New Ice Cream shop to open in TD
Jonathon Zilka stands on the deck of he and wife Shannon’s new ice cream shop across from the Civic Auditorium at 318 E. Fourth St., The Dalles. The couple purchased the commercial property with Jonathon’s brother, Tony Zilka.
By Tom Peterson
Jonathan and Shannon Zilka are keeping it simple.
When people think of their shop, they want nothing but scoop dreams of mango, espresso or vanilla to fill their minds.
“I love ice cream. It’s all I want to pursue. Ice cream makes people happy,” Jonathan said on Friday, Aug. 28, 2020.
The couple is currently renovating the former house of Chuck Williams into an ice cream shop. It is at 318 E. Fourth Street, across from The Dalles Civic Auditorium. There are two giant owls carved into an ancient walnut tree stump. You can’t miss it.
The name of the shop? Well, that’s simple too: Shannon’s Ice Cream.
So why The Dalles? Why now?
Zilka, who comes from Portland, said he was familiar with the area as his grandparents lived in Underwood, Wash. He spent his summers in the Gorge and visited the Dalles.
And his brother Tony Zilka, a contractor here in town, told him about the Williams house coming for sale.
Everything seemed right, Jonathon said. The commercial property has a nice stress- free street, and it is across from the Civic Auditorium.
“I like stop signs,” he said, noting it slows people down, relaxes their pace.
Traffic lights, conversely on third and second streets, tend to make people drive faster as many drivers try to make it through the next light before it turns red, he said.
So he and Shannon and Tony bought the place in March of 2018.
The 800 square feet of space on the first floor will house the shop, kitchen, two sitting areas, and a bathroom.
Street view of the former Chuck Williams home, which is quickly becoming Shannon’s Ice Cream, set to open in October.
The Zilka’s will retain the upstairs for their personal living space.
Jonathan, who was an industrial designer of buildings by trade, is well-traveled, with even a few years in Australia. But the couple has kicked around the idea of an ice cream shop for about 15 years.
He and his wife are both string musicians as well. They intend to provide entertainment when time allows.
They expect to have the shop open in October.
Their intention is to create a space where locals feel comfortable celebrating their lives - like following a soccer game, a dance recital, a musical performance, or a concert at the Civic.
The Zilka’s have done structural renovations to the foundation of the house and also installed a sprinkler system and one-hour rated fire ceilings.
Jonathan thanked Dawn Hert, Joshua Chandler and Steve Harris at The Dalles Community Development for assisting him thus far. He said the total investment into the business, property included, was around $200,000.
He also said Skot Barker, director of the Civic, was a fantastic asset to the community and looked forward to him bringing the civic to life with events in near future.
The Zilkas also intend to pay tribute to the former’s house owner, Chuck Williams.
Who is Chuck Williams?
Chuck Williams
Williams had a huge impact on the Columbia Gorge through his activism and environmental work. Willamette University’s collection, the “Chuck Williams Activist Papers,” documents Williams’s integral role in preserving the Columbia River Gorge, and highlights his leadership in the grass-roots activism that led to the Columbia River Gorge National Scenic Act.
He wrote the following in an article for Earthwatch Oregon in February of 1979:
"Most conservationists agree that strong federal action will be needed to preserve the Gorge. Like Lake Tahoe, the Gorge is shared by two states that seldom see eye to eye, and nearly fifty local jurisdictions spread up and down both sides of the river have never been known to agree on anything. A national scenic area managed by the National Park Service is the most likely proposal."
To help bring attention to the cause, Williams wrote, photographed, and largely self-financed the publication of his book, Bridge of the Gods, Mountains of Fire: A Return to the Columbia River Gorge. The book is now out of print but used copies are still available.
Prior to his passing, Williams donated his materials and photography of local events to both Willamette University (WU) and Oregon State University (OSU). He was of Cascade Chinook descent and for many years a member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde. He was a direct descendant of Chief Tumulth of the Cascades Tribe, who signed the (ratified) 1855 Treaty of the Willamette Valley. In his years of working to protect multiple rivers he was given the nickname. “Wild and Scenic Chuck.” In the language of Chinook WAWA, Chuck translates to river.
Oregon State University’s “Chuck Williams Photographic Collection” is a part of the Oregon Multicultural Archives, which is dedicated to preserving and celebrating the histories of communities of color in Oregon.
Learn more at: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/oregonmulticulturalarchives/2020/03/18/exhibit-chuck-williams/
