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North Coast

Citizen Serving North Tillamook County since 1996

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DECEMBER 14, 2023

$1.50 VOLUME 30, NO. 25

Rockaway Renaissance Artists paint the town

Rockaway Renaissance Artists were commissioned by the Rockaway Beach Chamber of Commerce to paint fall scenes in the windows of requested downtown businesses. PHOTO BY CHELSEA YARNELL By CHELSEA YARNELL Guest Contributor

aintings of fall scenes with pumpkins and gnomes popped up in the windows of Rockaway Beach

businesses beginning in October. Behind the paintbrushes: the Rockaway Renaissance Artists. As a subcommittee of the Rockaway Beach Chamber of Commerce, the group was

formed by the late Cindy Kay Gregory a year and half ago. “She had a vision to have a group of artists support each other,” member Jill Collar said. “A place to meet and encourage one another.”

The group now has 93 members with 10 members meeting on a weekly basis. Artists in different mediums: painters, crafters, sketchers and photographers are found amongst them.

“We come together with other artists and bounce ideas off one another,” Collar said. After Gregory’s passing in February 2023, Collar took over more and more leadership responsibility.

As pineapple express drenches Tillamook, county commissioners declare state of emergency

PHOTO COURTESY TILLAMOOK COUNTY PUBLIC WORKS

WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

large storm system battered Tillamook County beginning December 1, dropping more than five inches in one day on Tuesday, December 5, and causing widespread areal flooding across the county. By December 7, water had mostly subsided as rain

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showers became intermittent and isolated but by that point the atmospheric river had caused serious damage to several roads across the county, with the most extensive occurring on Miami Foley Road and Sand Lake Road. And with the weekend approaching forecasters were predicting another three to five inches on Saturday and Sunday, triggering another flood watch. With rain still falling, the mounting damages led the Tillamook Board of County Commissioners to declare a state of emergency on December 6, to expedite recovery efforts and the reception of state and federal funding.

Tillamook County Public Works Director Chris Laity appeared at the commissioners’ meeting for a rundown of issues facing the county and to discuss the need for the emergency declaration. At the beginning of the meeting, the most significant damage to county infrastructure was a 30-foot washout on Miami Foley Road, 8.8 miles north of its intersection with Highway 101. The washout was caused when the Miami River rose four feet on December 5, overwhelming the capacity of a 36-inch culvert in Crystal Creek. Laity said that the culvert had been previously damaged in a 2015 storm and the

county had already been in the final stages of designing its replacement, with work planned for the summer of 2024. The design called for a 50-foot span with a budget of $2.4 million, with HB Civil contracted to complete the work. That preparation came in handy for the county, as they were able to use the existing plans and forego a lengthy design process to get work started by December 7. Laity said that the construction team had been in touch with him since the washout on the 5th, and that they had found 60-foot, used beams available in Salem that allowed the quick commencement of work. SEE PINEAPPLE EXPRESS PAGE A2

SEE PAINT THE TOWN PAGE A2

Updated modeling projects increased timber harvests in Tillamook County WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

A 30-foot section of Miami Foley Road was washed out when Crystal Creek overwhelmed a culvert.

“She devotes a lot of time to the stuff that needs it,” member Chris Williams said. For some, the weekly gatherings are a time to work and

pdated harvest projections for Oregon’s State Forests accounting for a proposed habitat conservation plan were presented to the Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee by Oregon Department of Forestry staff on December 8. The projections showed harvest levels across all state forests slightly decreasing or staying steady compared to those under a transitional implementation plan in effect this year and next. Tillamook County saw an improvement in its projected situation, with a significantly higher level of harvest forecast, increasing from 49 million board feet currently to between 62 and 74 million board feet on average over the course of the plan. Other counties, particularly Clatsop and Washington, were projected to maintain current levels or see a slight decrease, with the variation coming from different harvest scenarios that will be selected between by the board of forestry. The harvest projections presented to the Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee (FTLAC) were part of a larger update on an in-development forest management plan (FMP) that will govern forest policy for the next 70 years. The new FMP is being developed in conjunction with and to adhere to the standards of a habitat conservation plan (HCP) that has been created concurrently. The HCP is an overarching conservation plan agreed to with federal agencies to limit damage to the habitats of endangered species and decrease the

Oregon Department of Forestry’s (ODF) risk of lawsuits challenging its impact on endangered species. To achieve those goals, the HCP will designate certain zones as habitat conservation areas, greatly restricting forestry activities therein and remove other areas from harvest rotations completely. Early projections in 2020 and 2021 predicted that the HCP would have negligible impact on harvest levels across state forests, which have averaged between 225 and 250 million board feet (mmbf) over the past decade. However, in December of 2022, more refined modeling completed for the transitional implementation plan that is governing forests this year and next year before the adoption of the FMP showed a drastic cut in harvest levels to 182.5 mmbf. Those cuts drew widespread concern in the forest trust land counties that rely heavily on state forest revenues to finance their budget. FTLAC members called on the board of forestry to halt the development of the HCP and restart with a greater focus on the economic stability of their counties. The board of forestry voted down a resolution to do just that at its February meeting 4-3, with the majority saying they preferred to wait for final numbers before making such a decision. Updated modeling was initially expected in September but due to delays was not completed until December. At the December meeting, ODF staff said that they had completed modeling for the FMP based on four different scenarios, to present SEE TIMBER HARVESTS PAGE A3

December 14, 2023

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PINEAPPLE EXPRESS CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

Workers in the washed-out section of Miami Foley Road on December 7. PHOTO BY WILL CHAPPELL

Laity said that with an emergency declaration clearing the way for direct work with the contractor and the existing plans, the project team expected the repair to take around 10 days. The emergency declaration issued by the county commissioners will allow the public works department to work directly with contractors on repairs, foregoing a public bidding process. The declaration also paves the way for the county to receive state and federal aid to respond to the flooding, which Laity said had surpassed the $7.6-million damages threshold required to issue an emergency declaration.

During the meeting, Laity told the commissioners about another significant damage event he learned about in real time on Sand Lake Road. There, a large section of roadway just south of Tierra Del Mar washed out in the same area as a previous slide in the 1990s. Laity also gave the commissioners an overview of traffic impacts caused by the storm. Highway 101 through the northern part of Tillamook was closed due to flooding, as was Highway 6 at the railroad underpass on the east side of town, leading to a detour on Wilson River Loop Road. Highway 101 was closed south of Neskowin for a period

on December 5, but had reopened by the time of the meeting. Commissioners unanimously approved the declaration of a state of emergency and said they hoped the governor would match the declaration to free up more state money for the response. After the emergency declaration was approved, Samuel and Rachel Aldridge from the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad delivered their annual operating report to the commissioners. This year has been the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad’s (OCSR) most successful to date, with more than 51,000 people having

A machine driving the piles for the new 60-foot bridge that will has an estimated construction time of 10 days. PHOTO BY WILL CHAPPELL ridden so far this year, and more than 55,000 riders expected in total by the end of December. The railroad’s mission is to educate about, preserve and restore the logging railroad history of the Pacific Northwest and the pair described plans to enhance those pursuits over the next several years with capacity and facility expansions. Samuel said that the railroad’s biggest limiting factor in serving more passengers currently is a lack of available capacity, which it plans to address with the purchase of seven new cars over the next few years. The railroad is also in the middle of a multi-

part project to redesign its depot in Garibaldi, with plans to add an educational space, museum and shop, with fundraising currently ongoing. OCSR plans to increase its staffing to service rising demand as well, with two full time positions expected to be added in 2024. The railroad also plans to expand its route back to the confluence of the Salmonberry and Nehalem Rivers with the repairs of two bridges that washed out in 2015 floods. The first bridge over the Nehalem River will cost around $1 million to repair, while one over Fall Creek will cost $3 million. Samuel shared economic

impact projections for each of the projects, showing that if all were achieved, the OCSR’s annual economic impact should rise from its current $11 to $12 million annually to between $19 and $29 million. The board of commissioners also approved a reduction in annual pass fees at county parks for veterans who will now pay $45 for an annual pass as opposed to the regular $55.

collaborate. For others, the fellowship is the highlight. “For me, it’s a way to deal with PTSD; I’m a Marine veteran,” member Rick Hampton said. “When I first came to the group, I would cling to my camera. They’ve accepted me as I am.” Keeping with Gregory’s idea, the group seeks out venues to display and sell their art. In the past, the group has been showcased in the Rockaway Beach Community Center, Garibaldi Maritime Museum, Rockaway Beach Library, and Rockaway Beach Farmers Markets. When selling art, ten percent of the artists’ sales are dedi-

cated back to the group to purchase needed items such as: tents, tablecloths, and speakers. The group also partakes in special events at the Rockaway Beach Wayside, leading youth art activities such as shell or pumpkin painting. “Cindy would be happy with the progress of the group,” Collar said. To bring more exposure to the group, the Rockaway Beach Chamber of Commerce commissioned the Rockaway Renaissance Artists to paint holiday scenes in the windows of business members who were interested.

“Doing murals is something I am proud of because it leaves a mark on the town and I feel like the window painting does that, even if it’s temporary,” Collar said. Six local businesses opted for the October paintings with fall scenes appearing in the windows of Joe’s Snacks & Beer, Rockaway Beach Caboose, SAI Design, El Trio Loco, Beach Bakeshop and Beach Crafters. “The collaboration between the Chamber is great. We went around as group and painted windows for businesses,” Collar said. “Members received a free window painting, but they could also opt to donate to the program. It was exposure for us and what we’re capable of. A lot of the artists jumped in a participated in something, even if it was not in their wheelhouse.” The group will be offering winter window paintings during the month of December. At a later date, a Peace Pole painted in memory of Gregory will be installed at the Rockaway Beach Wayside. For more information on the group or to request a window painting, contact the Rockaway Renaissance Artists via their Facebook group page.

----------------------------------Editorial note: A big thank you to all those who submitted pictures of flooding and damage from across the county.

PAINT THE TOWN CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

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Moda withdraws Medicare Advantage plan from Tillamook County WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

oda Health alerted subscribers to its Medicare Advantage insurance plans in Tillamook and Lincoln Counties in October that Moda will not be offering any Medicare Advantage plan for the counties, starting next year, leaving Medicare participants without an advantage plan available. Moda’s Medicare Advantage plan currently offers participants health, drug, vision,

dental and hearing coverage with premiums ranging from $39 to $89 monthly. Going forward residents of Tillamook and Lincoln Counties will not have access to a Medicare Advantage plan offering those services and will be forced to choose between plans with higher premiums or deductibles than those they have now. “Restructuring the plans that Moda offers in Tillamook and Lincoln Counties was not an easy decision for us,” said Moda VP of

Strategic Communications Jonathan Nicholas. “But in the end, we simply could not design a Medicare advantage plan for your communities that offered meaningful coverage at a reasonable price.” Medicare Advantage plans are managed care plans offered by insurance providers who take the responsibility for Medicare participants’ coverage. The plans coordinate care through networks of doctors and hospitals while providing supplemental services like hearing

and dental care that are not covered by Medicare. Insurers offering Medicare Advantage plans receive participants’ monthly premiums from Medicare, as well as a supplemental premium from the recipient, and handle claims as a private insurer would. Going forward, Medicare recipients in Tillamook will be forced to rely on Medigap supplemental insurance plans offered by Moda and other insurers. Unlike advantage plans,

none of the supplemental coverage that will be available in Tillamook next year offers dental or hearing coverage. Subscribers will also need to carry both Medicare and Medigap insurance cards to doctor’s appointments and pay two monthly premiums. The Medigap plans are also generally more expensive than Advantage plans, with premiums on plans with no deductibles ranging in price from around $100 monthly to over $400, depending on patient age and

health. Several high deductible Medigap plans are available offering monthly premiums similar to those of Advantage plans, with the cheapest ranging in cost from $29 to $75 a month. However, in addition to offering less services, those policies also require patients meet a $2,700 deductible before coverage kicks in.

Manzanita council approves funding sources for city hall project WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

anzanita’s city council approved a higher loan limit and the use of Covid relief funding for the new city hall and police station project at their December 6 meeting. The council also awarded off-season tourism grants, outlined the process for selecting a new mayor and addressed swirling rumors about an ongoing investigation in the city. The loan approval will allow City Manager Leila Aman to borrow up to $5.1 million from Business Oregon’s special public works fund, although the Aman said she only expects the city to borrow around $4.1 million. The project’s total budget e is projected to be $6 miln lion but the city has already spent around $375,000 on the t’s project and has $700,000 set aside for the project between d the city’s general fund and

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city hall fund. Funds from the recently completed sale of the old city hall for $634,000 will also be dedicated to the project, as will $207,000 in grants and the $147,000 in Covid relief funds, designated for improving public safety facilities and replacing lost revenue, the use of which was approved by council at the December meeting. Business Oregon’s loan will be issued on an ongoing basis throughout the project as reimbursement for submitted invoices, meaning the city will only borrow what it spends. During the project, the loan will accrue interest at a 2.1% rate before the debt is repackaged following construction and sold to a bond bank, which will set a new rate for the 10-year repayment period. Council had originally approved Aman to borrow up to $4 million through the loan but upped that to $5.1 million by a unanimous vote. Aman

said that the project remains on track for a groundbreaking in early March 2024 and opening a year after that. Nan Devlin, executive director of the Tillamook Coast Visitors’ Association (TCVA), appeared at the meeting to make recommendations for the offseason tourism grant that her group administers for the city. Council created program earlier this year, dedicating $20,000 of transient lodging tax funds to helping local businesses grow the out-oftourist-season economy of the city. Six businesses applied for the $2,000 maximum award this year, and all but one was recommended for and received the full amount, with the final applicant receiving $1,500. The grants were awarded to a wide variety of businesses across the city seeking to attract more tourists between September and May. Centerpoint Healing Arts

won an award to fund its second annual World Labyrinth Day on May 4, 2024. Lower Nehalem Community Trust received funds to support its biennial estuary cleanup in March and Migratory Bird Day celebration early May. Oregon Beach Ceremonies will use its award to create a wedding elopement giveaway package in conjunction with local businesses, to help promote off-season elopements to the city. The Hoffman Center for the Arts plans to use its grant to finance a $6,000 retooling of its branding and marketing strategy to better align with its new strategic plan. The Winery at Manzanita will use its award to continue its successful billboard marketing campaign on Highway 101, and the Yolk Restaurant, which received $1,500, will be redesigning its logo, website and window art. Devlin said that she had been pleased and impressed with the wide variety of busi-

nesses that submitted applications and the varied ideas they had brought forward. Council President Linda Kozlowski said that applications for the mayoral vacancy left by Deb Simmons’s November resignation have been available since November 20 and are due by 5 p.m. on December 20. The council will interview applicants at their meeting on January 3, before selecting a candidate. Kozlowski also addressed an ongoing investigation triggered by a staff complaint in May. She announced that the council will be holding an executive session on December 12 to discuss the investigation’s findings but that they do not plan to share them immediately. “At the advice of legal counsel, we will not be disclosing specific findings next week but we do intend to comment on future work council intends to perform to lower the likelihood that similar concerns occur in the

future,” Kozlowski said. The nature of the investigation is not clear, as it was initiated in executive session and only approval for funding was approved in public session. However, community members commenting on local websites have raised repeated questions about the investigation, especially regarding its cost, and several spoke at the council meeting. The city’s financial statements showed that in November city attorneys Miller Nash were paid $90,000, with $44,000 expended in October. In response to a records request from the Headlight Herald, Manzanita released a spreadsheet showing that the total cost of the investigation since its initiation in March was $139,043. The contracted investigator, Barran Liebman, had been paid $108,945 by the city between October and November, while Miller Nash had charged $30,098 between July and November.

Tillamook county beach accesses impacted by court ruling

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December 14, 2023

NORTH COAST CITIZEN | NORTHCOASTCITIZEN.COM

WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

illamook County has closed two beach access points in Oceanside , and Rockaway Beach’s City Council will consider temporarily closing all beach ng accesses in their city at their ur- January council meeting. . The changes come following the Oregon Supreme Court’s declining to hear an appeal in a case this summer, effectively ending recreational immunity for governing bodies on trails accessing recreational sites. he In the case of Fields v - Newport, a woman was inup jured in 2019 while walking to Agate Beach in Newport with her dog and a friend and sued the City of Newport for failing to maintain the bridge on which she fell. Initially, the city claimed recreational immunity shielded them from the suit as government agencies in Oregon cannot

be sued for injuries sustained during recreation at their recreational sites. However, an appeals court found that Fields had not been necessarily been recreating when using a trail to access the beach and said that a jury would have to determine whether the city had recreational immunity given the facts of the case. Lawyers for Newport tried to appeal the ruling to the Oregon Supreme Court, but they declined to hear the case, leaving the lower court decision in force. In response to the decision, CIS, the insurance agency that covers many state and city governments across the state, recommended changes to beach access policies in response to the ruling in their November newsletter. In the newsletter, CIS recommended governments close all improved and unimproved access trails before taking an inventory

of those trails and formulating a plan for their use going forward. Rockaway Beach City Manager Luke Shepard said that he plans to recommend that the city council follow that advice. Shepard plans to begin a discussion at the council’s December work session about adding signage closing the city’s beach access points and ask councilors to decide whether to proceed at their January meeting. Shepard noted that the potential impacts in Rockaway Beach were widespread, given that most of its eastwest streets dead end into the beach at their western end. The area between the end of the street and the beach could be considered an access in the new legal climate and most have not been upgraded or maintained by the city. Even the city’s beach access point at the Wayside is expected to be closed as

the inventory process takes place and city staff work with CIS to determine its status going forward. Shepard said that the city has already developed plans to improve the Wayside access point with the addition of stairs and a ramp and are currently waiting for Oregon Parks and Recreation Department approval. Shepard expects CIS to clear the upgraded access’s usage going forward. Shepard also clarified that the city’s Big Tree Trailhead would not be impacted by the changes as the entire site was a recreational facility, with no access trail. Tillamook’s county government has far fewer beach access trails than Rockaway Beach to manage and has only made the decision to close two trails in Oceanside. According to Tillamook County Public Works Director Chris Laity the trail accessing Short Sands Beach and a trail lined with tires

leading to the beach near the intersection of Cape Meares Loop Road and Highway 131, both of which have already been closed, are the only trails he foresees being impacted. Laity said that both trails had already been on the county’s radar as potential risks before the court rulings and that signs had been posted warning people to enter at their own risk. After the ruling and CIS’s recommendation, the signs were updated with stronger language, officially marking them as closed. The county’s risk management group decided that two improved access points in Pacific City and one in Cape Meares were well enough maintained and monitored that their closure was unwarranted. The county also does not recognize its roads that dead-end into the beach in areas like Tierra Del Mar as access points and decided

to forego the cost of adding signage to them. Laity also said that his department and other county officials are working with the Oceanside Action Partnership to improve the access trail at Short Sands Beach using a county transient lodging tax grant. Laity said that the improvement should allow the beach access to reopen to the public. Manzanita City Manager Leila Aman said that city staff is currently undertaking the suggested inventory and will bring that inventory to city council in January to discuss the city’s policies. Aman noted that in Manzanita beach access trails were only on city property for a short time, before crossing private land and eventually ending up on state property at the beach.

Tillamook County is set to see an increase in harvest levels under the new FMP. Even before the latest update, the age, tree types and geographic features of the Tillamook State Forest had led to stable harvest levels under the transitional implementation plan that went into effect this July. This year’s sales totaling 49 mmbf in Tillamook County already represented a slight increase over the 15-year average of 47 mmbf

sold, and the new projections called for a larger increase to between 62.6 and 74.2 mmbf depending on the scenario. That increase was offset by further projected decreases to harvest levels in Clatsop, Columbia, Washington and other counties. In terms of revenue, projections provided by ODF showed that Tillamook County could expect to receive between $16.5 and $19.2 million annually. Over the past ten years, Tillamook

has received an average of just under $17.2 million, and only one of the seven modeled scenarios would see that figure decrease, while the others would see at least a $500,000 increase. FTLAC members were not pleased with the projected numbers and are scheduled to meet in a joint meeting with the board of forestry on December 14 at 2 p.m. to discuss the updated projections.

TIMBER HARVESTS CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1 the board of forestry with a variety of options. The first scenario would maximize the flow of timber while keeping it even over the period of the plan, the second would include longer harvest rotations but still achieve a net even flow, and the final two would maximize net present value, i.e. short-term revenue, with scenario three modeling an even flow and scenario four modeling an uneven flow. Modeling was completed

on both a district-by-district basis and on a larger regional scale, although the differences in projected harvest levels were modest. The latest models include more site-specific data about conditions in the forests as opposed to assumptions based on regional trends used in earlier rounds of modeling. The updated harvest projections ranged from 168 mmbf to 187.3 mmbf across all state forests, depending on which scenario is se-

lected. The highest projected harvests, representing a slight growth over the current 182.5 mmbf, would be achieved under scenario one, maximizing harvest levels at an even flow across the length of the plan while the lowest would be achieved under scenario 3. ODF State Forests Division Chief Mike Wilson also shared a county-by-county breakdown of the harvest impacts of the newest modeling. Those figures showed that

December 14, 2023

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Tillamook native continues to set records in powerlifting competitions STAFF REPORT

Donna Clark on the medal stand after her world-record, gold-medal-winning deadlift in Eugene last month.

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Deadline Noon Mondays for Advertising, News, Classifieds, Legals/Public Notices, Obituaries Editor Will Chappell, email headlighteditor@countrymedia.net Advertising Katherine Mace, email headlightads@countrymedia.net Classifieds & Legals/Public Notices Due by Noon on Mondays the week of publication. Send notice to classifieds@orcoastnews.com or call 503-842-7535 for more information. Ad Production Steph Baumgart PHONE 503-842-7535 • FAX 503-842-8842 EMAIL editor@northcoastcitizen.com WEBSITE northcoastcitizen.com The North Coast Citizen (15503909) is published biweekly by Country Media, Inc. 1906 Second Street, P.O. Box 444, Tillamook, OR 97141 Publisher: Frank Perea SUBSCRIPTION RATES $60.00 annually in-county; $72.00 annually out-of-county. $50.00 for online only. Periodicals Postage paid at Tillamook, OR. POSTMASTER Send address changes to P.O. Box 444, Tillamook, OR 97141 Member Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association (ONPA) © 2023 by the North Coast Citizen. All rights reserved. LETTER POLICY The Citizen welcomes letters that express readers’ opinions on current topics. Letters may be submitted by email only, no longer than 300 words, and must be signed and include the writer’s full name, address (including city) and telephone number for verification of the writer’s identity. We will print the writer’s name and town of residence only. Letters without the requisite identifying information will not be published. Letters are published in the order received and may be edited for length, grammar, spelling, punctuation or clarity. We do not publish group emails, open letters, form letters, third-party letters, letters attacking private individuals or businesses, or letters containing advertising. Deadline for letters is noon Thursdays. The date of publication will depend on space. Obituaries The North Coast Citizen has several options for submitting obituaries. • Basic Obituary: Includes the person’s name, age, town of residency, and information about any funeral services. No cost. • Custom Obituary: You choose the length and wording of the announcement. The cost is $75 for the first 200 words, $50 for each additional 200 words. Includes a small photo at no additional cost. • Premium Obituary: Often used by families who wish to include multiple photos with a longer announcement, or who wish to run a thank-you. Cost varies based on the length of the announcement. All obituary announcements are placed on the North Coast Citizen website at no cost.

onna Clark, a graduate of Neah-Kah-Nie High School who burst on to the competitive powerlifting stage last year, continued her strong showings in two recent meets in England and Oregon. Clark came in first place and won three gold medals at the meet in England, a worldwide contest, while setting a world record in the deadlift for her age group, which she promptly reset at the Oregon meet the next month, while winning another gold medal. At the International Powerlifting League DrugTested Worlds competition in October in Coventry, England, Clark was one of seven athletes selected to represent the United States in the meet. Clark set American records in the bench press and back squat at the meet, but her best showing came in the deadlift where she set a world record of 416.6 pounds. At her next competition in Eugene, Clark bested her own record, lifting 417.7 pounds and took home a gold medal for her performance. The Eugene meet was not drug-tested, but Clark trains without the use of performance enhancing drugs and enjoys the challenge of competing in competitions against those who do. Clark will now take a short break from competitions until a meet in Springfield, Oregon in February and plans to compete in both national and international competitions held in Las Vegas later in the year.

Winter Celebration at NCRD: Honoring a Century, Building a Legacy N

orth County Recreation District invites you to join in a special Winter Celebration at the NCRD Performing Arts Center (PAC) on December 16th from 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm. This Winter Celebration marks nearly a century in the historic NCRD facility, an architectural gem designed by architect AE Doyle. It’s a testament to NCRD’s rich heritage and the enduring spirit of our community. Join the celebration, in person or virtually, and take a journey through time as NCRD reflects on the milestones that have shaped the facility. Attendees will also learn about the cutting-edge new Aquatics Facility, a marvel of design by the renowned pool experts Robertson-Sherwood Architects. This facility will

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be not only a point of pride for the community but also a shining example of mass timber design on the North Tillamook Coast. Mass timber is an innovative building material that holds enormous economic potential for Oregon and the Pacific Northwest. Made from layers of wood stacked and glued together, mass timber provides strength, durability, and sustainability. It not only supports the timber industry but also serves as a greener alternative to traditional construction materials. As an added bonus, inperson attendees automatically enter a drawing to win Tillamook Creamery-branded prizes courtesy of sponsor, Tillamook County Creamery Association. It’s a way of saying thank you for the

community’s continued support. But that’s not all! Come early for a Holiday Social starting at 11 am and indulge in delightful food and drinks courtesy of sponsors, Safeway and Wanda’s Cafe. It’s the perfect opportunity to mingle with friends and neighbors before the main event kicks off. Parents, rest assured! NCRD has your little ones covered with free activities, childcare, and pizza during the speaker event. To ensure a spot for your child, please contact angiet@ncrdnehalem.org to register. For those eager to catch a glimpse of the construction progress, be sure to follow NCRD’s Facebook page. A new video showcasing a crane lifting the structural

glulam beams in place just before Thanksgiving offers a behind-the-scenes look at the exciting developments. Register at https://secure.givelively.org/event/ friends-of-ncrd/ncrd-wintercelebration for an event of celebration, education, and community spirit. This event is free, courtesy NCRD’s nonprofit fiscal sponsor, Friends of NCRD. While grabbing tickets, attendees can make a tax-deductible donation to the new pool. Let’s honor the past, embrace the present, and look forward to a future shaped by innovation and collaboration. See you at the Winter Celebration—a not-to-bemissed event for the entire community!

December 14, 2023

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December 14, 2023

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NKN robotics competes in second meet

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KATHRYN HARMON NKN Library Media Specialist

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KN Robotics attended Meet 2 at Hillsboro High School on Saturday, December 9, after almost a month of meetings to prepare for competition. One would think that this would mean the teams were well prepared, practiced and ready to go. Sadly, that was not the case. Last week mentors were getting more and more nervous, noticing that robots were still in various stages of incompletion, while programmers waited (less and less patiently) for finished robots so that they could get to work. Sadly, team drivers didn’t have a hope of getting uninterrupted time to test all aspects of the new features that teams had implemented before competition Saturday. This was compounded by the unfortunate alignment of a chess tournament, a trip to California that was planned last year and the fact that two club members were a Caribou and the Conductor for a Saturday dance

performance of the Polar Express. Thus, it was a small group of dedicated NKN Roboticists that boarded the district van to travel to Hillsboro Saturday morning. Typically, NKN teams are among the first to complete field and robot inspection. It is a point of pride for NKN teams to bring robots that are ready to go on competition day. Meet 2 was not that day. It took NKN teams an extra 20 minutes to prepare their robots for inspection - but not as long as it took other teams. The start of competition was delayed for over an hour as one team had to complete repairs before being passed through inspection - and that team had major repairs to make. Talking to other team coaches it was clear that many of our teams were struggling - as the robots get more complex through the season - there is just more that can go wrong. The Argonauts had several stellar rounds where their robot managed to hang from the rigging at the end of the round! Corben Ray designed the lead screw system with 3d printed hooks that spring

up when the arms lift. The argonauts were able to lift in 3 out of 5 rounds. Once again, they ended up disabled in the first round (high centered on a pixel?) and during the final round one of the arms didn’t lift, and Karsten smartly decided to park, instead of potentially ruining the arm system by attempting to lift the robot with one of the two arms. The World’s smallest Team added a new Middle School member this Meet, welcome Hunter! He jumped right in to help the team and even was the human player for one round of competition. Two NKN teams had plane launching capability on Saturday. TWsT and Menacing Muffin Dragons. MMD’s design looked extremely similar to TWsT’s. Plane launching was inconsistent as TWsT struggled to settle on a consistent plane design, and MMD’s plane seemed bound and determined to get caught on the nose and end up stuck to the plane launcher. Intake designs are definitely a challenge for all teams - but have particularly plagued our teams thus far. Many thanks to NKN’s sponsors this year - Tillamook County Creamery, Eugene Schmuck Foundation, Mudd-Nick Foundation and ORTOP. We are so thankful to have the funds to create cool robots and attend competitions. Cutline: 1: NKN teams got to be alliance partners and opponents in multiple rounds this meet. Here the Menacing Muffin Dragons and the Argonauts prepare for competition.

Eugene Schmuck Foundation We wish to thank everyone who contributed to the success of the Annual Manzanita Open Golf Tournament. Through your generous support we are able to reinvest in our community and the youth of tomorrow. We hope you will join us in 2024 Diamond Plus Sponsor Adventist Health AIM Wealth Advisory Group Joe & Sherri Atteridge Atteridge Family Fund Troy & Colleen Bowers Marc Butorac Corey & Meadow DavisHome and Sea Inc Bruce & Karen Czopek David Matthews & Dellanne McGregor: Pete Anderson Realty Lee & Vicki Dillard John & Nancy Durkin Tim & Beth Fuller Fuller Brothers, Inc Diane Gibson Jim & Kathy Hickey International Wood Products John Longfellow Construction Tosha Reinmiller - Living Room Realty Manzanita Beach Getaway Manzanita Fresh Foods Manzanita Grocery & Deli Manzanita Lumber Co Mark McCorkle Construction Erich & Laura Merrill Nehalem Lumber Co Owen Nicholson Hans & Lanell Nolf

OREPAC Building Products Patricia Rinehart Pine Grove Properties Plummer Family Homebuilders Inc Ralph & Patricia Rossknecht RTI - Nehalem Telecom John Sullivan Wanda’s Cafe + Bakery

Diamond Sponsors Stephen & Susan Auer Matt & Kay Christianson David & Kristi Crowell Hans Tonjes - Living Room Realty Don & Barb Hanson Bob Joseph Scott & Barbara Krueger Milgard Windows Mohler Co-Op Store Mohler Sand & Gravel, LLC North Coast Watchman Services Onion Peak Design Steve & Stacy Nuttall Nancy Resnick San Dune Pub, LLC Scalabrin Company Scovel Ink Steffen’s Hardwood Flooring Stephens Homes Sunset Surf Robert W Sutton Mike & Sally Vanebo

Gold Sponsors Noury & Karen -Al-Khaledy Bob Cerrelli Coastworks Sandy Colton Roselle Colwell Jim Downie

Finnestere Flamingo Jims Gifts Four Paws on the Beach Mark and Jennifer Gilroy Jim & Mary Jane Gleeson Joe & Sue Gray Nancy Kieburtz LaRog Brothers Donna & Paige Morrow Gary & Marilyn Neuhoff Doug Nicholson Offshore Grill & Coffee House Oregon Mint Snuff Carol Owens Jennifer Rall Rugby ABP Tom & Wendy Ryan Hugh & Susan Sanderson Carol Self John Sherrett Robert Skinner Paint Sundries Solutions The Nern-Desaro Family Trust

Friends of ESF Tom Ayers Peggy Began Catherine Culver Michele Wilkey

IMO Donations Ernie Blatner John Kasch Candy Man Carl Frank Stephens Cliff & Mary Stupfel Bob Sutton

Donors Beacon Building Products Beth Gienger

Buoy Beer Breanna Stephens Cascade Wholesale Cloud & Leaf Bookstore Dave Matthews Dixie’s Vino El Trio Loco Escape Lodging Finnesterre Fort George Four Paws on the Beach Garibaldi Charters Garibaldi Marina Gayle Stephens Handy Creek Bakery IWP Jennifer Rall Jill Burch, J Marie Salon John Durkin Josh Hake - Kayak Tillamook Kerri Lin Charters LaRog Brothers Jewelers Left Coast Siesta Linda Cook Photography Manzanita Beach Getaway Manzanita Coffee Co Manzanita Grocery & Deli Manzanita Lumber Co. Manzanita Lumber Co.Friday Group Manzanita News & Espresso Manzanita Sweets Meals for Seniors LLC (Rockaway) Mighty Thai Mike Durkin Mohler Co-Op Moxie Fair Trade Mudd Dogs Neah-Kah-Nie Bistro Nehalem Food Mart NCRD Night Owl

North Coast Pinball Northwest Staple Ocean Inn Offshore Grill & Coffee House Pelican and Paper RTI - Nehalem Telcom Sandy & Dick Heaman Schwietert’s Candy Siggi-G Charters Sisters and Pete’s Coffees and Treats Syzzygy T Spot TCCA The Roost The Valeri Family Unfurl Welsh Family/Manzanita Fresh Foods Werner Meat Products Wheeler Marina Wisteria Chic

Board Members Troy Bowers, President Karen Stephens, VicePresident Beth Gienger, Secretary Camy Von Seggern, Treasurer Chris Bennett John Durkin David Matthews Dan Nichols Breanna Stephens Connie VanderWaal

Renee Bennett Jake Bruns Heidi Buckmaster Bob Calkins Alex Casanaz Julie Chick Jan Cleary Sue Crist Bruce & Karen Czopek Don Dillard Bill Dillard Nancy Dillard Corey Douma Mike Durkin Mark Erickson Paul & Rosa Erlebach Jeff & Terry Folen Scott Galvin Sam Gray Sue Gray Steve Grimes Vicki Haker Marty Hickey Jennifer Holm Eisha Hopper Paul & Barbara Hughes Gordy Johnson Ryan Kiefauver Scott & Barb Krueger Jeanne LeJune Cyndi Marti

Jennifer Martinez-yoho Gail Maxwell Eric May Mark McCorkle Donna Miller Lark Miller Marc Miller Jeff & Caroline Mitchell Natalie Nelson Larry Paluck Jeff Pfeifer Greg Radich Patty Rinehart Ralph & Patrica Rossknecht Wendy Ryan Rob Sansum Dan & Donna Savickas John Sherrett Scott Sommerset Tim & Mary Lou Stein Gayle Stephens Michelle Stockton Jeff Sutton Doug & Marlene Tharp Ryan Vandecoevering Mike & Sally Vanebo Don & Char vonAhlefeld Peter & Karen Walczak Dan Winslow Steve Young Laurie Zacker

Volunteers Marilyn Anderson Dan Ayers Isabel Beaton Travis Bennett Harv Bennett

P.O. Box 58, Manzanita, OR 97130

eugeneschmuckfoundation.org We strive to recognize each and every one who supports ESF. Please let us know of any omissions.