2022 Christmas Concert, Tour of Homes, and Soup Supper set for Sunday

Submitted by Nick Nikkila

With only 23 days left until Christmas Eve, the speed of life tends to accelerate this time of year. As a result, one has to pick and choose which Christmas season events to attend. One set of events that is a “must see” and should be high on everyone’s list is the Naselle Finnish-American Folk Festival Christmas Concert, the Tour of Homes and the Soup Supper occurring on December 4. The three events are a wonderful way to kick off the Christmas Season.

The concert will take place in the Naselle Community Center located on Parpala Road just west of its intersection with Highway 401. The concert is scheduled to start at 1:30 p.m. The concert is free although donations are gratefully accepted and help to fund the biennial Finnish-American Folk Festival.

Organizer Darlene Bjornsgard has arranged four outstanding homes for this year’s Tour of Homes. Tickets for the tour are $5 and can be purchased in advance at the Hair Villa and Mike Swanson Realty in Naselle or Finnware in Astoria. Tickets can also be purchased at the concert as well as any of the homes on the tour. The tour runs from 2 to 5:30 p.m.

Built in 2014, the home of Dave and Lori Westerlund is simply stunning. The Westerlunds had been looking for property on the Washington side of the river without success until Dave spied a broken sign laying on the ground off Parpala Road. Thinking it was probably outdated, the pair decided to call the telephone number indicated. To their surprise, the owners answered and the property was still for sale. With the deal struck, the Westerlunds built a home and a shop that many can only dream about. A year and a half later, disaster struck when strong winds provided evidence the contractor had failed to properly secure the roof of the shop. Pieces of the roof and insulation covered a large swath of the downwind area. Damage extended to a number of classic vehicles, Harley Davidson motorcycles and other antique items in the shop. Male members of the tour should be forewarned; the shop has been rebuilt and is the source of a disease known as “shop envy.”

The home of Brenda See is a manufactured home that was set in place in 2006. It was originally the home of her grandmother, Rose See. After her passing, the home continued to remain in the family with See moving in during 2017. Early in 2018, flooding from a misbehaving dishwasher resulted in repairs and updating of some of the home’s features. The home currently displays elements of both See and her grandmother. Making it even more of a family affair, the next-door neighbors are See’s parents.

Built in 2020, the home of Marcus and Chelsea Boon is the newest home on the tour. Visitors will enjoy its modern features and rural curb appeal. Bean Creek passes behind the house and, in winter, provides the opportunity for viewing salmon headed toward their spawning grounds. At the beginning of the last century, the Brix logging railroad passed through the property with logging camps on Bean Creek and to the North. In 1913, Andrew Johnson purchased 40 acres from the Ullakko family and built a house near where Highway 401 currently passes by. The house later burned, and the property was vacant for many years. During that time, it saw use as a shooting range. The Boons purchased the property in 2018.

The home of Evart and Dorothy Smith was built in 1955 by Iver Johnson, Millard Penttila and Leonard Vaughn. It has undergone two additions since that time. Extensive remodeling displays the talents and craftsmanship of those involved. Dorothy’s parents moved into the home in 1963 and the Smith’s followed them in 1984. Those on the tour will be delighted to see Smith’s Santa collection and her many items from Finland that are on display. There is an additional reason to tour the home. It is currently for sale and, if visitors like what they see, they could be hosting a tour of the home in the future.

Fall is definitely the season for enjoying bowls of hot soup. Soup connoisseurs will be delighted with the variety of tasty soups available at the Naselle Community Center from 4 to 7 p.m. While the Soup Supper is free, donations are appreciated and will go towards the needs of the Community Center and the Deep River Pioneer Lutheran Church.