardo and Maggie Antunez of Xicha Brewing.  Chef Ricardo and Maggie prepared a fabulous Latin America themed dinner for Larry, Laurie and guests.  Last and certainly not least, Laurie again performed at The Yard Food Park.  She sang back up on Gimme Shelter by The Rolling Stones and played keyboard as well as sang backup on Super Freak by Rick James.

Out and About:

Katie is the new chair for the Salem Chamber Business Women. She hosted a planning retreat in August for the advisory committee. The H Group Salem sponsored the event at Willamette Valley Glamping & Retreats. The ladies appreciated the time together, the teamwork and the vision for the coming year. It was an uncharacteristically cool day, but it made a cozy time. Katie’s work with the Chamber also involves volunteering on a golf tournament committee and for various other events.

Katherine was joined by Eric and his wife Amy at The Lonely Chef’s Dinner in support of the Marion Polk Food Share (MPFS).  MPFS’s mission is to bring people together to end hunger and its root causes.  The Lonely Chef’s Dinner raised several thousands of dollars to help with this mission.

Larry and Laurie played in the Boys and Girls Club of Western Lane County (BGCWLC) charity golf tournament as well as the Commerce-Cleveland High School (CHS) Alumni Annual Golf Tournament.  The BGCWLC’s  mission is “to inspire and enable all youth, K-12, especially those who need us most, to realize their full potential as productive, responsible, and caring citizens by providing stimulating and challenging programs through interactions with dedicated, caring people.”  The CHS Alumni tournament provides funds to the Alumni Association at CHS to help provide “activities that advance educational opportunities for the students of Cleveland High School and prepare them to be contributing and responsible members of society.”