Newberg Notices | December 9, 2025

Painted Lady Launches Presale for 20th Anniversary Cookbook

NEWBERG, Ore. — Just after celebrating its 20-year anniversary, The Painted Lady Restaurant announced the release of The Painted Kitchen, a limited-edition cookbook.

The 232-page retrospective features 100 recipes with wine pairings, along with profiles of 15 winemakers and 10 regional artisans who helped shape Oregon wine country’s culinary identity.

According to a press release, all presale copies will be signed by Chef Allen Routt and will ship in mid-February 2026. Presale buyers will also receive a holiday card to gift ahead of delivery, with options for custom inscriptions and invitations to a future signing event at the Chehalem Cultural Center.

“This book is a love letter to a valley, a table, and a life spent in pursuit of something simple, beautiful, and true,” Routt said.

The collectible edition includes a foreword by David Adelsheim and cover art by Romona Youngquist, with production—from printing to foiling—completed in the Willamette Valley.

Presale pricing is $100 through Dec. 13, 2025; retail increases to $150. More details and ordering information are available at the restaurant’s website.

Newberg 2025 Christmas Lights Route Announced

NEWBERG, Ore. — The annual Newberg Christmas Lights Route returns for the 2025 season with 17 stops, 10 of which will host a scavenger hunt box.

Participating homes agree to decorate and keep lights on through Dec. 26. The route and scavenger hunt are free, and children who visit at least six stops and complete a stamp card can earn prizes. A printable template is available online. Organizers recommend pressing down firmly when stamping and using a water-resistant folder in case of rain.

In previous years, prizes were mailed to winners. Due to growth in participation, prizes will now be distributed in person on a designated day at the Newberg Public Library. Updates will be posted on the group’s Facebook page.

Newberg resident Gina Kluver founded the Newberg Christmas Lights Route in 2021 as a way for families to enjoy holiday cheer from their vehicles during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Photos or descriptions of decorated homes are submitted to Kluver for selection and route planning. Additional information and updates are available on the Newberg Christmas Lights Route Facebook page.

St. Peter Catholic Church Continues Capital Project Buildout

NEWBERG, Ore. — St. Peter Catholic Church is moving forward on its long-planned sanctuary buildout, including newly commissioned liturgical items handcrafted by Peruvian artisans as part of a $5.9 million capital campaign. Parish leaders say more than 90% of total project costs have been raised to date, with roughly $600,000 remaining.

According to a release from the church, the project includes a traditional Catholic church design with arched ceilings, stained glass and seating for 420 — nearly doubling current capacity. For the past 25 years, parishioners have worshiped in a space originally built as a social hall. The new sanctuary, church officials said, returns to an earlier master plan that envisioned separate areas for worship, classrooms and community gatherings.

In January 2025, fundraising reached a milestone that allowed construction costs to be locked in before inflationary increases.

“This is an important step in honoring our past while building a space for future generations,” church leaders wrote in a statement.

According to the statement, St. Peter parish contracted with Artesanos Don Bosco, a nonprofit that supports self-employed skilled artisans in Peru, to build stained glass windows, the altar, ambo, doors, baptismal font, and other liturgical elements. The organization operates a carpentry and woodcarving school for young men, providing education, room, board, and materials free of charge.

The parish traces its roots to 1895, beginning as a railroad chapel car mission before later constructing one of the first round churches in the country on Wynooski Street. The current project will also free up 6,380 square feet for classrooms, parish programs, and outreach efforts, including Friday Night Community Dinners and the church’s linen closet service.

Richard Rothweiler is the lead architect, partnering with AC + Co Architecture of Salem. The Grant Company Inc. of Mt. Angel is the general contractor.

More information about the project and remaining fundraising goals is available on the St. Peter Catholic Church website.

Local Cartoonist Releases Mister Fixer Tool-Themed Children’s Coloring Book

NEWBERG, Ore. — Local artist and designer Jeff Cameron has released Mister Fixer’s ABC’s of Tools, a children’s coloring book introduced through a cartoon character he first created more than 20 years ago while running a real estate and construction business.

Cameron, who describes himself as a product of 1960s animation influences from Walt Disney to Charles Schulz and Hanna-Barbera, originally developed Mister Fixer as a mascot for his company. The character—a short, round figure with a big nose and bold linework—became the foundation for a new creative project meant to introduce kids to the basics of tools and building.

“I thought a coloring book for kids would be a nice introduction to tools and associate them to letters of the alphabet,” Cameron said, noting that his early years helping in his father’s cabinet shop shaped the idea. “I haven’t seen anything quite like this in the marketplace, so I thought why not make a coloring book using my Mister Fixer character.”

The illustrations were completed by hand using pen and ink before being digitized and compiled using Adobe design tools. From concept to publication through Amazon’s Kindle Direct Publishing, the project took about nine months to complete.

Mister Fixer’s ABC’s of Tools is currently available on Amazon, with Cameron hoping to place copies in Newberg shops and potentially host a book signing in the future. He also has plans for a Mister Fixer storybook, pending illustration work and publisher interest.

Learn more at the Mister Fixer Instagram page