GORDON & KAREN WATKINS embody the spirit of our Boring community - Gordon, a quiet man who can be seen trimming, weeding, and replanting the plants around our Welcome to Boring sign or after a hard day of work at the Boring Garden, still finds the time to gently question and challenge as he has served on the Boring Water Board or as he attends the monthly Boring Community Planning Organization meeting. Have a question about a plant, or something about Boring, ask Gordon. Meet the spirit and voice of our community.
Gordon operate Boring Square Garden.
NORM: “An example of the small town atmosphere - as I arrived to see Gordon, I noticed a SUV being loaded up with huge bags of vegetables and fruit. Gordon invited area residents to drop by their surplus and the he either takes it in to local area food banks, or he personally delivers it.”
WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BORING (AREA)?
My wife Karen and I live in Boring because this is our home - this is where we raised our two kids Eric and Michelle. Eric now lives in Canby and works for the City of Mount Angel and Michelle lives on the big island of Hawaii. We also have 2 grandkids. Caleb is now working with us at the nursery.
WERE YOU BORN IN THE BORING AREA?
Arrived in Boring in 1965 when I purchased our home. At the time we lived and worked in the Parkrose area of Portland and bought here because it was we were able to find a home we could afford. We purchased the first part of Boring Gardens in 1985 on pretty much a handshake. We worked with the county and area to put in drainage, get a a sewer system in place with the other businesses (we all chipped in).
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST HERE?
We enjoy the small town atmosphere of Boring, a community that works well together overall. We may not always agree with each other but we there is a normally a healthy respect.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST HERE?
There has been a huge increase in traffic in our area - especially as the surrounding area as grown. We used to do more on a handshake and now it seems there are so many rules and regulations, codes etc that we must follow and put into place.
HAS THE TOWN CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS?
No real huge changes - we still have kept the small town atmosphere - we have a new park and of course Boring & Dull Day.
WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BORING (AREA)?
Its a quiet safe place to raise our daughter while also being half way between Portland and all that city life has to offer and the mountains.
WERE YOU BORN IN THE BORING AREA?
Grew up in Painesville Ohio - a small town - east of Cleveland then came to Portland for law school in 1999 - 2001 - then- moved here in 2008 when I accepted the position as the Director of the Oregon Chapter of the Sierra which I held for 8 years. My wife Kim & I moved to Boring in 2009.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST HERE?
There is a sense of community in Boring as well as an appreciation of diversity. It's rural character is a big plus.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST HERE?
There has been a real increase in traffic.
HAS THE TOWN CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS?
As in most areas out here there has been an increase in both population which helped fuel the need for a nice park which we now have (The Boring park). The Springwater and Cazedero Trails have been a welcome addition.
MAYA BOWEN is the owner and director of an Infant and Toddler Montessori program in East Portland. She also is the founder and program director of a Montessori Teacher Education Program - Heart and Hand Montessori Teacher Education Program, providing Montessori Accreditation to
those interested in working with children
Her husband and she have started a non-profit hoping to open a school in East Portland that
will serve families with high economic needs - providing high quality child care to an
intentionally diverse population - and expanding to supporting marginalized families and those
experiencing homelessness.
WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BORING (AREA)?
My family and I moved from East Portland to Damascus three years ago. We enjoyed living in
the city as a young couple but we had always wanted to live “in the country” and as our children grew older, we were called to a quieter life. We fell in love with this area immediately.
We love the small community, our neighbors, the quiet, the greenery, the stars and the birds! There are so many birds! We are building our garden and are raising chickens. We all feel so much more relaxed and at peace here. There are so many family owned businesses here, tucked away gems, that give this place its identity - from hidden breweries to feed stores to plant nurseries to small flower stands. I buy honey from neighbors down the road and sell eggs to others. We also love the natural playground this area has to offer - from hiking and snowboarding on Mt. Hood, fishing at Harriet Lake, floating down the Clackamas River, we are never bored and always around beauty.
WERE YOU BORN IN THE BORING AREA?
Neither of us were born in this area. We moved to Oregon from out of state and then to the
Damascus area from Portland 3 years ago.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST HERE?
We have met so many great families at my children’s school - Lewis and Clark Montessori Charter School - that have given us a strong sense of community. We love bopping around town and seeing tall green trees, open farm land and animals, and the shining mountain in the not too far distance. We love how close we are to the famous Oregon great outdoors - rivers and mountains and lakes.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST HERE?
Spotty internet - hahahahaha!!! Its a small sacrifice. Nothing comes to mind, really.
HAS THE TOWN CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS?
I haven’t seen any change in these past three years but the neighbors say the traffic has increased.
WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BORING (AREA)?
An international company - I worked and traveled for- moved back to its home-land. I needed to make a decision to either work for another international company or do something very different. I thought a bed & breakfast could be my new endeavor. So I started looking for a couple of acres between the PDX airport and Mt. Hood. Boring – close to Hwy 26 made this a perfect area - including a 7-bedroom house on acreage, adjacent to a large horse barn. Initially, the house was furnished and set up as a bed & breakfast – but then Norm decided to go into Real Estate, so I decided to take over his health care company, plus do some consulting with international companies. Boring ended up being the perfect location for business and close enough to the PDX airport for travel.
WERE YOU BORN IN THE BORING AREA?
No – I was born in Germany. After coming to the US my family, including 3 girls, 3 horses, 2 ponies, dogs and outdoor cats lived for many years four miles south of Hillsboro – in the country – on 5 acres, including a go-cart track. That’s why the attraction to the location and the Equestrian Center.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST HERE?
The friendliness of most people when going to the post office. The spacious home for our girls and grandkids to come home to and for our friends to come and visit. Being able to have had goats, a bunny, a dog and a cat and now once again being able to visit the barn, see the horse trailers come in, watch horses being unloaded and enjoy some of the shows. I also enjoy our new neighbors. Also having the fire department and police presents close by – makes me feel more secure.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST HERE?
Lately – the very politically conservative atmosphere found among some of the most outspoken inhabitants.
HAS THE TOWN CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS?
Yes and no. There now is a very nice park for children to play in, thanks to some folks who worked hard to achieve that. There is more traffic – which of course comes with growth. The hiking trail are no longer as clean as they used to be. But all in all – I would move here again.
BRUCE HANEY is the assistant manager of B&R Auto Wrecking in Boring and he is what he calls himself: " The current town historian. Most people just call me the town historian. But there have been people before him that made the history of this lovely town their hobby and my research has benefited from their work." But he does it a little different. He does a monthly speech at the local Community Planning Organization where he tries to find the most interesting or funniest local story from newspaper archives. He does history booths at different Boring events trying to share the history of our town. He also posts a lot of his research on his Facebook group: Boring Oregon History.
"It's a lot of fun and it has connected me with this community in a big way."
WHY DO YOU LIVE IN BORING (AREA)?
I live in this area because Boring is where I found community. I lived in Portland for most of my life. But I never really felt like I was part of anything. In Boring, I know all the people involved in the community. If I go to any community event or community meeting I know I will run into people I know and people I am glad to see.
WERE YOU BORN IN THE BORING AREA?
I was born in S.E Portland and that is where I spend most of my younger years. I arrived in Boring in 2003 when I got a job at the wrecking yard on Highway 212. I lived in Portland at the time. But eventually found a nice place in the outskirts of Boring. I still work at that wrecking yard 16 years later.
WHAT DO YOU LIKE THE MOST HERE?
There is a lot to like in Boring. I love the local theater, the people and the history of the area. Researching the history of this town is one of my main interests.
WHAT DO YOU DISLIKE THE MOST HERE?
I enjoy Boring as it is. it's all interesting to me. I don't really have a dislike. I guess I wish there were more recreational things to do. There are seasonal things to do, pumpkin patches, picking berries or whatnot. But there isn't much in the way of entertainment.
HAS THE TOWN CHANGED OVER THE LAST 10 YEARS?
The park! What the community has done with all their fundraising to get that beautiful park together is amazing. That project might have started a little over ten years ago. I am not sure. But the major parts of it have happened in the last decade.