Category: General Interest

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

and how we got here—and why I’m writing this
For “Why”, please scroll to end.

FACT:  Approximately $475,000 upfront costs for earlier legal setup fees and engineering fees to Windsor Engineering paid by the City. For that, we got a Precisely Engineered Safe Design, Long Term West Side Slide Prevention, and Geological Research That Backs Up this Design.

FACT:  TLT FUNDS IN MANZANITA’S GENERAL FUND= GREATER THAN $3.7 million dollars of unappropriated General Fund revenue comprised of TLT collections was available . . .was ready for Manzanita’s Classic Street as designed by Windsor Engineering.

DEFINITION OF TLT: Key Priorities for TLT Investment by Tillamook County
The county uses these funds to balance the impact of tourism, with key priorities including: 
Investing in infrastructure to support tourism (e.g., parking, restrooms). (My example: CLASSIC STREET’S ORIGINAL WINDSOR ENGINEERED VERSION: A much safer, wider, longer lasting, heavily used traffic (RVs) and pedestrian byway to and from the center of Manzanita and the State Park.)
Protecting sensitive ecological areas.
Enhancing visitor experience and educating tourists on being good stewards. (My note: The original PAID FOR AND THEN DISCARDED design for a 20% wider thoroughfare would have been a great example of enhancing visitor experience and safety.)
Supporting year-round economic stability through shoulder-season tourism. 

FACT:  Original Bid for this Superior Version DELETED apparently solely by City Manager: BACK TO SQUARE ONE WITH HARDLY ANY TURNAROUND TIME FOR MORE BIDS.

5/2025= ORIGINAL PURCHASED DESIGN—Received Bid to City by Previous Contractor, $3.5 Million LOW BID.  STATE PORTION OF THAT PAYS APPROXIMATELY $2.7 MILLION.  THEREFORE NET COST TO MANZANITA= ROUGHLY $800,000.  MANZANITA HOLDS OVER $3,000,000 OF FUNDS FROM TLT TAX IN ITS OWN GENERAL FUND.  PERFECT USE, AS CLASSIC IS USED FOR VISITORS TO AND FROM PARKS WITH LARGE RVS.

CONSIDERATIONS: “VALUE VS. COST CALCULATION”=VERY HIGH VALUE AS ROAD WILL LAST A LONG TIME.  PLUS, IT IS SAFER FOR LARGE VEHICLES COEXISTING IN THE SAME LIMITED SPACE WITH PEDESTRIANS.
LOWER COST VERSION = LOW VALUE: THE CHEAPER VERSION CHOSEN MERELY TO “ARRIVE WITHIN BUDGET” —AGAIN, WHO CAME UP WITH THE BUDGET NUMBERS? IF IT WASN’T AN EXPERIENCED CONTRACTOR, THAT NUMBER IS NOT AN ACCURATE REPRESENTATION..

WINDSOR ENGINEERING’S APPROXIMATE $424,000 BILL PAID FOR BY MANZANITA INCLUDED A SUPERIOR VERSION OF A COLLECTOR ROADWAY=22’ WIDE, 2’ WIDE BETWEEN ROAD AND PATHWAY, PATH=6’

TOTAL WIDTH= 30 FEET WIDE.

REJECTION:  WELL, THE DESIGN WE ALL CHOSE WASN’T BUILT.
5/2025= CITY MANAGER, APPARENTLY ON HER OWN, REJECTS BID BY EXPERIENCED CONTRACTOR OF $3.5 MILLION AS EXCEEDING “HER ESTIMATE OF $3.1 MILLION”.  HMMM —THAT REJECTED CONTRACTOR WHO REBUILT TIMBER ROAD (SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 26 TIMBER JUNCTION) AFTER LANDSLIDES CLOSED IT PROBABLY KNOWS A LOT, MAYBE EVEN MORE THAN CM,  (CALL IT EXPERTISE) ABOUT PROPER COSTING OF RETAINING THE WEST HILLSIDE ON CLASSIC.

SHAVED VERSION (LOWER VALUE) ROADWAY=20’ WIDE, PATH=6’

TOTAL WIDTH= 26 FEET WIDE
.
COST DIFFERENCE PER FOOT FOR THE WIDER PATH AND WIDER ROAD WITH PEDESTRIAN SAFETY BUFFER, MAYBE $200 PER FOOT BUT OUT OF TLT VISITOR FUNDS ALREADY GIVEN TO MANZANITA FOR THIS SORT OF PROJECT AND IN THE BANK, JUST WAITING FOR A VISITOR ORIENTED USE.

COMPARISON OF SUPERIOR ENGINEERED ORIGINAL VS NET COST DIFFERENCE TO CITY OF “NARROW VERSION” SAVINGS OF $400,000 OF “FREE MONEY” ON, SAY, A PROPOSED 50 YEAR LIFE OF CLASSIC STREET?? 
YOU DECIDE.

FACT:  (REMEMBER: IN THIS SCHEME, REAL NET COST OF $3.1 MILLION IS TRUE COST TO MANZANITA OF APPROXIMATELY $400,000. (OREGON PAYS THE $2.7 MILLION MAJORITY OF TOTAL PRICE). A SMALL SAVINGS IN DOLLARS, BUT AT A STEEP COST TO CANCEL THE HIGHER VALUE ORIGINAL DESIGN.  PREDICTION: MANZANITA WILL ADD THE $400,000 DIFFERENCE IN COST OVERRUNS AND ATTORNEY FEES. THEREFORE, THE PURPORTED DIFFERENCE WILL BE – – GONE.
PLUS: MORE NEW ENGINEERING COSTS; 
PLUS:  ATTORNEY FEES FOR LEGAL ACTION FROM THE REJECTED, EXPERIENCED BIDDER.

FACT:  THE STATE WOULD HAVE PAID APPROXIMATELY 77% OF THE PRICE IN A WINDFALL TYPE GRANT.  COULD WE EVER HAVE IMAGINED WE COULD REBUILD CLASSIC STREET FOR $800,000?  BUT IT WAS REJECTED BY ONE ADMINISTRATOR WITHOUT GOING THROUGH THE COUNCIL.

THE NEW “SHAVED” NARROW VERSION, NO WESTERLY RETAINING WALL: “NEW BID / NEW BIDDER” WINS THE CONTRACT.  COST TO SWITCH = CLOSE TO $500,000 SO FAR, WHEN ATTORNEY FEES TO COUNTER LEGAL ACTION BY FORMER CONTRACT BID WINNER ARE ADDED IN.
  FURTHERMORE, MOST IMPORTANTLY, THERE IS NO WEST SIDE RETAINING WALL, THE LONG-TERM “SURE FIX” FOR SLIDES, ROAD RAVELING AND THE WIDEST COLLECTOR AND SAFEST FOR PEDESTRIANS AS WELL AS BIG VEHICLES SHARING A NARROW ROAD.  REDESIGN.  

OK, SO PLEASE FOLLOW ME HERE, AND DO CORRECT ME IF YOU SEE AN ERROR:
IF WE HAVE PAID OUT $400,000 FOR THE WINDSOR DESIGN, AND THE NEW CONTRACTOR CHARGES $3.1 MILLION, THEN ARE WE NOT AT THE $3.5 MILLION PRICE CURRENTLY WITH MORE ATTORNEY CHARGES TO PAY IN THE OFFING?

OH, AND BY THE WAY, THE ORIGINAL CONTRACTOR WOULD HAVE FINISHED THE IMPROVEMENTS TO CLASSIC ALREADY!  (FALL 2025(!!)

DISCUSSION:  OUR COUNCIL / CITY MANAGER (CM) DYNAMICS ARE APPARENTLY NOT WORKING AS THEY SHOULD.  IT APPEARS THAT A CITY MANAGER MADE THIS SUDDEN, SURPRISING DECISION WITHOUT DISCUSSION WITH COUNCIL.  IN THIS CASE, CORRECT, INSIGHTFUL QUESTIONS WERE NOT ASKED BY THE COUNCIL.  IF I WERE ON THE COUNCIL, I WOULD BE LESS THAN HAPPY IN THIS CIRCUMSTANCE. REMEMBER, WHAT STARTED IN 2005 AS A PLANNED COLLECTOR ROAD CONCEPT FROM OREGON D.O.T. IN 2005, THEN MORE RECENTLY WAS UPDATED, DISCUSSED AT LENGTH WITH PUBLIC AND WINDSOR ENGINEERING IN MEETING AFTER MEETING . . .

MANZANITA CITIZENS APPROVED THE SUPERIOR 30’ WIDE CLASSIC STREET IMPROVEMENT OVER MANY MEETINGS.  IT WAS TOSSED. APPARENTLY. BY. ONE. ADMINISTRATOR.

CONCLUSION:  OBVIOUSLY THE DYNAMIC BETWEEN THE COUNCIL AND CITY MANAGER SEEMS FLAWED.   WHAT ARE OUR CITIZENRY LESSONS HERE FOR THE FUTURE? 

YESTERYEAR -or -HOW IT USED TO BE WITH A PREVIOUS MAYOR AND A FORMER CITY MANAGER:
FROM THE HEADLIGHT HERALD, March 20, 2017, an article about Jerry Taylor, former successful City Manager of Manzanita —
“Manzanita City Manager celebrates 20 years.” “It’s a good team, it’s been that way for a long time”, he said.  “Many times, the City Manager is much like a symphony conductor.  He can wave his stick around, but it’s the people playing the instruments.  Some of what I get credit for is work they have done.” 
I observed the teamwork between Garry Bullard, a successful attorney, and Jerry Taylor.  The Mayor had, believe me, a whole lot of input to any CM decisions.  Can we say “assertive” versus this present Council?  

SOME QUESTIONS AND OBSERVATIONS I HAVE FOLLOW:

COST OF CUSTOM ENGINEERED ROAD OF $470,000 WAS EFFECTIVELY THROWN AWAY, DELETED, AND NO LONGER THE SPECIFICATION STANDARD TO WHICH OUR CLASSIC STREET WOULD BE REBUILT.  NO WESTERN RETAINING WALL FOR A STEEP SLOPE.

ITEM:  DOWNSLOPE DEVELOPMENT OF A HOTEL STRUCTURE WILL KEEP ANY RETAINING WALL FROM EVER BEING CONSTRUCTED.  FOREVER. NEVERMORE, AS POE WOULD HAVE WRITTEN.

ITEM:  CLASSIC STREET WOULD HAVE BEEN FINISHED BY LAST FALL IF THE ORIGINAL DESIGN AND BID, BY A VERY SEASONED CONTRACTOR (WHO ABLY REBUILT THE TIMBER ROAD OFF 26 AND FIXED LANDSLIDE AREAS).

ITEM:  THAT CONTRACTOR NOW HAS A LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THE CITY.  WE ARE PAYING LARGE ATTORNEY FEES EVERY MONTH ON THIS ISSUE.

COMMENT 1:  WHAT?  THE CM (FIRST CM POSITION) GETS TO MAKE A SOLO DECISION AGAINST  A VERY WELL QUALIFIED BIDDER ON A COMPLEX ENGINEERED PROJECT THAT HAS INVOLVED CITIZENS, MEETINGS, BEST VALUE??  WHERE IS THE QUESTIONING FROM THE COUNCIL?  ANSWER: NON-EXISTENT.  

DISCUSSION:  OUR COUNCIL / CITY MANAGER (CM) DYNAMICS ARE APPARENTLY NOT WORKING AS THEY SHOULD.  IN THIS CASE, THE RIGHT QUESTIONS WERE NOT ASKED.  WHAT ARE THE LESSONS HERE FOR THE FUTURE? 

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  From Windsor Engineer’s website: “The City of Manzanita obtained an appropriation to construction public infrastructure improvements. Windsor designed the project for the City. The project includes over 2,000 feet of road widening, a new 10 ft. wide paved pedestrian path, over 3,000 ft. of new water main, over 1,000 linear feet of retaining walls, and stormwater improvements. The project was performed with the assistance of Pali Consulting (Geotech), North Coast Civil (Local Engineering), Onion Peak (Survey), MacKay Sposito (Landscape), and DKS (Traffic Consulting).”

BIBLIOGRAPHY:  From a Windsor Engineering Document: NOTE: WESTERLY SLOPE IS OVER 30 DEGREES IN AREAS. “Pavement cracking along the edge of Classic Street is interpreted as due to ongoing creep of loose sands beneath the roadway Retaining walls are recommended to stabilize the downslope edge of Classic Street. Final design of the walls will depend on final seismic design requirements, which are to be determined. The loose sand soils will not hold steep slope angles or have stable trench walls at any significant excavation depths. They will also be prone to raveling.” 
 

TENETS OF OREGON ADMINISTRATIVE LAWS AND APPROACH TO GOVERNANCE:
Authority relationship in Oregon: 
Council Holds Ultimate Authority: The city council is the elected legislative body, acting as the highest authority for policy decisions, such as budget approval, tax rates, and major, long-term goals.
Manager Implements Policy: The city manager is appointed by the council to implement policies, oversee day-to-day operations, and manage staff.
Binding Authority: The manager is bound by the actions of the council and must keep the council advised of city affairs.
Exceptions (Emergencies): In some jurisdictions, a city manager may have authority to award contracts in cases of emergency, but they are typically required to report these actions to the council promptly.
Termination Power: If a city manager acts without consulting the council, the council has the authority to terminate the manager at any time. 
What a City Manager CAN do independently: 
Hiring and firing of city employees (except often for the city attorney or municipal judge).
Directing day-to-day operations and department heads.
Developing staff recommendations for council consideration. 
What a City Manager CANNOT do without the Council: 
Set city policy.
Approve the annual budget.
Pass laws or ordinances.
Hire or fire the city attorney or municipal judge (usually). 
While city managers have strong administrative control, they are always subject to the direction of the council. 

SOME QUESTIONS AND A “SELF SURVEY”

WE (CITIZENS OF MANZANITA)  DON’T GET MORE INVOLVED IN CIVIC KNOWLEDGE AND COMMENTING BECAUSE:  
   **YOUR OWN CHECKMARK OPPORTUNITY — SELF-GRADED         ——-PLEASE CHECK AS MANY AS APPLY TO YOUR SITUATION AND THOUGHTS

____I’m about the average age here, 65
 ___I have many activities, no spare time
___I feel overloaded with the Trump-caused chaos in the USA
___I’m involved with only state or national politics, not local politics.
___I don’t have time to watch Council meetings and critique (not criticize, but critique)
___iF you have followed City Council meetings and dynamics, please rate the Council on how well it did vis-a-vis the solitary CM decision of a narrower, unretained on the west side of street, referring to the “TENETS” above:
_____Great_____Average_____”No Show” Council Fail
___I agree with what you have written, but residents need a united front.  How do you do that?  A lot of people I talk to agree with me, but I think people are fed up with being ignored.
___I just live here part-time, don’t vote here, frustrated that my voice is not heard.
___Hey, I pay under $500 per year in property tax that goes to this City, why should I be concerned?
___At my age of arround 65, because of age / health, I may have to move sometime, so why should I worry about years ahead of narrower road and walking path?
___I’m new to town.  I would like to get more knowledge of the City and participate in these discussions as I learn more about current affairs.
___I’m friends with one or more on the Council, and afraid of criticizing.
___If I publicly criticize decisions, there are people on anti-social media who will insult me without the correct facts.  (Ad hominem attacks). I don’t need that. 
___People seem to have thin skin and get angry in a non-professional way.  I don’t need that.
___I think some on the Council, like many today, also have thin skin and become angered in a non-professional way if they are subject to questioning by voters.
___Wow, that’s a lot of “free money” from TLT that coulda shoulda been used to build the very best road and pathway that we have wanted for 20 years!  Plus, I did not know that the State has paid for most of the improvements and we could have spent a relatively small percentage more to get a superior street and path.  
___We have a couple of lawyers and a couple of administrators on Council.  I’m sure they do a perfect job, but haven’t listened to a meeting or checked a rerun of Council meetings on YouTube.
___I think we should hold our leaders to account.
___Perhaps if we paid the Council members for their time (hey, they just hired another $100K employee, why not instead incentivize more people to run?  Skip the employee and divide the $100K by 5.) Then maybe we would attract more talented people to run for office and they would be more accountable.  
___This whole thing makes my head hurt and is too hard to figure out.  And—I’m just tired of controversy, way too many facts and truths to take in, and it’s always the same people with facts, and that irritates me.  I’ve tuned out.
___I’m really tired of the Council that puts more value for each member voting the same way.  It seems that’s more important than asking searching questions at Council meetings.  (Witness the apparent complete lack of participation in the decision discussed above . . .unbelievable!). Give me some dissension.  Please.
____We no longer have local media employing reporters who analyze the many City issues with talented insight.   We only seem to have social media that can be incorrect and can divide us rather than unify us with knowledge.  
____What?  We paid $475,000 out for engineering, construction checking and initial legal assistance for this project that’s now in the trash can?  
____So . . . if we now magically had the $475,000 of newly “sunk cost”, could we have paid down some of the mortgage on the new City Hall??
____Hey, why didn’t the CM ask “Do I have a half million dollars somewhere in this budget that I can realistically go to the Council and the Council can then go to the Community and say, ‘We can still do this project.’ People might just say, ‘Why ask us, yes, go ahead and do it!’” — We did not have that conversation, apparently even between the Council and CM.
____Do you suppose anyone on the Council was unhappy about that lack of advise and consent in this matter?  Why weren’t they given the option?

Please consider adding your own questions
____
____
____

OK, why did I write this? 
I don’t really have time for writing this, just like you may not have time to read it or even care.  And the most ideal version of a renewed Classic Street is in the rearview mirror.  End of that story. Opportunity lost. Not the first misstep in Manzanita political history.  I wrote this because, thank goodness, we don’t have another $4 million project coming up to make mistakes on but:
The Council are neighbors, nice people, honest, giving volunteer time to the City and other local entities, but certainly could do much better with their leadership, which seems to be completely missing in this instance. . .(Examples above)
There is a certain apparent arrogance from the united front of Council and CM.  That’s apparent in what happened with this project combined with the related current legal action (lawsuit) by the contractor who lost the bid against the City.  The many meetings involving citizens taking their time to help decide the Classic rebuild mattered for nothing in the end. Presenting their Council as a united front seems to matter most to this group. By effectively always agreeing with each other on a united stance with zero questioning after the fact of a CM’s critical lone decision (apparently without the Council’s knowledge), _______________________________________________________(Please fill in the blank area with your own end to the sentence)

The combination of CM and Council had the ability to use money given by TLT share to supplement the $3.1 “target” amount with $400K to fill out the coffers for the superior wide road and path.  But, perhaps one person mistakenly wanted to bring in the project for what was budgeted, claiming savings, even if the extra $400K was analogous to “free money”.  Penny rich and pound poor, just to stand on the laurels of “I stayed with the budgeted amount”. BTW, where did that particular Budget target come from? 

Conclusion: I hope, as new projects and spending decisions come up, that leadership from Council to CM is much more active, and that more citizen involvement (that’s us, folks) will also be more active.

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

Hello dear friends,
Thank you from the bottom of my heart for the support you’ve already given me. Knowing I’m not alone has meant more than I can express.
I’ve been living with chronic anemia caused by severe menstrual bleeding. During my cycles, the blood loss can be intense, leaving me extremely weak, exhausted, and unable to function normally. Recently, I experienced one of the hardest episodes so far for days; even simple tasks like preparing food or walking across a room felt overwhelming.
Because of the severity of my condition, there are often about two weeks each month when I am unable to work while my body recovers. This has made maintaining steady income incredibly difficult.
I’ve temporarily relocated to a quieter place where I can receive daily care and focus on stabilizing my health. My goal is not just to cope month to month, but to truly heal and regain my strength so I can return to independence and steady work.
Your support will help cover medical monitoring, treatment, and basic living expenses during this recovery period.
Please, donate or share this page, please know your kindness truly makes a difference in my healing journey.

This is the link for donations

gofund.me/5980df73c

With deep gratitude,

Crissi

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

Remember the discussions when the City presented its arguments on the need for a new City Hall? We were told that the old City Hall was uninhabitable and that if a new facility wasn’t built soon that City employees would not be able to come to work and they would be looking for jobs elsewhere?

Construction of the so-called sheep barn should have resolved the issue of providing City employees with the workplace the City Council claimed was a vital community need. Citizens might now be curious as to why our City Manager is showing up to her new workplace only about 20 hours per week. How many of you reading this were or are managers in the private or public sector and believe that showing up part time at your place of work is a successful management style? Just my opinion as a former City Manager, but there is value in setting expectations by example with staff in being among the first to show up in the morning and last to leave each day. Being readily available for in person interaction with citizens and staff whenever City Hall is open is also not an unrealistic expectation in a small City like Manzanita.

Employment as a City Manager in Manzanita has never looked so good. A new City Hall, a record number of Administrative staff to ease the workload, not required to live in Manzanita and experience life as a resident in a neighborhood surrounded by short term rentals and a total annual compensation package of approximately $230,000. Oregon City Managers in cities with populations of 5,000 or less who show up every day for a full day of work at their respective City Hall would have difficulty understanding what’s happening in Manzanita.

The Council has been reluctant to produce a summary of the total cost of our new City Hall. Tabulating the property purchase, construction cost, City staff indirect cost charges, construction interest costs and the final 20 year debt service costs, brings the total cost to over $10 million dollars. If there’s still something with City Hall that’s preventing the City Manager’s attendance, perhaps the Council could explain what it is and that they know where the City Manager is during the week and that they do not see any problems with part time appearances.

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

If work rules apply to you:

You need to do 80 hours each month of work or approved activities through:

Paid work or self-employment
Volunteering
Trading work for housing or other needs (bartering)
Joining a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Program
Any mix of the above

Proof of work activities

If you work or volunteer on your own, you’ll need to provide proof.

Proof can be a pay stub or signed letter from:
Your employer
A volunteer coordinator
The person you trade work with
The letter should include:
Your full name (and SNAP case number if you have it)
How many hours you work each week
When the work started and if it will continue
Name, contact information and signature of the person writing the letter (if we can’t confirm the information, we may contact them to check)

If you already meet the work rules

If you already meet the work rules, you may just need to provide proof.

You may meet the rules if you:

Work 30 hours a week, or earn at least $935.25 a month (before taxes)
Are self-employed and earn at least:
$935.25 a month (with no business costs), or
$1,870.50 a month (with business costs)
Volunteer or do community service
Trade work for housing or other needs (bartering)
Get unemployment benefits (or have applied and not been denied)

www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/pages/snap-time-limits.aspx?fbclid=IwdGRleAQUHaxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeUo-aMuhDDi3L42vFHBY4EHIDylld_Nn2-l3TWRKVpiX-H0pQ2_VH_MGuO5c_aem_NoTbtS_EmIB…

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

Oregon Health Plan Changes Coming in 2027

What Members Need to Know

In July 2025, the federal government passed the House Resolution 1 (HR1) budget bill. HR1 is also known as the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. HR1 requires changes to Oregon Health Plan (OHP, also known as Medicaid).

These changes will not affect all OHP members.
Changes due to new federal rules, like work requirements, will take effect in 2027.

Please continue to report changes and respond to renewal letters.

The major changes will be:
More frequent renewals
Work or other activity requirements for some adults

More Frequent Renewals:
Most OHP members renew every two years. Starting in 2027 at the earliest:
Some adult OHP members will need to renew every six months.

Other OHP members will need to renew every year.
OHP benefits can end sooner if you report changes that mean you no longer qualify.

Work or Other Activity Requirements:
Starting in 2027, some adults will need to meet work or other activity requirements to qualify for OHP. There is nothing members need to do now. This change will be for applying or renewing in 2027.

This change will not apply to many groups, including:
Children,
Caretakers of children under 14, and
People who qualify for OHP programs based on disability.

The federal government has not released many details about more exceptions. OHA will continue to share more information.
Other Federal Changes with Less Effect
Other federal changes will have less effect due to Oregon law.
Changes based on immigration status: Some OHP members will automatically move from federally-funded OHP to Healthier Oregon. Healthier Oregon is an OHP program funded by the state. These members will keep the same full OHP benefits. We expect this will begin in October 2026.

Gender-affirming care: Oregon law requires continued coverage of gender-affirming care services. Learn more at OHP’s Gender-Affirming Care page.

Have Questions?

The federal government has not released details about all these new requirements. As we learn more, OHA will share information about what members need to do to navigate these changes.

Here’s how to get help:
To learn more about federal changes to health care in Oregon: Visit Oregon.gov/Together.
For questions about qualifying for OHP, renewals, or to report changes: Call 800-699-9075, go to ONE.Oregon.gov or visit your local Oregon Department of Human Services office.

For questions about using OHP benefits: Contact your coordinated care organization (CCO). If you don’t have a CCO, call OHP Client Services at 800-273-0557. Learn more at OHP.Oregon.gov/Benefits.

OHP.Oregon.gov

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

.

Oregon state democrats should be ashamed for first introducing the transportation bill with excessive increases like almost half a dollar per gallon of gas (it was multiple raises over several years, but it didn’t change the headline). They lowered it to one 6 cent rise. Were they trying to give us sticker shock so we might feel better when they lowered it? Seems like a one-sided negotiation.

Oregon state republicans should be ashamed for playing political games with the transportation bill by using misleading narratives, like the general term “payroll tax” devoid of the details it is tiny and temporary. They’re playing to the fact that Oregonians don’t like taxes in general. Also their talking points are framed as though everybody believes the republican line. Don’t be left out, subtle and manipulative.

We voters should be ashamed for expecting a free pass on road maintenance when everything else is getting more expensive, not only for us but for the state too. New car prices skyrocketed and we still bought them. We’ve been driving more too – remember the battle charge “revenge travel”? More importantly for road maintenance, there’s trucks on the roads in part because we’re ordering more stuff, including groceries, online.

So I’m hoping we’ll vote on this sooner rather than later, and we remember there’s no free lunch. Driving is a privilege.

– Dave

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

The most important thing for EVERYONE to understand is if a person DOES NOT qualify for an exemption and DOES NOT meet the 80 hour a month work/volunteer/school requirement, a person will only get 3 MONTHS of food assistance and WILL NOT be able to reapply for 3 YEARS.

SNAP Work Rules for Able-Bodied Adults Without Dependents (ABAWD)

More people with an ABAWD status must now meet work rules to keep SNAP for longer than three months. The expanded age now includes people 18 to 64 with no children under 14 on their SNAP case.

On July 4, 2025, President Trump signed House Resolution One (H.R. 1). This law expanded the ages of people who need to meet SNAP work rules. People who don’t meet the work rules may lose SNAP benefits after three months.

People ages 18 to 64 who:

Don’t have a child under age 14 on their SNAP case, or
Don’t live in an exempt area, or
Don’t have any other exemptions

If work rules apply to you:

You need to do 80 hours each month of work or approved activities through:

Paid work or self-employment
Volunteering
Trading work for housing or other needs (bartering)
Joining a SNAP Employment and Training (E&T) Program
Any mix of the above

SNAP time limit

Some people can only get SNAP food benefits for three months in a three-year period without meeting work rules. The current three-year period is Jan. 1, 2025 – Dec. 31, 2027.

Some people don’t have to meet SNAP work rules. You may be exempt if any of these apply to you:

A child under age 14 gets SNAP with you
You are pregnant
You are in school at least half-time
You care for someone who can’t care for themselves
You are in alcohol or drug treatment
This does not include Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) or Narcotics Anonymous (NA) sup​port groups
You get unemployment benefits (or have applied and not been denied)
You work at least 30 hours a week
You earn at least $935.25 a month
You get money because of a disability
You can’t work because of a physical, mental or behavioral health reason
You are in a federal refugee training program
You are meeting TANF work requirements
You are Native American or Alaska Native and meet Tribal eligibility​
You get care from Indian Health Services or a Tribal or Urban Indian clinic
You live on waived Tribal land
You live in a county that is exempt

www.oregon.gov/odhs/food/pages/snap-time-limits.aspx?fbclid=IwdGRleAQUHaxleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeUo-aMuhDDi3L42vFHBY4EHIDylld_Nn2-l3TWRKVpiX-H0pQ2_VH_MGuO5c_aem_NoTbtS_EmIB…

Submitted By: mkuestner10@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Mark your calendars!
This Thursday, March 5, 9am-11am the Tillamook County Housing Commission will be considering Affordable Housing Grant allocations for 8 projects throughout the county. These allocation recommendations will be forwarded to the Tillamook County Commissioners for their consideration.

This includes specific developments proposed for this readership’s North County area: Wheeler, Nehalem and Manzanita.
The Housing Commission meetings are open to the public, either in-person or online. For details, please use the link below:
www.tillamookcounty.gov/bc-hc

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

Dear Friends,

Just wanted to remind you of the upcoming NO KINGS DAY. The North County Resistance is asking you to come out to PROTEST Trump and the way he is running our country into the ground. We have lots of reasons to PROTEST, seems like Trump pulls something out of his hat almost daily to set our country into turmoil. And no one is stopping him.

The first NO KINGS DAY gathered 5 million people together in a peaceful protest. The second NO KINGS DAY gathered 7 million people in a peaceful protest. It is projected 9 million people will gather in peaceful protest for NO KINGS DAY3. Be one of those people. Be the seed that grows many more flowers in this protest.

North County Resistance will be on Highway 101 in Manzanita on MARCH 28. We will be gathering at the east ends of Laneda and Manzanita Avenues. The time will be from noon to 2 PM. Join us to make a difference. Join any group in any place to make a difference. And please remember this is a peaceful protest. We do not encourage angry people or angry signs. Yes, we are all angry, but we need to show our government that anger is not the answer to our problems.

REMEMBER: NO KINGS DAY3 PROTEST IN MANZANITA, MARCH 28, NOON TO 2 PM.

See you in Nehalem this coming Saturday, noon to 2 PM for the North County Resistance Protest.

Best, Patty

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

I will be organizing a boycott of Tillamook Libraries if they don’t take out the AI-driven facial recognition cameras asap. I am sick of being greeted by UNNECESSARY EVIL TECH (anti-human) instead of the smiling faces of our outstanding librarians (humans).

Mary Faith Bell: Are the cameras turned on yet?
Will you respond to my previous post? It is quite obvious you read it, as you inserted yourself into this discussion days prior.

Why is this important?

ICE can hack them. Anyone else with know- how can hack them. STOP TELLING US THEY ARE CCTV, THEY ARE NOT!!!!!

Just ask fake privacy guy Ron Wyden.

Or is Israel-first America-second Ron Wyden too busy celebrating Israel’s attempt to genocide Iran?
Get these cameras OUT OF TILLAMOOK COUNTY LIBRARIES!!!!

www.the-sun.com/news/16027048/israel-hacked-iran-traffic-cams-ayatollah-khamenei/

And if you want to learn about why Ron Wyden and Donald Drumf are attacking Iran, I suggest watching my film instead of CNN and CBS (owned by IDF-donor anti-American Israeli-citizen Larry Ellison) and FOX (fascist Murdoch family-pro-Israel anti-American fake news station). You won’t learn anything of import from the propaganda of the 1%.

Chuck Mclaughlin of this website was instrumental in the production of this anti-war film dealing with Iran:

rumble.com/v650oqa-targeting-iran.html?e9s=src_v1_s%2Csrc_v1_s_o&sci=5fbc77c9-b5c7-4578-84a4-8f71754b2bc6

And for all the fake patriots out there, here is the definition of treason from the US Constitution:

“Treason against the United States, shall consist only in levying War against them, or in adhering to their Enemies, giving them Aid and Comfort. No Person shall be convicted of Treason unless on the Testimony of two Witnesses to the same overt Act, or on Confession in open Court.”

Israel is America’s number one existential enemy, from raping our teen girls to blackmailing our politicians to threatening the US with a nuclear attack via ‘the Sampson option’.

And it should be noted that there are no Jewish girls on Israel’s TOP MOSSAD agent Jeffry Epstein’s list of victims. Ask yourself why that is. I think it’s a very important glossed-over fact within the Epstein tyranny.

And how many more American soldiers are going to die for Israel? How many of their family members are then going to blame Islamo-fascists, when it’s the Judeo-fascists and Christo-fascists that actually sent them to their deaths?

Ron Wyden, as the ranking member of the Senate Select Committee on intelligence, should be getting major IRE from the so-called North Coast Resistance. He is a PRO-GENOCIDE PRO-WAR CRIMINAL!! Ron Wyden is Oregon’s number one fraud!!

Why are all you so-called anti-war activists protesting Drumf when anti-American Israeli-citizen Ron Wyden is right in front of you supporting genocide and his beloved Israel’s genocidal wars? Think globally, act locally – remember?

Susan Weber is another who supports Israel. Same with Bonamici. They need to be retired from American politics.

And here is that list of anti-American Israeli-operatives that have infiltrated the US government:

www.trackaipac.com/

and the treasonous Oregonians:
www.trackaipac.com/states/oregon?rq=oregon%20

Also selling out Americans and supporting GENOCIDAL ISRAEL:

Joe Biden: has accepted 4 million in Israeli blood money.
Hillary Clinton: has accepted 2.5 million in Israeli blood money.
Kamal Harris: has accepted 2.3 million in Israeli blood money.

NOTE THAT MERKELY HAS NOT TAKEN ANY MONEY FROM AIPAC AND ASK YOURSELF WHY

This is treason:

digitalchew.com/2025/09/22/why-are-oregon-lawmakers-visiting-israel-this-week/#google_vignette

WAKE UP AMERICA! ISRAEL IS BLEEDING US DRY!!!!

1776 AGAIN NOW

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

Hello Neighbors! The Coastal Community Creatives group that meets at the White Clover Grange on Thursdays from 1:00 – 4:00 is looking for donations of fabrics and used clothing that we can use to create cat beds for local shelters and for whoever needs them. Please respond by email and we will make arrangements to either pick them up from you or have you drop them off. Also, like they say, “many hands make light work”, so if you feel like this is something you would like to be involved in, we would love to have you!

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

Dear Friends,

PLEASE NOTE: The City of Manzanita is having their City Council Meeting this coming Wednesday, March 4th at 6 PM. This will be at the City Hall on Manzanita Avenue. Under New Business there is a Proclamation: Immigration and Customs Enforcement Activity in Manzanita. Should you wish to say anything or contribute to the cause by just being there North County Resistance encourages you to attend. We are looking for a group of people to support this Proclamation not only in the Meeting Chamber but with strength to fill the lobby and perhaps the parking lot. See you there!

Before the North County Resistance this past Saturday we woke up to the news the United States and Israel had declared war on Iran-President Trump and Prime Minister Netanyahu had declared war on Iran. The Iran Supreme Leader Ali Khamenie is dead. I am not sure how any of us could have or can trust these 3. It is my opinion the three of them have abused their powers way beyond any humane markers. They are all responsible for tragedies in our world.

I was asking people at the North County Resistance on Saturday about their opinions about what had just happened and how they felt about being at the Protest and below are their replys:

-I express my feelings every Saturday because the real democratic America is so important to me-and to the world.
-Anguish-Enough is enough!
-It is hard to feel like anything makes a difference. But we are. Any progress is good.
-My nieces are Persian. Beautiful people. Ancient people. Deep roots. So many good people on this planet!
-We get more approval from passersby every week.
-On my birthday, February 17th, Secretary Collins of the Veterans Administration passed a resolution to stop some of the VA Benefits to Veterans. After 20,000 Vets protested to Secretary Collins, he rescinded the order. So, it does help to protest.
-Liberty and Justice for All.
-Let us not start more wars from the President who says he has stopped 8 wars.
-America is in Trouble.
-Frustrated. How much worse can it get?
-Please remove the President.
-Trump has no right to start a war with Iran. He needs Congressional approval. He promised he wouldn’t start any new wars.
-This country was founded on the rule of law-not royal decree. Bring back the Constitution. Bring back Congress.
-It is a travesty what is happening in this country. It must stop. (Four people agreed with this.)
-Need to get back to “home of the free and land of the brave”. This is not who we are.
-I am not feeling like we are making a difference in Washington, D.C. In a community this is a way to stand together and feel impowered. I liken it to each person here is a seed of hope. If we don’t stand in solidarity the garden won’t grow.
-All people who are not here-come and join us-silence is death.
-I worry/fear there will not be another election.
-I am afraid the paint is not dry on my “no more war” signs. They will be here next week. It is hard to keep up with the signs.
-Seeing a group protesting encouraged me to join and be out there with them. It made me feel safe to see support for humanity in small coastal towns.
-I keep coming to protests because being with like-minded people raises my hope that we will ultimately get our democracy back.
-Congress do your job! Impeach Trump!
-The damage being done domestically won’t be repaired without a big effort and the passage of time. Not just this administration but also the party in power needs to be resisted everywhere.
-I am so glad to be here to help-love and believe in this.
Perhaps because I think of myself as a gardener, I love the person’s statement that we are all flower seeds in this protest. The more we have the more we will grow. People at North County Resistance Protests believe people are good and we should have liberty and justice for all. President Trump really has no clue about what is going on for most people in this country-the gas he used to go to Mara logo every weekend could probably fuel the tanks of Tillamook County for at least a week. I do not want to be over the top here, but are we having a “next” election? Join North County Resistance next week, Nehalem, noon to 2 PM. Do not forget about the Manzanita City Council Meeting, March 4th, 6 pm.

Thanks for reading, Patty

Submitted By: tim4surf@yahoo.com – Click to email about this post

TRUMPS DICTATORIAL DISASTER:
It was another date that would live in infamy. But whereas Franklin Roosevelt declared war in sombre tones to a joint session of Congress, Donald Trump did it his way.
The US president wore a white “USA” cap, dark jacket and white shirt open at the collar. He stood at a blue lectern bearing the US presidential seal and a black microphone, with the Stars and Stripes behind him, presumably at his Mar-a-Lago residence in Florida. He released a video on his own social media network, Truth Social, at 2.30am on Saturday – a time when most Americans are asleep but Trump is often found rage-tweeting into the night.
In the space of eight minutes, Trump proceeded to upend half a century of US foreign policy, renege on his campaign promise to avoid the risk of forever wars and leave the Fifa boss, Gianni Infantino, with some explaining to do about why he gave Trump a made-up peace prize.
“There is also a beautiful medal for you that you can wear everywhere you want to go,” the oleaginous Infantino told Trump last December. Trump was not wearing that medal on Saturday. Instead, he delivered a performance that would have had soccer fans chanting: “Are you George Bush in disguise?”
Bush dragged the US into a tragic war in Iraq in 2003 that costs hundreds of thousands of lives and trillions of dollars and was recently crowned by the Council on Foreign Relations thinktank as the worst foreign policy decision in history. The avaricious Trump seems determined to seize that title for himself with another act of Middle Eastern regime change.
At least Bush tried to make a case to justify his invasion – mendacious as it was – and tried to convince the UN of its merits. Trump did not even bother. He amassed a huge “armada” in the Middle East with little explanation to Congress or the public. He did not mention Iran until more than an hour into this week’s State of the Union address.
Finally, when the bombs were already falling, he tried to offer a rationale in his social media video. The Iranian regime, he said, are “a vicious group of very hard, terrible people” whose menacing activities “directly endanger” the US and its allies. Trump ran through the history of the Iran hostage crisis, the Marine barracks bombing, the attack on the USS Cole and Iran’s hand in killing and maiming US troops in Iraq.
“It’s been mass terror, and we’re not going to put up with it any longer,” he said. But none of that answered a simple question: why now?
Trump went on to reference Iranian proxy groups “that have soaked the earth with blood and guts” and cite Hamas’s 7 October attacks on Israel, saying: “Iran is the world’s No 1 state sponsor of terror and just recently killed tens of thousands of its own citizens on the street as they protested.”
Trump underlined the US policy that Iran can never have a nuclear weapon and glided past his own past claim that last June’s attack had “obliterated” its programme, contending that the US wanted to make a deal but Tehran refused. “They rejected every opportunity to renounce their nuclear ambitions, and we can’t take it anymore,” he said.
The president said the US had undertaken “a massive and ongoing operation to prevent this very wicked, radical dictatorship from threatening America and our core national security interests” – an ominous sign that Washington could be in for the long haul. The chair-for-life of the new Board of Peace promised to “raze their missile industry to the ground” and “annihilate their navy”.
Then came an unexpected admission: “The lives of courageous American heroes may be lost, and we may have casualties. That often happens in war, but we’re doing this not for now. We’re doing this for the future, and it is a noble mission.”
Here was Trump, the reality TV president, understanding how desperate it will look if American service members return home in body bags, their lives sacrificed for a cause that the public little understands and still less believes in.

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

Introducing Goodfella, United Paws’ Cat of the Week. You don’t get the name “Goodfella” unless you are, well, a good fella. This black beauty with eyes that shine either yellow or green, has earned his name and the hearts of his rescue team at United Paws. 

When Goodfella came into the headquarters, he was unrecognizable. He was skin and bones, infested with fleas, had almost no fur, and was covered with angry sores and scabs. His rescuer called him a “hot mess.” After many weeks of treatment, nutritious food and loving care, this beautiful soul began to shine once again. Now Goodfella is healthy, frisky, with soft fur coming back in, thick and black. 

Now that his health concerns are behind him, Goodfella is ready for life in an active home where he can be a part of the action. He loves to check out new places and the people in them. He yearns for human attention and loves to be pet from his head, down his back, to his tail. He loves to climb, play and chase. His current favorite toy is a kitty-sized body pillow that he can grab, tackle and roll with (see video!).  He also loves to chase anything connected to a string. And don’t get him started with a laser toy…he will play and run and play and chase and play…entertaining all around. 

This spirited and good-natured boy has been through a lot. He hasn’t had much practice sharing human attention so it is believed Goodfella will do best in an active household where he can get lots of attention and is the only cat. A slow and thoughtful introduction to a gentle dog in the family may be successful over time. This Goodfella is one of a kind and is looking for his safe, loving, and forever home.  Ready to adopt? Visit unitedpaws.org or email unitedpawshelp@gmail.com.

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

This Pledge is about your own vow to treat others with respect, even and especially with those with whom you disagree. It is about the right to our truth and to be who we are and the responsibility to allow others to have their truth as well. It says it is ok to disagree and that it is not ok to judge others harshly in our thoughts, words or actions because they are different than us.

It encourages us to strive for understanding, love and tolerance. Let us strive to keep the pledge from this day forward, though challenging it may be.

Rights and Non-rights of Civility

We believe we have the right to disagree with others.

We believe we do not have the right to use hateful, rude, angry and slanderous words and actions towards those with whom we disagree.

We believe we have the right to be angry or upset at situations we find distressing.

We believe we do not have the right to take our feelings out on others in destructive ways.

We believe we have the right to express our opinion.

We believe we do not have the right to use our opinions as weapons against those we perceive as our enemy because they don’t share our opinion.

We believe we have the right to be who we are.

We believe we do not have the right to judge others harshly in our thoughts, words or actions because they are different than us.

Civility Pledge

We pledge to:
• Speak and act with kindness and thoughtfulness.
• Seek understanding.
• Deal with our feelings in healthy ways.
• Speak our truth using “I statements”. (I feel…..,; this is how I see it…..; My experience tells me…..; this is what is true for me…..)
• Recognize there can be more than one truth in any situation.
• Listen to another with open ears and hearts.
• Seek solutions with consideration and collaboration.
• Walk away when the situation is too much to handle.
• Seek to understand someone who is different and try to see things from their point of view.
• Agree to disagree and leave it at that.

PLEASE SHARE; Feel free to print and display the Civility Pledge.

Written by Barbara McLaughlin for MLK Day 2020

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.