Category: General Interest

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

The theme this year’s Tillamook County Giving Guide is “Sowing Seeds of Love”.

Please check it out and give generously–sowing your own seeds of love.

The Giving Guide and detailed directories of the organizations can be found at www.northcoastbbq.com/local-resources/

The Giving Guide can also be found here:
www.northcoastbbq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Giving-Guide-2025-26_Final_Spreads3.pdf

Not every organization can afford a paid profile, which pays for the production. So there is a list of contact information for all in the back of the Guide.

Here are descriptions of several of those organizations:

Hope Chest Thrift Shops
HUGGS (Helping Us Give/Get Support)
Kiawanda Community Center
Kiwanis Club of Tillamook Foundation

Hope Chest Thrift Shops
36345 Highway 101 N
Nehalem, Oregon 97131
503-368-4461 for Nehalem
126 Hwy 101N
Rockaway, OR 97136
503-355-3333 for Rockaway

Judy Mammano, Vice President jmammano39@gmail.com
Terry Walhood terryw@embarqmail.com

Mission Statement: This Corporation’s primary purpose shall be to support Charities in Tillamook County.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Our charity began in 1998 in one room of a building in Wheeler and they were able to donate in 1999 $1,000.00. Since then we have donated $1,800,000 to North Tillamook County Charities. In 2004 we expanded and added another store in Rockaway Beach named Hope Chest Too Thrift Shop. The Too showing we were an addition to the first one. In around 2008 the Wheeler store experienced their third flooding, which the landlord would not correct, so a house in Nehalem was rented and it has proved to be a wonderful decision. We have 60 volunteers and are always looking for more as each store needs 24 volunteers a week to cover our shifts, which are approximately 3 ½ hours each. Some of our volunteers go south for the winter and others travel a lot sometimes for a month at a time. They are all wonderful to work with. All in all, we are very fortunate and appreciative to receive so many nice donations from the community. We get many complements on the cleanliness of our stores and merchandise.

HUGGS (Helping Us Give/Get Support)
c/o Fulcrum Community Resources
PO Box 136
Nehalem, OR 97131
503-939-5416
huggsinfo@gmail.com

Laura Swanson & Vivi Tallman, co-facilitators 503-939-5416
laura@nehalemtel.net
vivi@nehalemtel.net

Mission statement: Finding ways to heal together, changing cultural norms to share conversations about suicide prevention, overdose deaths, and grief support to build a healthy, resilient community

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work: The HUGGS group began meeting in late spring 2022 as the selected recipient of the Duane Stephens Memorial Fund, in response to recent suicides and overdose deaths in the north county. We have two main areas of focus: to raise awareness of services in Tillamook County related to suicide prevention and drug use, and to increase the availability of safe community spaces for teen activities in our county. HUGGS has participated in Overdose Awareness activities, and supports the QFC training about suicide prevention available through Tillamook Family Counseling. With community support, HUGGS has helped establish a monthly teen pinball night with free games and pizza at North Coast Pinball in Nehalem. Currently in the works for teens are a monthly after school craft event at the Heart of CARTM in Wheeler, and plans for monthly movie nights as well as a teen zine club; a community grief support group/network, and memorial benches in local parks with suicide prevention messaging. HUGGS is here to identify needed services – how can we help you give or get support?

Kiawanda Community Center
PO Box 1111
Pacific City, OR 97135
503-965-7900
Kiawandacc@gmail.com
kiawanda.com/

KCC Board of Directors kiawandacc@gmail.com

Mission Statement: The mission of Kiawanda Community Center is to create a safe and welcoming environment that embraces the local heritage by promoting community participation through intergenerational activities and culturally diverse programs that enrich the lives and values of citizens and visitors of South Tillamook County.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
KCC is a community-centered, self-supporting, not-for-profit organization with activities that appeal to all ages. KCC is also a premier event venue for every occasion. In addition to providing a premier venue rental facility, KCC serves as the center of the Pacific City community. We offer ongoing healthy living programs, weekly bingo, and serve as a gathering place for our Stitchers group, and a painting group. Local organizations, such as the Chamber of Commerce, the Doryman’s Association, Nesko Women’s Club, and our local schools, use our facility for meetings, gatherings, and local fundraising events. Please visit the local events page for a full listing of what is happening at our facility.

Kiwanis Club of Tillamook Foundation
PO Box 941
Tillamook, OR 97141
503-801-2077
tillamookkiwanis@gmail.com
See us on Facebook at Kiwanis Club of Tillamook

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Vision Statement: Vision Statement: The Kiwanis Club of Tillamook Foundation will assist the children of Tillamook County through initiatives that promote better health, activities and access to education. History: The club was chartered on December 15, 1922 and has been a force for community improvement for over 100 years. We wish to empower and encourage our community to “Serve the Children of Tillamook County.” We welcome new members and guests to our noon meetings to hear about what is going on in the community and share the bonds of friendship and community service. Meetings are at noon on Wednesdays at The Rendezvous Restaurant. For information contact Patsy Weber, Kiwanis Secretary at the email address listed above or by phone at 503-801-2077.

Submitted By: peterhillrealtor@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Local contractor available for small construction projects.
Deck repair, siding, sheds, fencing etc…

Peter Hill Contracting Services
541-288-8735
Licensed bonded and insured

Submitted By: Director@baycityartscenter.com – Click to email about this post

Step into the 100-year-old Bay City Arts Center building (yes – celebrating that milestone this year!) on a Tuesday or Thursday the last four weeks, and you’ll find the building a live with dozens of children and adults… The energy and excitement were palpable and everyone was “on a mission” – the countdown to opening of the plays was three weeks away. There was no tension or stress, everyone with a job (or two) to do with laughter, and most importantly, fun. excitement were palpable and everyone was “on a mission” – the countdown to opening of the plays was three weeks away. There was no tension or stress, everyone with a job (or two) to do with laughter, and most importantly, fun.

Read the full story at the link here:

www.tillamookcountypioneer.net/bay-city-arts-centers-youth-theater-group-presents-two-theatrical-performances-march-13-14-15-collaborative-community-spirit-brings-fun-joy-to-buildings-new-stage-per…

Submitted By: dwieb1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

A recent story written for The Atlantic by journalist Elaine Godfrey covering Democratic candidates in Texas includes good signs about how some voters are feeling.

I’ve always thought voters make their decisions mostly on emotions. Based on her interviews of voters in Texas she notes: “Rather than policy, their preferences came down to style—and not much else.” That could explain much of Trump’s popularity on the right, but he doesn’t change and maybe people are getting tired of him. He seems to be worried about Texas, given the recent censorship effort against a Colbert interview of James Talarico, a Texas Democrat running for US Senate.
– Dave

At a rally for Talarico, Godfrey relates the following about those she interviewed:

Brad Ingram, who wore a cowboy hat and held his fiancée’s pink purse while she posed for a photo with Talarico, told me he’d voted for Trump before but wouldn’t do it again. “Being a fellow Christian, love is central to what we believe,” he said. “Republicans and the MAGA movement have gotten away from that.” A group of nine women in their 40s had come to the rally together; many of their husbands were Trump supporters, they told me, but they themselves wanted a change, and they were hopeful that Talarico might reach some of their family members. One woman told me that her conservative teenage son had recently called Talarico his “GOAT,” short for the “greatest of all time.” Talarico’s “message of hope is appealing to everybody, because everybody’s just tired of the negativity,” Faye Comte, one of the women in the group, told me.

Most of Talarico’s fans liked—or even loved—Jasmine Crockett. But they’d chosen him because they appreciate the way he talks about his faith, and because they believe that he’d have a better chance of appealing to Texans in a general election. Part of that is because of Crockett’s identity; some people I interviewed told me that they weren’t confident that Texans were ready to elect a Black woman to the Senate. But it’s also about Talarico’s appeal to kindness and respect—an easier sell for some of these voters than Crockett’s bombast. Patrick Bonds, an 84-year-old Vietnam veteran, cried as he explained to me that he’d voted Republican all his life but that Trump was “ruining this country.” Bonds is voting for Talarico, he said, because “his thinking is more like me; his behavior is more like me. The way he holds himself is more like me.”

Submitted By: hiway53guy@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

I can do your Power Saw work, tree trimming, brush cleanup, cutting trees into firewood lengths.
Very reasonable rates- free quotes…
44 years experience
Call or text 503 341 0450

Submitted By: dixiedarrow@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

Throughout our history there have been those of us who want to control the whole planet!! And if you know any history, which seems unlikely for those educated in Oregon schools lately, you know some of their names: Gengis Kahn,
Charles the 5th, Napoleon Bonaparte, and of course Hitler and Stalin. Today it is the Globalists – YES and the Globalists are represented by the WEF! Have you ever heard of them? The World Economic Forum – that is what WEF stands for.

This time however it is very different. The WEF is not just one person, but a group of leaders who represent powerful and extremely wealthy: corporations, some royalty, and a small very powerful group, the name of which might start with the letter Z! You can watch the World Economic Forum on You Tube. I watched them for a few months and they were communicating to the public how you will live in the future, what life will be like, whether you like it or not. Whether you like it or not is THE important phrase here. WHETHER YOU LIKE IT OR NOT!

This group and those who they have trained to be leaders of the world, follow and attempt to implement these strategies. They are called “Globalists”. The Globalists have most all the money, therefore most of the power. For example – They control Black Rock, which owns so much, buying up all the houses, the clinics, and any other thing they need to eventually give them total control over your health, your food supply-and housing which you will never own. Some leaders who believe in globalism and have been trained in this way are Emmanuel Macron (France),Justine Trudeau,(Canada)
Ursula von Der Leyen (European Commission) Pope Francis, Tedros Ghebreyesus (leader of the World Health Organization), Anthony Fauci, etc, etc. And there are many others who are not known to me. Now I have to say that I have been watching Trump to see if he is moving along in that direction. I think renaming the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America is sort of one world order type stuff, Also the Greenland thing. In the New World Order there will no longer be any separate countries (nations) Just the geography! However TRUMP seems also to be putting forth legislation that goes against globalism. For example he mentioned at the SOTU, a bill stopping or curtailing the purchasing of homes by investment companies. And most importantly to me, he got us out of the WHO!
(Another story for another time)

That is why things seem so screwed up today – besides being pitted against each other (divided we fall)! Many of our elected state and federal representatives are incentivized to slowly bring forth legislation which will eventually turn this lovely planet into a virtual prison planet. We will alway be surveilled, and barely educated!! Smart people can be dangerous to the globalist regime!! Better if citizens can barely read and think.
(I think this is why today you can graduate from school in Oregon without knowing reading, math and etc. -its on purpose!!

We are slowly being moved by some local, state and federal legislation into this New World Order. No more borders!!, Smart Cities! and A I especially. So if you get on the telly – go to YouTube – and connect with the WEF, you can watch for yourselves!! Go back to the beginning and watch. But that is why things are so NUTS today! We do need a resistance, but Trump is not THE problem. Nor are political parties! The problem is legislation coming out of governmental bodies!
That will tell where we are headed. So Pay Attention!

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Dear Friends,

We would like to remind everyone about the upcoming peaceful protest scheduled for this Saturday in Nehalem. The event will take place from noon to 2 PM. North County Resistance remains committed to advocating for change, and we continue to call on our Representatives and Congresspeople to work toward returning our government to the hands of its citizens. Your participation and support are important as we strive to make our voices heard in a respectful and impactful manner.

-We need people representing us who will tell the truth.

-People who will share the wealth of this country.

-People who recognize the color of a person’s skin does not influence their behavior.

-Negative rhetoric serves no purpose.

-Let’s build positive ideas, not tear them down.

Let’s make sure we are all registered to vote. For the November 5, 2024, General Election it looks like 75.69% of eligible voters in Tillamook County voted. 45.61% of eligible voters in Tillamook County voted in the Special Election on November 7, 2023. Let’s get that number up in November.

North County Resistance is still looking for help with March 28th, NO KINGS DAY, in Manzanita. We need 5 more crossing guards, 5 more safety marshals, one more person to help set up and tear down, and about a half dozen people to bring some cookies. We will be meeting up with everyone for some training soon.

We’ll see you in Downtown Nehalem on Saturday. If you are able, please bring a can or two of food for our food banks or check or cash to donate to them. Think about how we can get voters out in November. Go online to see how you register to vote in Oregon.

sos.oregon.gov/voting/Pages/registration.aspx?lang=en

Wear your layers-that’s all I’m saying about the weather.

Thanks for reading, Patty

Submitted By: jettkeyser@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

The thing about a new piece of writing is that it may feel done but in the days to come it will change in important ways. This piece is now 2 days old.

Together

Turning into another sunrise

with thoughts of my mother

and her beautiful gift, a silk

tie from Save the Children.

Almost weightless, it rests

draped over my shoulders,

a vestment and perennial vision.

Offering hope, white clouds

drift and pass as flowers rise up

in every color, a venerable tree

brings its sweet, ripening fruit,

the sun too offers what it can

warming a spring field where

two children are standing

together, joyfully tethered

to a kite and the sky in wonder.

One is dark the other is light.

As I return to remember and

recognize what is imperfect,

I cherish what continues to grow.

Submitted By: stayhuman@tutamail.com – Click to email about this post

A huge chunk of the FBI’s files on Jeffery Epstein have been made public.
But none of the files from 1999 – 2001, the lead-up to 9/11, which saw Israeli Judeo-fascists, American Christo-fascists, and criminal elements within the US military fly planes into and then blow-up three WTC complex buildings in lower Manhattan, all in service of Israel’s expansionist ‘Greater Israel’ plans.
The collapse of WTC #7 was so obviously a demolition – it was NOT hit by a plane, yet it collapsed into its own footprint, just like WTC#1 and WTC#2 – that the so-called intelligence agencies have all but scrubbed footage of the collapse of WTC #7 from the internet. (try and find it!)
Epstein, one of Israel’s top Mossad agents, was very active during the years leading up to 9/11. Those files have not been shared by the Drumf Crime Family and may never be shared with the public.
As ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence, you can bet your arse that Oregon Senator Ron Wyden, Oregon’s biggest fraud, has seen those files. Or more likely in my view, the Israel-first America-second Israeli-citizen Wyden was aware of Epstein’s crimes in real-time.
Here is a list of the committee members, who are also some of America’s most pro-Palestinian genocide, pro-war and treasonous members of congress:
www.intelligence.senate.gov/about-the-committee/committee-members/
Jeffery Epstein was operated deep inside academia (he had an office at Israel-friendly Harvard), science, tech, banking, gun-running, child-trafficking, billionaire wife-making and blackmail – ALL FOR ISRAEL.
And that is why the yard signs you see calling to STOP ARMING ISRAEL have been erected in vain. Huge swaths of Congress have been blackmailed by Israel.
Ron Wyden is the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. HE KNOWS FULL WELL ALL OF EPSTEIN’S CRIMES AND BLACKMAIL OPERATIONS!!!!
Whitney Webb is THE journalistic authority on Epstein’s criminal network that not only includes Israel-first Ron Wyden (who provides cover with bogus investigations and more), but Bill Clinton (more involved in the sex crimes) and Donald Drumf (more involved with the financial crimes) and many, many more ‘high-ranking’ (actually the lowest of the low) members of the American political, banking, and science/tech sectors.
Whitney wrote a book years ago called One Nation Under Blackmail. She is the most important journalist of our time in my view.
Here she is being interviewed by Glenn Beck (ignore Glenn):

It is my contention that the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence knows everything that Whitney addresses in the phenomenal interview above.
We all owe a huge debt of gratitude to Virginia Guffre (maiden name Roberts) for exposing Epstein. Guffre is the one who was repeatedly raped by Prince Andrew, who was arrested two days ago. (HELL YES!!!!!!!!) She was also brutally raped by Ehud Barak (former premier of Israel), who maintained a NYC residence a few blocks from Epstein’s luxurious rape-pad, which was given to him by Mossad agent and CEO of The Gap, The Limited and Victoria’s Secret Les Wexner.
Virginia is now dead, murdered last year in Australia, where she lived with her husband and children. First, the Mossad or M16 (in my view) attempted to conduct an “RCA”, or Remote-Controlled Assassination. A school bus hit her at 60 MPH while she was stopped. But that didn’t kill her. And after she posted that she was not suicidal, she was suicided, or so it appears.
Whatever the case, Virginia is dead. Thank you for having the courage to stand up to these Judeo-fascist and Christo-fascist Israel-first monsters Virginia! I hope HEAVEN finds you happy!!!!!!!
Virginia also inspired Anneke Lucas, now in her 60s, to speak out. Here is Anneke doing an incredible interview on the PBD podcast. (ignore Patrick):

It is my contention that Israel-first Ron Wyden has known about the crimes of Jeffrey Epstein all along, and his fake investigations into Epstein’s financing of child trafficking actually provided cover for Epstein’s crimes; smoke and mirrors. Ron Wyden supports Israeli genocide in Palestine, ALWAYS supports arms sales to Israel, and I bet ya a sawbuck he will support Israel and Drumf’s upcoming attempted genocide of Iran. Wyden is a PRO-WAR ANTI-PRIVACY FRAUD!!!!
Epstein is Israel’s number one Mossad asset. If you support Israel, you support Epstein. They are one and the same.
Are there any independents out there that can run against Wyden and help get him OUT OF OFFICE? Personally, I don’t see any Republicans in Oregon that can beat him.
The above is my two cents. If you disagree, please share those concerns on this forum, as I will NOT be reading the low-IQ hate mail this post is sure to generate.
In closing, the news below is 3 HOURS OLD!!! Massie, in my view, is one of the greatest American patriots of all time. That’s why the anti-American organized crime figures Drumf and Vance hate him:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ceJ2mT8Wz1c

Submitted By: angelahatfield@comcast.net – Click to email about this post

Read today’s issue for updates on The Spinn and Steeplejack opening in Manzanita. Also info on author events, North Oregon Coast Symphony concerts, Estuary cleanup, and Cape Falcon Marine Reserve events.

Subscribe for free at: manzanitaconnections.substack.com/p/manzanita-connections-feb-24-2026

Submitted By: genedieken@yahoo.com – Click to email about this post

www.defiance.org/sotu

“Tomorrow night (Tuesday, February 24) will be one of the most consequential State of the Union addresses ever. Not because of what Donald Trump will say. But because of what WE will say.

“Join DEFIANCE.org, as we host the STATE OF THE SWAMP: The Rebuttal to the State of the Union, from 4 to 8 pm PST. This will be one of the largest LIVE “SOTU” rebuttals ever, featuring Robert De Niro, Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Stacey Abrams, Mark Ruffalo, Members of Congress, and dozens more.”

Gene Dieken

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Hello to one and all!

North County Resistance was out there in Nehalem this past Saturday with the rain, wind, and cold weather telling us to go home. Us, would be 40 people. What a great turnout for this weekly event! Thanks to everyone and your positive attitudes. And a special thank you for the chocolate muffins with cream cheese icing and the oatmeal, raisin, and chocolate cookies. Everybody was waiting for seconds on those. Yummy!

We go from day to day not knowing which way the flag at the White House is blowing. At times it seems to be from hour to hour. I hope we can learn from such negative speeches and thoughts. We don’t want to go there. What good does all this negativity do? It does no good at all. Yes, I think all, or most of us are feeling lots of negativity, but don’t let this transfer into the rest of our lives. Stay positive with all you do every day. Your family needs you; your organization needs you; your church needs you; your school needs you. Step up and help in a positive way. Do not give up!

I have some corrections made on the food you can take to Nehalem Bay Community Services. They are wanting “shelf stable foods only”. No fresh produce, dairy products, meats, or eggs. I am sure you understand that foods needing refrigeration are difficult for them to store. But you can always bring commercially canned products such as meats, peanut butter, jelly, soups, boxed mixes, and such. Same is true for North County Food Bank. Contact information for Nehalem Bay Community Services, PO Box 232, Nehalem, Oregon, 97131, 503-368-4385. North County Food Bank, PO Box 162, Wheeler, Oregon, 97147, 503-368-7724. Both these organizations appreciated so much the donations they have received and thank you all very much. And yes, we are happy to take these donations at our protest and deliver them to either organization.

Hope to see you in Nehalem at the next peaceful protest put on by the North County Resistance on Saturday, February 28, from noon to 2 PM. We still need more people to help us with our March 28 No Kings Protest. Crossing guards and safety officers. Please contact me if you might be able to help.
Best,
Patty

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Very interesting interview. I very much agree with James Talarico that the fight is not between left and right or Democrat or Republican it is between the top (rich) and the bottom (the rest of us)

Barbara McLaughlin

Stephen Colbert hosts Texas State Rep. James Talarico for an online-exclusive interview that touches on the issues raised in Talarico’s campaign for the Democratic nomination for Senate including the separation of church and state, the dangers of consolidated corporate-owned media, and the fabricated culture wars pushed by Republicans in states like Texas.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiTJ7Pz_59A

If you’re curious why this interview with James Talarico was an online-exclusive Stephen Colbert explains to his broadcast audience that a new directive from Brendan Carr’s FCC makes it next to impossible for CBS to air his interview with Texas State Rep. James Talarico on CBS.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oh7DPSP65JA

Submitted By: Website@unitedpaws.org – Click to email about this post

Introducing The Little Rascals, United Paws’ Kittens of the Week. These tiny siblings who were once wild and feral rascals were rescued by a United Paws foster and given a loving home. Through patience, skill, handling, care, and love, they have thrived. They have adapted beautifully to their foster home which includes one child, four adult cats, and one adult large dog. Although they prefer a quieter environment, they are used to the everyday noises of a busy household. They enjoy human company and love treats and food!!

Porky loves his food and treats. He is the biggest of the rascals and the natural leader. He is very curious and is the first to explore new places and things. He loves to look out of windows and, in addition to his treats, loves pets and praises.

Darla is sweet but feisty, with a beautiful coat of fur. She is described by her foster as “the Princess.” Well, she knows what she likes!! She loves pets and snuggles (on her time) and especially loves fleece blankets in a round cat bed. Darla loves toys and climbing. She has a luxurious coat and a knowing gaze.

Alfalfa & Ann are a bonded pair of sweethearts that would love to be adopted together. Alfalfa is young, but he is a wise old soul. He loves to sit back and watch the action. He is an observer and a lover. Ann is a sweet, quiet kitten who loves hanging out with her siblings, looking out of the windows and climbing. She loves her treats and to hunt for toys.

While they have been in their loving foster home, they have learned that humans offer safety and love and, because of that, they are really starting to shine. These rascals will do well in a home where there is an abundance of patience and love; a home that will recognize their wild origins and that will understand they still have some things to learn and trust about humans. In return, your home will be filled with entertainment, loud purrs, love, and devotion. 

To learn more, please visit unitedpaws.org or schedule a “Meet & Greet” at unitedpawshelp@gmail.com.

Submitted By: genedieken@yahoo.com – Click to email about this post

Take a breath! Be a kid again! Here’s an album of music from the first season of Australian Broadcasting’s animated kids show, Bluey. So catchy!

Downloadable album:
archive.org/details/bluey-the-album

YouTube Channel:
www.youtube.com/@BlueyOfficialChannel

Sound Designer interview: www.20k.org/episodes/thesoundofbluey

Gene Dieken

Submitted By: cindy.obtd@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

We had a very successful Pie Day fundraiser on February 7th for deserving community activities, and improvements to our often-utilized space. Many spirited folks answered the “call of the pies”. 25 gorgeous auction pies were offered for bidding, and on the bountiful Feast Pie Table, 27 pies that were created by local bakers and served with ice cream, were enjoyed by all.

A special nod of gratitude goes to our Golden Sponsors – Mohler Sand and Gravel, Nehalem Lumber, Home and Sea Realty, Manzanita Fresh Foods, Coast Construction, Manzanita Deli, and Manzanita Lumber (thanks for letting us confiscate your wife, Dave!).

It’s difficult to include all our fearless local artisan and business pie creators, but here goes: Downie’s Cafe Strawberry Rhubarb and Banana Cream Pie (Oh my!), Buttercup in Nehalem for Shepherd’s Pies (which this writer missed by 2 seconds), Offshore Grill for two tasty Peach Pies, a Boston Cream Pie and a Vegetable Quiche crafted by The Roost, two wonderful Cherry Pies from the Bunkhouse Restaurant, two feast pies from the Little Apple Deli, and the biggest test of this writer’s honesty and restraint, a Key Lime Pie (which I almost absconded with) accompanied by a nicely presented Chocolate Eclair Pie.

Also, Wild Grocery and Cafe for their Braised Chicken Pot Pie, and the Smoked Salmon Quiche from the Neahkahnie Smokehouse, both of which were enjoyed a few days later by six of us Grange members who partnered up to achieve the winning bids – delicious dinner and wonderful companionship.

Last but certainly not least, added support from Renee and the crew at Mohler Co-Op, Lunacy Coffee superbly complimenting the Feast Pie offerings, Manzanita News and Espresso, Pelican and Piper, Unfurl, Murrelet Herb and Tea Farm, and the Nehalem Food Mart – you put the ice cream in the “Feast Pie and Ice Cream Table”.

These folks deserve your support during these long winter months – they really stepped up to keep our Community Gathering Venue viable for everyone’s use. We salute you and your passion for doing great things for our Tri-Village area!!

Sincerely,

Your Lovely Parking Attendant at the White Clover Grange

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Classic Song and Poetry

Imagine
Imagine there’s no heaven
It’s easy if you try
No hell below us
Above us only sky
Imagine all the people
Living for today, ah

Imagine there’s no countries
It isn’t hard to do
Nothing to kill or die for
And no religion too
Imagine all the people
Living life in peace, you

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will be as one

Imagine no possessions
I wonder if you can
No need for greed or hunger
A brotherhood of man
Imagine all the people
Sharing all the world, you

You may say I’m a dreamer
But I’m not the only one
I hope someday you’ll join us
And the world will live as one

Source: Musixmatch
Songwriters: John Winston Lennon
Imagine lyrics © Lenono Music
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YkgkThdzX-8

“No coward soul is mine,
No trembler in the world’s storm-troubled sphere:
I see Heaven’s glories shine,
And faith shines equal,
Arming me from fear.”

Emily Bronte

Submitted By: barbaraandchuck@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

he theme this year’s Tillamook County Giving Guide is “Sowing Seeds of Love”.

Please check it out and give generously–sowing your own seeds of love.

The Giving Guide and detailed directories of the organizations can be found at www.northcoastbbq.com/local-resources/

The Giving Guide can also be found here:
www.northcoastbbq.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/01/Giving-Guide-2025-26_Final_Spreads3.pdf

Not every organization can afford a paid profile, which pays for the production. So there is a list of contact information for all in the back of the Guide.

Here are descriptions of several of those organizations:
Heart of Cartm
Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers
Hoffman Center for the Arts

Heart of Cartm
PO Box 122,
Manzanita, OR 97130
971-389-8414
info@heartofcartm.org
www.heartofcartm.org
instagram: @heartofcartm
Facebook: Heart of Cartm

Creative Reuse Store & Repair Workshop
395 Nehalem Boulevard
Wheeler, Oregon 97147

Mission Statement: Heart of Cartm exists to reimagine, reuse, and repair the resources of our community, prioritizing creative solutions and practical systems that move us toward a zero-waste future.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Heart of Cartm turns trash into possibility. Our programs include the HeartWorks Studio makerspace,
the Creativity Café community workshops, Repair Café events, and the Resourcerers donor circle—
all designed to inspire reuse, reduce waste, and strengthen community creativity. From hands-on art
sessions to local clean-ups and rural recycling education, we help people see materials—and
themselves—as part of a circular, regenerative story.

Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers
PO Box 413
Seaside, OR 97138
503-354-8014 contact_us@helpinghandsreentry.org
www.helpinghandsreentry.org

Alan Evans, Founder and President a.evans@helpinghandsreentry.org
Joshua Blomquist, COO j.blomquist@helpinghandsreenty.org
Tonja Hodgkinson, Deputy Director & CFO t.hodgkinson@helpinghandsreentry.org
Brianne Prince, Facility Director 503-354-8014
b.prince@helpinghandsreentry.org

Mission statement: Helping Hands provides hope and care through personal, trauma-informed programs to individuals experiencing homelessness.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
Helping Hands Reentry Outreach Centers provides navigation, emergency shelter, and transitional housing through a Reentry Program for individuals and families experiencing homelessness in Tillamook County through the Tillamook Hope Center. By connecting people with resources and with case management, Helping Hands empowers individuals to build a sustainable life.

Hoffman Center for the Arts
PO Box 678
594 Laneda Ave
Manzanita, OR 97130
info@hoffmanarts.org
www.hoffmanarts.org
Instagram: @hoffmancenterforthearts
Facebook: @hoffmancentermanzanita

India Downes-Le Guin, Executive Director
i.downes-leguin@hoffmanarts.org

Mission statement: Hoffman Center for the Arts provides opportunities for artistic and cultural access, education, exploration, and collaboration.

One paragraph about your organization’s history/work:
The Hoffman Center for the Arts (HCA) is a vibrant community hub in Manzanita, Oregon, dedicated to bringing people of all ages together through creativity and learning. Offering exhibitions, classes, workshops, and special events, HCA creates opportunities for new, emerging and established artists to share their work while fostering connection, curiosity, and exploration on the North Coast and beyond.

Submitted By: babbles@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

hello to the BBQ readership,

Heather Cox Richardson reporting on Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker delivering State of the State address.

This isn’t the first time that our democracy has been threatened by oligarchic interests. Democracy was won out over these attacks from within, and let’s each do everything possible to make sure that democracy wins out once more.

I had never heard of John Peter Altgeld, who was governor of Illinois from 1893 to 1897. He was a governor who instituted changes that benefited the ordinary citizen, rather than pouring more money into the coffers of the wealthy.

I also learned that in only one year “The Trump administration has cost Illinois $8.4 billion.” I wonder what the cost to Oregon has been. We know that in this moment, as I type these words, our Oregon legislature is grappling with a millions-of-dollars budget shortfall due to cuts in federal aid.

It’s time for middle and working-class Americans to again have a fair shot at a secure living. As one example, surely each of us has noticed the escalating costs in grocery stores.

The expression that Pritzker uses, “… proclamations from the Lollipop Guild”, would be more amusing if it were in some comic book story–rather than coming from the very top echelon of our government in real time. Unfortunately, our federal “Lollipop Guild” is anything but benign and amusing. Rather, it is inflicting deep, long-lasting harm to the rights and freedoms that Americans have long been accustomed to. It is inflicting deep, long-lasting harm to the daily well-being of each of us.

om peace namaste

lucy brook
nehalem resident
U.S. citizen

February 18, 2026
HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

Today Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker delivered the State of the State address. The underlying purpose of the address is to explain the state budget, but Pritzker, a Democrat, used the occasion to talk far more broadly about the state of Illinois and the nation.

Pritzker anchored his speech by reaching back to the days of John Peter Altgeld, a German-born American who helped to lead the Progressive movement and served as governor of Illinois from 1893 to 1897. Altgeld oversaw passage of some of the strongest laws in the country for workplace safety and protection of child workers, invested heavily in education, and appointed women to important positions in state government despite the fact that women could not yet vote.

Pritzker noted that in his State of the State speech in January 1895, Altgeld talked about “the need to ensure that science would govern the practice of medicine in Illinois; the high cost of insurance; the condition of Illinois prisons; the funding of state universities; a needed revision of election laws; the concentration of wealth in large businesses.” Altgeld expressed pride for appointing women to office and his statement that “[j]ustice requires that the same rewards and honors that encourage and incite men should be equally in reach of women in every field and activity.”

Pritzker said he brought up Altgeld’s defense of equal rights “to highlight one enduring human truth—injustice can become a genetic condition we bequeath on future generations if we fail to face it forthrightly.”

Pritzker then turned to the year that has passed since President Donald J. Trump took office. “To be perfectly candid,” Pritzker said, “as Illinois is one of the states whose taxpayers send more dollars to the federal government than we receive back in services, I was hoping that his threats to gut programs that support working families [were] the kind of unrealistic hyperbole that fuels a presidential campaign but then is abandoned when cooler heads prevail.” But, he said, “Unfortunately, there are no cooler heads at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue these days.”

The Trump administration has cost Illinois $8.4 billion, Pritzker said, “illegally confiscating money that has already been promised and appropriated by the Congress to the people of Illinois.” Pritzker was clear that this money is not handouts but “dollars that real Illinoisans paid in federal taxes and that have been constitutionally approved by our elected Democratic and Republican representatives in Washington.”

Unlike the federal government, states must balance their budgets every year. Trump’s billions in illegally withheld funds inflict a cost on the state’s residents, while Illinois has been “forced to spend enormous time and taxpayer money going to court and fighting to get what is rightfully ours.” Pritzker said: “It is impossible to tally the hours, days, and weeks our state government has spent chasing news of Presidential executive orders, letters, and edicts that read like proclamations from the Lollipop Guild.”

from lucy–NOTE WORDS THAT I HAVE CAPITALIZED HERE: Pritzker noted that TRUMP IS MAKING LIFE HARDER FOR EVERYDAY AMERICANS with tariffs that RAISE COSTS FOR WORKING FAMILIES AND SMALL BUSINESSES; trade wars that are DEVASTATING FARMERS; CUTS TO HEALTHCARE, NUTRITIONAL ASSISTANCE, AND EDUCATION; increased bureaucratic demands on states; and LOW JOB CREATION. The good news, Pritzker said, is that Illinois had managed such crises before and had found a way forward.

He noted the growth of Illinois’s economy and economic stability over the past eight years even as the state had balanced its budget every year and made historic investments in education, child welfare, disability services, and job creation in the private sector. In the past year, Illinois’s gross domestic product was more than $1.2 trillion, up from $881 billion when Pritzker took office.

Looking forward, Pritzker outlined plans to address the top three economic issues on the mind of most Americans: the cost of housing, electricity, and healthcare. He promised to reduce the cost of housing by cutting local regulations and providing more options for financing. He promised to address the skyrocketing cost of electricity first by pausing the authorization of new data center tax credits and then by investing in renewable energy and nuclear power. Finally, he announced that, as of this week, the state had eliminated $1 billion in medical debt for more than 500,000 people in the state by purchasing and erasing it for pennies on the dollar.

Pritzker warned that the benefits of our changing world are increasingly “reaped by a smaller and smaller group of people while middle and working class Americans pay for it. Special interests and large corporations seem to delight in finding ever more insidious ways to extract money from everyday people. Those same companies then react with a mixture of surprise and outrage when they’re asked to rein in their worst abuses.”

“I’m committed to doing everything government can to rein in the worst of the price gouging and profiteering we are seeing,” Pritzker said. “But I implore the titans of industry who regularly ask government to make their lives easier—what are you doing to make your employers’ and your customers’ lives easier?”

Then Pritzker turned to the crisis federal agents created on the streets of Chicago. “A year ago, I stood before you and asked a provocative question: After we have discriminated against, disparaged, and deported all our immigrant neighbors—and the problems we started with still remained—what comes next?” Pritzker said. He recalled that when he asked that question, some people walked out.

“But a year later, we have an answer—don’t we?” he said. “Masked, unaccountable federal agents—with little training—occupied our streets, brutalized our people, tear-gassed kids and cops, kidnapped parents in front of their children, detained and arrested and at times attempted to deport U.S. citizens, and killed innocent Americans in the streets.”

Pritzker identified Trump and White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller as the architects of that plan to “drip authoritarianism…into our veins.”

But, he noted, people in Illinois did not accept that authoritarianism.

Pritzker reminded the audience that President Grover Cleveland had similarly tried to “subdue the Illinois population with hired thugs” during the 1894 Pullman strike after the Pullman Company, which made railroad cars, cut workers’ wages by about 25%. When workers struck, Cleveland deputized U.S. Marshals to end the strike. They fired into crowds of bystanders and, according to a Chicago paper, “seemed to be hunting trouble.” Twenty-five people died and more were wounded before the strike ended.

Altgeld had opposed the arrival of federal troops, and his fury at their intrusion still smoldered when he gave his State of the State speech almost six months later. “If the President can, at his pleasure, send troops into any city, town, or hamlet…whenever and wherever he pleases, under pretense of enforcing some law,” Altgeld wrote, “his judgment, which means his pleasure being the sole criterion—then there can be no difference whatever in this respect between the powers of the President and those of…the Czar of Russia.”

Pritzker joked that he wished he “could spend just one year of my governorship presiding over precedented times. I yearn for normal problems,” he said. But these are not normal times.

“I’ve been thinking a lot lately about love—about loving people and loving your country and the power involved in both,” the governor said. “I know, right now, there are a lot of people out there who love their country and feel like their country is not loving them back. I know that.” But he told those people that “your country is loving you back—just not in the way you are used to hearing.”

“It’s not speaking in anthems or flags or ostentatious displays of patriotism. It will never come from the people who say the only way to love America is to hate Americans. Love is found in every act of courage—large and small—taken to preserve the country we once knew. You will find it in homes and schools and churches and art. It is there; it has not been squashed.”

Pritzker called out the love shown by “the bicyclers who showed up in Little Village every day during Operation Midway Blitz to buy out tamale carts so the vendors could return to the safety of their homes,” “the parishioners who formed human chains around churches so that immigrants could worship,” and “the moms in the school pickup line who whipped out their cameras and their whistles,” and in “the face of every Midwesterner who put on their heaviest coat and protested outside on the coldest day.”

That love for one’s neighbor, he suggested, is the country’s most powerful tool against the rise of authoritarianism.

from Lucy–again NOTE WORDS THAT I HAVE CAPITALIZED, “I am begging my fellow politicians, my fellow Illinoisans, my fellow Americans to realize that right now in this country we are not fighting over policy or political party,” Pritzker said. “WE ARE FIGHTING OVER WHETHER WE ARE GOING TO BE A CIVILIZATION ROOTED IN EMPATHY AND KINDNESS–OR ONE ROOTED IN CRUELTY AND RAGE.”

“I love my country,” Pritzker said. “I refuse to stop. The hope I have found in a very difficult year is that love is the light that gets you through a long night.”

Submitted By: lfelley@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

By calling all 4 Oregon Representatives today I learned that the volume of mail, calls and petitions on a subject bring that subject higher in rank of concern for that representative, and I’m sure Senator. I learned that all those online petitions I keep signing repeatedly add to the volume. All those form letters sent add to the volume.
My take away, if we want our legislators to do something about our concerns, we need to voice them often and in as many ways as possible. It’s data collection.
I’ve also learned that it is possible to leave a message with any representative or senator, regardless of zip code, or state, by calling their Washington DC office. We can make a difference but we have to tell them our concerns and opinions.

Submitted By: heidiangelaparker@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Our long-time friend is a licensed physical therapist. Her career has been in office and hospital settings in the past. Last year she decided to embark on a new business venture, mobile therapy.

When my sister recently had a complete knee replacement, her stories of trying to get to therapy made me think of our friend Susie Trantham. How convenient it would have been to have a therapist come to her driveway! Susie is an avid pickle-ball enthusiast and joy to be around. Is there a need in our community for something like this? We all know the challenges of living on the coast when it comes to access to professional healthcare, especially when driving is challenged.

I am hoping to encourage her to open her mind to our community as a possible goal to develop her business…. she lives in Salem as we speak. What do you think? Thoughts?

Submitted By: codger817@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

I just came across this quote for Erdogan, the premier of Turkey and wonder if we’re in a similar place. His quote is from 1999

Erdoğan once put it, “Democracy is like a tram. You ride it until you arrive at your destination, then you step off.”]

Submitted By: stayhuman@tutamail.com – Click to email about this post

About two weeks ago on this site, I posted my concerns about Tillamook County Libraries’ plan to deploy A.I.-driven facial recognition cameras at all locations.

My post was answered by Tillamook County Commissioner Vice-Chair Mary Faith Bell. I then replied to Commissioner Bell on this site, and she has yet to respond to my concerns from that post.

Since Commissioner Bell addressed the issue on this site, I am replying to her again on this site, and I thank BBQ for the opportunity, as the county’s deployment of A.I. in any form or fashion should be of grave concern for all county residents; whether those concerns are about out-of-control and needless government surveillance, or county administers using Grok or whatever A.I. service to replace human jobs, or any other concerns about the deployment of A.I. There should be absolute up-front transparency about the county’s plans to employ A.I., if such plans exist outside of the library system.

The pro-human anti-A.I. revolution has begun, and I think it right that Tillamook County join that pro-human revolution.

Santa Fe and Sedona have banned the A.I.-driven Flock cameras, and litigation regarding their use has begun is several states.

www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/cities-are-fighting-back-against-the-law-breaking-flock-license-plate-cameras/ar-AA1OivZ9

From article:
“Amid growing public debate over the role of surveillance tech in law enforcement, Flock issues have become a flashpoint. Its cameras, which can track vehicles using an easily-searchable database, have blanketed hundreds of cities across the country. The company presents its product as a simple license plate scanner, boasting “billions of monthly plate reads.” That phrasing alone makes clear that committing a crime isn’t the only way to end up in Flock’s tracking database. One Virginia man found he had been tracked 526 times in just four months after investigating the company. Meanwhile, Flock’s pitch to law enforcement boasts much more aggressive AI capabilities than simple plate scanning, including a “Vehicle Fingerprint” that can track cars even without a license plate by identifying everything from paint jobs to specific objects in a truck bed.”

Oregon’s biggest fraud, Senator Ron Wyden, has championed himself throughout his career as a staunch advocate of an individual’s right to privacy. He couldn’t be more dishonest. He has said nothing meaningful about the wide-spread privacy concerns about A.I. and certainly has not pushed back. Maybe because his donors want A.I., and he values them and their money more than he values the individual privacy concerns of the Oregonians he pretends to represent.

Of Flock cameras, which have been deployed all over Oregon, Wyden was taken to task by voters, and he finally weighed in against the cameras – but not until AFTER they were deployed all over the state. Eugene has stopped using the cameras, and I hope the rest of the state, and indeed the country, does the same. We 99% still wield a lot of power, and the wide-spread push-back against A.I. is evidence of that power.

Radio Cab in Portland, whom I contracted with as a driver for ten years, deployed A.I.-driven facial recognition cameras in all of their taxis over the summer. But these cameras do a lot more than facial recognition. Every time I honked the horn, the A.I. sent a video to my supervisor. Every time I picked up the phone, the A.I. would yell “PUT DOWN PHONE” then send a video to my supervisor. It packages passengers’ entering and exiting the cab, and all of those interactions are saved in a file for the supervisors to watch at any time. The entirety of the passengers rides are recorded and stored FOREVER, or as long as the wickedly anti-human A.I. stains the human experience, as the audio/video of the taxi rides is ostensibly stored in one of those giant Google-esque facilities that hog our electricity and cause the electric rates for us 99% to double, while the 1% who are using A.I. and our subsidy to digitally enslave us and degrade the human experience, get a screaming deal on electricity rates. I was also told that Radio Cab packaged all of my conversations with my passengers in text form and made those conversations available to the supervisors. Of utmost importance, I am told by tech folks smarter than me about this stuff, that there is no such thing as closed A.I., despite some companies’ claims otherwise. So ICE and whomever else that is savvy enough, can hack into any A.I. system.

If you know folks who are living here unlawfully and do not want to be deported, tell them not to ride in Radio Cabs! (It would be prudent for someone to look into TriMet’s use or potential use of A.I. on busses and trains.) If you value your privacy, including your private conversations with your driver, DO NOT USE RADIO CAB! Uber and Lyft, though born of the tech 1%, have yet to require their drivers employ A.I. cameras, and at this time are a preferable option to those who value and individuals right to privacy, as the original founders of Radio Cab, World War Two vets, surely understood.

Behavior modifications A.I. systems like these are what the Chinese Communist Party employs on its citizens, and they couldn’t be further from the ideals of those who fought the fascists and communists during World War Two, after which Radio Cab was born by American soldiers.

Commissioner Bell, you didn’t follow-up and answer any of my questions. These questions are of significant import to your constituents. Here they are again, with an add-on or two:

1. Did the idea to deploy A.I.-driven facial recognition cameras throughout the Tillamook County Library system come from within, or was the idea brought to the commissioners by a tech lobbyist/salesman?

2. How much is the contract worth?

3. Has the county come up with guidance with respect to its deployment of A.I. throughout county government?

4. Have the cameras been turned on yet?

5. Are you willing to cancel the contract and get the A.I. cameras that have already been installed removed?

6. You mentioned that the libraries have had ‘incidents’ that gave rise the deployment of these cameras. How many incidents have there been over the last year? Was law enforcement involved? The main branch is a stone’s throw from the Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office and the Tillamook Police. OSP is also close by. Why the cameras when we have these three great law enforcement agencies (and more) in our county?

7. Commissioner Bell, you characterized the libraries as all-inclusive places that are safe spaces for all. Clearly that is not the case now that hackable A.I.-driven facial recognition cameras have been deployed. Please consider removing them and writing language in county code that prohibits the use of such A.I.-driven cameras in their entirety. Would closed circuit cameras, that are NOT connected to the internet and that are DELETED every two weeks, suffice?

And please use this site for a reply, if possible, as many concerned folks are awaiting your response.

Andy Norris
Wheeler

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to have lunch with someone who encouraged me to view the ongoing government shutdown from a new/different perspective. During our conversation, she highlighted that the impact of this shutdown extends far beyond the Department of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). While it is commonly reported that ICE remains largely unaffected—thanks to being fully funded by President Trump’s “One Big Beautiful Bill”—the reality is that several other critical government agencies are experiencing significant effects.

In addition to ICE, the following agencies are being impacted by the shutdown:

U.S. Coast Guard
Transportation Security Administration (TSA)
Secret Service and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA)
Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA)

My lunch companion questioned why these agencies, each of which provides essential services for our country, are being grouped together in discussions with ICE. This is a point worth considering and will be revisited later in this document.

Now asking you to consider helping two local organizations who provide food to many in our community:

Nehalem Bay Community Services is in Nehalem, Oregon at the Methodist Church. At this time of year this agency is very busy providing donations of food, clothing, blankets, and more. Their food pantry welcomes everyone Monday, Friday, and Saturday (10 AM-2 PM) and Wednesday from 1 PM – 5 PM. If you would like to help with their mission, please drop off canned meats, peanut butter and jelly, breakfast cereal, eggs, fresh produce, canned soups, and condiments. Gas cards can also be helpful. These are just suggestions. In their last message they were asking for men’s clothing. Nehalem Bay Community Services also has a Senior Lunch Program which they serve on Tuesdays and Thursdays, which begins at 11:30 AM. This program not only offers food but also companionship. You can support and make a direct impact to both these programs by sending a check to Nehalem Bay Community Services, PO Box 232, Nehalem, Oregon, 97131. For more information you can call 503-368-4385.

The North County Food Bank is in Wheeler, Oregon. It has been in operation for over 30 years. This Food Bank is open on Tuesdays and serves 50 or more families a week. Your dollars can be used to buy more food for this organization. Check can be sent to North County Food Bank, PO Box 162, Wheeler, Oregon 97147. More information can be had by calling 503-368-7724.

Now back to the discussion of the Government Shutdown. I must ask if they have electricity in Washington, D.C.? Where are these people who we all elected to the House of Representatives and Senate? It doesn’t seem to me like they are showing up for work! Do we need to start taking attendance every morning? I must question their ability to see into the future. And I also question their loyalty to the people who elected them, the people of the United States of America. What are these people, both the House of Representatives and the Senate, thinking? Why does it take the deaths of Renee Good and Alex Pretti to make them act on something that is a non-issue since the Big Beautiful Bill passed? ICE doesn’t need any money-they are funded. If our elected officials had acted earlier perhaps these two people would still be alive. Should we all be ashamed of ourselves because we elected them? Should we be ashamed of ourselves because we let them get away with it? A friend on the line says, ‘WAKE UP’! What should be done to get the people we elected to think a lot more than they’ve been doing. I know there’s a lot more to do, many more problems to work on. Let’s all try to wake up the people we voted for to take care of our country.

Peaceful Protest in Nehalem, February 21, Saturday, noon to 2 PM. North County Resistance

Best,
Patty

Submitted By: fire.jousts0z@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

Regarding the questions about the choices made by apparently solely by the CM to choose the narrower version (without a westerly retaining wall and narrower pedestrian path): Will anyone at the Pine Grove gathering ask the CM and Mayor why the Council was not involved in the decision not to take the better choice and have a wider road?
And…question how is the legal situation with the other contractor who did not ultimately win the bid?

Submitted By: Tinnindeb@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

We need men’s gently used and clean work shoes/boots, work shirts and jeans (especially sizes 38 and smaller).

We need blankets and towels.

And Animal Haven by the Sea, also located at the Church, needs kitty litter.

NBCS is always looking for donations for the following Personal Care items:
shampoo and baby shampoo, soap, toothpaste for adults and children, toothbrushes, personal wipes, deodorant, bar soap, etc.

Our drop off hours are Monday, Friday and Saturday 10 to 2; Wednesday 1 to 5. At our location, Nehalem Methodist Church.

For more information about our organization, visit our website: NehalemBayCS.org

Equal Opportunity Provider.

Thank You for Supporting Our Community.

Submitted By: pattyrinehart@nehalemtel.net – Click to email about this post

Hello Friends,

On Saturday, more than fifty people gathered in Nehalem to participate in a protest organized by the North County Resistance. The group continues to demonstrate against a variety of issues, with each participant bringing their own concerns to the forefront.

This week, several topics have emerged among protesters:
• Controversial and racist imagery involving President and Michelle Obama shared by Trump.
• Claims that protesters are being financially compensated for their participation.
• Legal proceedings were launched against Senator Mark Kelly and others who disagree with the President.
• Efforts to relax regulations within the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Threats directed toward Greenland.
• Calls for individual Americans to protect themselves from federal government overreach.
• The Pope’s announcement that he will not return to the United States for the remainder of the year.
• Ongoing threats from ICE that impact United States citizens.
• Confusion resulting from inconsistent messages from various branches of the U.S. Government.

These concerns represent just a portion of the issues being discussed, and the list continues to grow as the political climate evolves.

There is a noticeable increase in frustration among citizens regarding the policies enacted by the U.S. Government. A particular point of anxiety centers on the unpredictable presence of ICE teams. For example, ICE has appeared in Portland, Oregon, deploying a wide array of tactics, some of which have been questioned for their legality—against protest crowds. Despite public outcry, ICE has not been halted in its activities.

Participants are now questioning what might happen if ICE were to arrive in Nehalem or Manzanita and employ similar tactics against members of the North County Resistance. It is important to note that this group is committed to peaceful protest: they refrain from raising their voices, throwing objects, or shouting at those with opposing views. This situation raises a critical question for the community—would you stand up to defend the right to peaceful protest?

As I write I wonder if I am stirring up problems, certainly not what I want to do. If you think I am, please write and let me know what you are thinking.
Coastal City Governments are reacting to ICE. Check with your City to find out what their position is.

Our North County Resistance Group needs some specific volunteers with the March 28 No Kings event coming up. Our group plans on having an event on this day in Manzanita. Because our location we have some safety challenges. To detail, we need CROSSING GUARDS, SAFETY MARSHALLS, and some SET-UP AND TEAR DOWN help.

CROSSING GUARDS will be helping people to cross, at the crosswalk, Highway 101, this crosswalk is located between Hwy. 101 and Laneda Avenue. Another crossing point is between Manzanita Avenue and Hwy. 101. If this is something you might consider, please get in touch with me. I want to be sure you understand what this job entails. Crossing Guards make sure people can safely cross either Highway 101 or Manzanita Avenue. We will supply you with orange vests and pom poms for crossing. We need 8 CROSSING GUARDS.

We need 14 SAFETY MARSHALLS-
SAFETY MARSHALLS will be placed in areas of the protests to watch the crowds. You will be given an orange vest and a particular unit of people to watch. You will not carry any signs or banners as you are to be considered neutral if placed in any incident. Your job, which will be detailed more in the future, will be to calm down the situation.

SET-UP AND TEAR DOWN-We will be bringing 30 cones to the Event plus CAUTION tape. Cones are light, but their bases weigh 5-6 pounds. CAUTION tape will be placed between the cones. We will also have a couple of tables and tents which will need to be placed in certain areas. Cones will be placed from Manzanita Avenue, along Hwy. 101, down past the Big Wave Café.

All this is being done to keep people at the protest as safe as possible. Previous events have had people cross Hwy. 101 or go from one side of the street to the other, not realizing this might be dangerous. We cannot protect everyone but want to do the best we can.

Please contact me if you might be able to help with being a Crossing Guard, Safety Marshall, or help with the Set-up and Tear-down teams.

Apologize for this being so long,
Patty

Submitted By: dixiedarrow@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

President Donald Trump said in a Truth Social post Feb. 13 he plans to sign an executive order requiring voter ID for midterm elections this year as the SAVE Act remained on life support in the Senate.
“We cannot let the Democrats get away with NO VOTER I.D. any longer,” Trump posted. “Even Democrat Voters agree, 85 percent, that there should be Voter I.D.”
“This is an issue that must be fought, and must be fought, NOW! If we can’t get it through Congress, there are Legal reasons why this SCAM is not permitted. I will be presenting them shortly, in the form of an Executive Order,” Trump said.

The U.S. House passed the SAVE America Act on Feb. 11. Rep. Chip Roy (R-Texas) led the legislation that would require Americans to prove their citizenship when registering to vote.
Under the bill, citizens would have to show a photo identification when casting ballots, including mail-in ballots.
The bill faces an uncertain future in the Senate, where Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) said this week there aren’t enough votes to drop the filibuster to advance the bill.

The bill allows several valid forms of proof, including a U.S. passport, a REAL ID, or enhanced driver’s license, government-issued photo identification, such as a passport card, and a U.S. military ID shown alongside a military record of service showing the United States as the applicant’s birthplace.
Several left-wing and progressive organizations, including the American Civil Liberties Union, the League of Women Voters, the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, and the Brennan Center for Justice, came out against the Voter ID requirement this week.
Democrat Sen. John Fetterman, of Pennsylvania, broke party lines this week to support photo ID voting requirements, but told Dasha Burns on Politico’s “The Conversation” that his support did not extend to the House-passed bill.
Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski, who often votes against her party, became the first Republican to speak out against the bill Feb. 10. The senator claimed the bill would federalize elections.

Submitted By: Spblat@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Happy Valentine’s Day from North Coast Pinball
Thanks for reading this monthly update! More important stuff is up top, followed by too much information about what’s going on behind the scenes at NCP. I may include a mild rant about current events at the end, which I invite you to skip if that’s not your thing. Will I keep writing these? Depends on feedback. Please let me know what you think.
Teen Night is back! Teenagers (and almost-teenagers) are invited for free pinball this Friday, February 20th from 6-8 PM. Thanks to Christy Kay of Rising Hearts Studio in Nehalem for hosting this and for doing the work to keep it funded. You can contact her with questions or make a donation at (503) 800-1092. Do you have an event you’d like to host here? Get in touch or visit northcoastpinball.com/events.
Our monthly tournament is tomorrow, Sunday 2/15 at 5 PM. Last month we had 9 charming people join us, and my friend Kris took home the token box trophy. I’ll try to write down a couple of exciting tidbits for next month’s update. If you have never joined a pinball tournament, ours is a friendly group, and it’s a great way to meet nice people and learn some skills. Come see!
After a 31-month hiatus, Avengers Infinity Quest (AIQ, 2020) is back on the floor and it’s our “Game of the Month” for February. Come on in, beat the top score, and enter your initials. If your score holds through the end of the month, you get a medallion made just for you. (If you don’t like medallions, you can surrender yours for 100 tokens.) Come in and play AIQ before I take it away again, which probably won’t take long. Congratulations to my friend Chris for being last month’s winner on Back to the Future with a monumental score of 18,273,900. You can learn more about our “Game of the Month” program at northcoastpinball.com/gotm.
Stern Pinball has finally revealed the much-anticipated “Pokémon Pinball” and I am beyond hyped. You’ll start to see it in arcades within a few weeks. Ours will be delayed a little because I’ve ordered an upgraded “premium” model, which doesn’t go into production until later. Hopefully we’re all playing it here by April. Meanwhile I invite you to come in and fill out a “game change requisition form” to let me know which game should go away to make room for it—these are important decisions!
I…finally installed a claw machine last month. Out of 5 people I ask, 4 think they’re fun and harmless, and one (I’m in this minority) is not a fan. My machine is a bit unique in that a card I wrote for the game reveals *every* *single* *detail* about how it works and why the claw seems to drop the prize at the last minute (tl;dr: yes, it’s rigged; based on the value of what I put in it, the goal is a 40% win rate). Come tell me what you think of the new machine, or what you think I should put in it.
Tech Day is every Tuesday from 3:00 to 5:30 PM. RSVP is required by texting (503) 343-4783 before Tuesday morning. Over the last few weeks I’ve had invaluable help from Scout and Levko as we work to clean games and tune up chronic issues. Come and join us—no charge to participate and learn, and no pinball repair experience or tech skills are needed.
A weekly Alcoholics Anonymous meeting has sprung up at North Coast Pinball over the holidays. It’s held Thursdays at 7 PM. All are welcome.
I’ve been thinking about merch lately. Merch has not tended to sell well enough for it to be worth the trouble and expense of having it made. I have a theory that there are people who—while they feel the specialness of North Coast Pinball—don’t feel the need to proclaim an “I support North Coast Pinball” *identity* to the world by wearing my logo on a hat or a hoodie. I’m testing this theory with a new way for you to show your support. Details here: northcoastpinball.com/icanfeelit
Also—I have written a book! It’s about the experiences I’ve had and witnessed here over the years that we’ve been open and I hope to have it out in the world by June. You can learn more (and join my street team, do you want to be on a street team? What is a street team?) at www.mysterytoken.pub.
Monday is President’s Day, set aside to honor all American presidents on the occasion of George Washington’s birthday. I revere the American flag and I do fly it on a few special occasions but February being Black History Month, I have a BLM flag up. In this way I celebrate the American principles and values that I was raised to honor. One of those principles is that we all have equal rights under the law, which—as we are learning together—does not and cannot enforce itself. It takes us.
Thank you for reading through to the end and thanks for being part of North Coast Pinball. Come visit Nehalem!
Will Irace northcoastpinball.com WillFromNehalem.substack.com February 14, 2026