TWST Blog

Today we make our final stop of this Two-Way Street Tour in the community of Cloverdale. We must say that yet another sunny day at the coast gives us pause about returning to Portland! Before heading to Cloverdale, we spent part of the day at the new Tillamook County Library, a beautiful space with tons of natural light, bright murals, and Wi-Fi. It was a pretty busy place, especially the computer area where patrons appeared appreciative of Internet access.

We made a detour to the Blue Heron French Cheese Company for lunch (turkey, brie, and cranberry panini – yum-o!). We didn’t have time to check out the petting zoo, but did make a quick tour of the shop; Sally was pleased to come away the proud new owner of crab-shaped pasta. Who comes up with these things?

Our Cloverdale meeting was held at the new Nestucca High School, which is perched high on a hill with an awesome view. We were happy to have Shelley Hanson, executive director of the Spirit Mountain Community Fund, participate in the conversation. 

About 15 people joined us, coming from Cloverdale, Pacific City, Hebo, Neskowin, Tillamook, and Manzanita. Like our previous stops, we were impressed as many folks listed off the multiple organizations and community projects in which they are involved. This was also the first group we’ve met with that brought props to the meeting! 

We had a great discussion.Two themes emerging from this group were needs related to children (e.g. child care, afterschool care, recreation, and schools) and emergency preparedness. We heard about the budget challenges facing the Nestucca School District and got a construction update on the Meyer-supported Cedar Creek Child Care Center. Folks told us about the importance of emergency preparedness given the area’s storms, floods, tsumani concerns, and limited road access. Seems that one bad storm can leave some coastal communities isolated for days. Other needs that came up related to mental health, recovery from alcohol and drug addiction, and services for seniors. It was a nice evening and a perfect ending to our tour! Thanks to all of you who came out to meet with us on such a beautiful Friday evening. We would be remiss if we didn’t take a minute to thank Marlene and Donna from the Tillamook County Children and Families Commission. They have been gracious hosts in arranging meeting locations, getting the word out, and organizing impressive displays of refreshments. Many thanks to you both for your assistance and hospitality! And thanks also to Lane, Dia, Marie, and Nanc for your help with this tour.  What a great trip we’ve had. Thanks to Tillamook County and Spirit Mountain Community Fund for joining us in three great days of conversation.

Until next time, Candy & Sally

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