PORTLAND, Ore. — The pending sale of Portland’s historic, family-run Alpenrose Dairy has been canceled and a lawsuit against two family members behind the alleged sale has been dropped, according to a statement from the plaintiffs.
Carl Cadonau III, Tracey Cadonau McKinnon and Cary Cadonau said in their statement that support from the community led to the pending sale’s termination:
"We filed a lawsuit to prevent a sale that would have ended Alpenrose Dairy as we and the community know and love. The outpouring of support from the Alpenrose community was overwhelming. We are pleased to report that our collective efforts have resulted in the termination of the pending sale. Accordingly, there is no reason to continue the lawsuit. We are humbled by and deeply grateful for the support of the Alpenrose community."
The lawsuit, filed March 4 in Multnomah County court, alleged that the dairy was on the brink of being sold to buyers who could potentially shut down the Portland business. It said two other family members, Barbara Deeming and Anita Cadonau-Huseby, intended “to destroy legacy, community and an historical family business for their own material benefit.”
Deeming and Cadonau-Huseby denied the allegations at the time. They released the following statement in response to the dropping of the lawsuit.
“We write today representing the majority of the controlling ownership of Alpenrose Dairy and the surrounding property. We understand the news about the Alpenrose Dairy and property has concerned many in our community, including us. The lawsuit, which was brought by three minority owners and members of our own family, has been harmful to the family and misleading to the community. The plaintiffs voluntarily dismissed the lawsuit today, which we believe is a helpful step. The property is not presently for sale, and there are no current plans to change public access to the property.”
The Cadonau family has overseen the Alpenrose Dairy’s operations since they began in Multnomah County in 1891.
The dairy sits on 52 acres in Southwest Portland and has been a popular family destination for decades.
Thousands of parents and children have gone to its annual Easter Egg hunt.
The Little League Softball World Series is held at Alpenrose’s immaculately groomed fields, which are also used for baseball. A velodrome and a competition go-kart track are also on site.
Editor's Note: The video in this story originally aired March 6, 2019.