15th annual ice cream social brings Douglas Avenue area neighbors together

Drizzle fell from an overcast sky on Sunday afternoon, as neighbors from the Douglas Avenue-Woodland Drive area crowded under an awning in Sandy Hom and Don Johnson’s backyard chatting and eating ice cream.

The couple was one of the first to move into the neighborhood 29 years ago.

“Lots of people, we only see this time of the year,” said Johnson.

Katie Baker used to live in the neighborhood, but moved away to attend Oregon State University. She and her husband, William Dillon, now live near campus, but they came to the annual event so Baker could catch up with old friends.

It all started with a progressive dinner among couples in the neighborhood, according to Hom. Families walked from house to house for each course. But, that tradition died when one of the organizers moved to Portland.

In 1992, Hom decided to try something new.

“When Taylor was 6 years old, I thought he needs to learn who is in his neighborhood,” said Hom.

On Sunday, Hom and Johnson’s son, Taylor, now a University of Portland student, was at the party. “He even came of his own free will,” said Johnson.

“I grew up with this party,” said Taylor, “For a longtime, I was the only kid.”

About 26 families have participated over the years. Hom updates a map of the neighborhood with their names and phone numbers at the event each year.

Natalie Ravin and her daughter Camille, who is a freshman at Corvallis High School, were there Sunday visiting with friends.

“It’s a really nice chance to catch up with the neighbors,” said Ravin.

“It’s a very safe-feeling neighborhood,” said Camille.

Karin Main has lived in the neighborhood for 10 years. She chatted with Terri Johnson, who has lived there since 1992, at a patio table on Sunday afternoon.

Main’s daughter, Anais, who turns 9 today, was enjoying all the ice cream and toppings, “She milks it for all she can get,” said Main.

Several people at the party, including Main and Hom, lamented the loss of Lucille Milbrath, an unofficial neighborhood historian who died this year at the age of 93.

“When she first lived here, it was just her house and the Corl House,” said Hom. “For many years she kept track of which houses came when and who lived in them. She was the matriarch of the neighborhood.”

Milbrath’s son Gene came from Salem to stop in on the Sunday gathering.

A lot of local lore was lost with Milbrath, but Hom continues to try to keep the neighborhood together with the annual event.

“Originally it was just Douglas Avenue and Douglas Place, but then some neighbors on Woodland wanted to come and it grew,” she said.

Hom goes house-to-house to invite people. “There are a lot of first-timers here today — three new families” she said with satisfaction.