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PORTLAND, Ore. (AP) — An Oregon cafe that takes orders in sign language has become a cherished space for the Deaf community, providing a unique gathering place as well as employment for those who are deaf or hard of hearing. American Sign Language, or ASL, is the primary language at Woodstock Cafe in Portland, The Oregonian/OregonLive reported. Non-ASL speakers can use a microphone that transcribes their order onto a screen. People have moved from across the country to work at the cafe because it can be hard for people who are deaf or hard of hearing to find jobs, Andre Gray, who helped open the cafe, told the news outlet in sign language. “So the cafe becomes their stable place. It’s their rock,” he said. A screen displays words spoken by customers that comes from microphones translated onto screens is seen at the Woodstock Cafe on May 15, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) People attending a weekly meet up called “Sign Squad” communicate in American Sign Language at the Woodstock Cafe on June 10, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) A sign for Woodstock Cafe is seen on May 15, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) People attending a weekly meet up called “Sign Squad” communicate in American Sign Language at the Woodstock Cafe on June 10, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) People attend a weekly meet up called “Sign Squad” at the Woodstock Cafe on June 10, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) Show Caption1 of 5A screen displays words spoken by customers that comes from microphones translated onto screens is seen at the Woodstock Cafe on May 15, 2025, in Portland, Ore. (Allison Barr/The Oregonian via AP) Expand The cafe — owned by CymaSpace, a nonprofit that makes art accessible to the Deaf community — also hosts weekly ASL meetups and game nights. Sign Squad on Tuesdays is a popular event, drawing people like Zach Salisbury, who was born with a rare genetic disorder that causes gradual loss of hearing and sight and uses a cochlear implant, and Amy Wachspress, who started learning sign language nine years ago as she lost her hearing. The hearing spectrum among attendees is diverse, with deaf people signing with students taking introductory sign language classes and hard of hearing people reading lips and communicating with spoken word and hand signals. “What I just love about it is that there’s so many different people that come,” said Wachspress, who classifies herself as hard of hearing and primarily reads lips to communicate. “It’s so eclectic … just many different kinds of people from all different backgrounds. And the one thing we have in common is that we sign.” Wachspress loves to tell the story about a deaf toddler born to hearing parents who wanted him to be immersed in Deaf culture. When they brought him to the cafe, he was thrilled to see other people sign. Related Articles Here’s when you can get into all national parks free in 2026 10 fascinating U.S. transportation museums to geek out to in 2026 What to know about Carnival season, Louisiana’s biggest celebration Travel: This guide can show you how to eat like a local in Mexico City What’s inside Mexico’s Popocatépetl? Scientists obtain first 3D images of the whole volcano “He was just so beside himself excited when he realized that you could communicate with people using sign,” she said. “We were all so touched. … That’s the kind of thing that happens here at the cafe.” Gray, who helped open the cafe, said there were plans to acquire adjacent vacant buildings for a Deaf Equity Center but that much of the funding was cut following the change of presidential administration. However, CymaSpace hopes to find funding from private organizations and a future crowdsourcing campaign. “It gives power to the community as opposed to a fear of signing. We, as a community, are so proud of who we are,” he said.

By Linda Gassenheimer, Tribune News Service I was looking for a quick and comforting meal for this busy time of year, and creamy mac and cheese with store-bought cooked chicken was the perfect answer. Once the elbow macaroni is boiled, the rest of the ingredients come together in minutes. Related Articles Re-create Anthony Bourdain’s beef bourguignon with this simple recipe Gretchen’s table: Papas con rajas tacos are a spicy, cheesy fiesta Five weeknight dishes: Silky, salty and abundantly satisfying spaghetti carbonara The secret to this Ukrainian soup? It’s all in the sauerkraut Recipes: Feta cheese adds extra oomph to these 3 dishes This dinner can be ready in just 10 minutes. For a festive touch, I added fresh tomato pieces to a bag of washed, ready-to-eat greens for a simple red-and-green side salad. HELPFUL HINTS: Any onion can be used in place of red onion. Any short cut pasta can be used Look for cooked or rotisserie chicken breast in the meat department. COUNTDOWN: Place water for macaroni on to boil. Assemble ingredients. Boil macaroni. Make cheese sauce. Add macaroni to sauce. SHOPPING LIST: To buy: 1 container elbow macaroni, 1 container no-salt-added chicken broth, 1 bag shredded sharp Cheddar cheese, 1 carton nonfat ricotta cheese, 1 small piece Parmesan cheese, 8 ounces cooked chicken breast, 1 bottle smoked paprika, 1 red onion, 1 bag washed, ready-to-eat Romain lettuce. 1 bottle reduced fat salad dressing. Staples: salt and black peppercorns. Chicken Mac and Cheese Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 1 cup elbow macaroni 1 cup no-salt-add chicken broth 1/2 cup diced red onion 3/4 cup shredded reduced fat sharp Cheddar cheese 1/2 cup nonfat ricotta cheese 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 8 ounces cooked chicken breast cut into small cubes, (about 1 1/2-cups) 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Place a pot containing 3 to 4 quarts of water on to boil for pasta. Add macaroni and boil 8 minutes. Meanwhile, Add chicken broth to a saucepan and place over medium high heat to bring it to a simmer. Add onion and simmer 2 minutes. Remove from heat and stir in Cheddar cheese and ricotta cheese. Mix well. Add smoked paprika, chicken and Parmesan cheese. When ready, drain the macaroni and add to cheese sauce. Toss well and add salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately on two dinner plates. Yield 2 servings. Per serving: 614 calories (22 percent from fat), 15.3 g fat (6.3 g saturated, 3.0 g monounsaturated), 139 mg cholesterol, 57.9 g protein, 54.7 g carbohydrates, 3.0 g fiber, 498 mg sodium. Lettuce and Tomato Salad Recipe by Linda Gassenheimer 2 cups washed, ready-to-eat Romaine lettuce cut into bite-size pieces 1 ripe medium tomato, washed and cut into eighths 2 tablespoons reduced fat salad dressing Salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Add lettuce and tomato to bowl and toss with dressing. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Serve with Chicken Mac and Cheese. Yield 2 servings Per serving: 35 calories (32 percent from fat), 1.3 g fat (0.1 g saturated, 0.4 g monounsaturated), 1 mg cholesterol, 1.4 g protein, 5.7 g carbohydrates, 2.1 g fiber, 13 mg sodium. ©2025 Tribune Content Agency, LLC