TWST Blog

We’re on the road again and this time we are off to the Northern Oregon Coast. Our sunny travels brought us to our first stop, the picturesque community of Nehalem.

We understand it's named after the Nehalem Indians, a clan of the Tillamook Tribe, and means “where the people live.” And if the folks we met are any indication, one impressive and enthusiastic group of people live in the Nehalem Bay area! Luckily, we arrived a few minutes early so we had a chance to take in the beautiful river view from the Nehalem dock and poke around the shops lining the highway. If you get a chance, we recommend that you duck into Nehalem Harbor Clothing and Gifts and check out the great black and white photos of Oregon from the early 1900s (the homemade fudge looked pretty good, too). 

But, back to our tour. . . We are adding a new twist to this TWST (two-way street tour). Our colleagues from the Spirit Mountain Community Fund are joining us, and we can’t be more pleased. Shelley Hanson, director of SMCF joined us in Nehalem and sums up our experience well:

“Who would have thought that the tidy little coastal town of Nehalem would have so much energy and enthusiasm! We had 28 dedicated community members, and many of them are volunteers, that attended our session. It was exhilarating to see the level of community spirit and commitment in the room. I enjoyed seeing the number of projects in the area that are underway to better the lives of local coastal residents. My hats are off to all of you for your vision and hard work.”

We couldn’t agree more. The 28 people joining us came from Nehalem, Wheeler, Manzanita, and as far away as Astoria. One thing that clearly stood out in this group was that organizations have been busy planning and working together. People came with some very specific ideas about how they might partner with Meyer Memorial Trust and the Spirit Mountain Community Fund. Issues of sustainability –food, land, economic development - were front and center in our conversations. Affordable housing, health care and access to arts and culture are also concerns in these communities. Many folks spoke to particular challenge of funding the North County Recreation District and its central role in this community. We also got some great questions about our respective grant-making programs and processes. We appreciated the opportunity to connect with people here and experience the distinct flavor of north Tillamook County. Thanks so much for taking the time to meet with us and for the friendly welcome to your community.

See you at the next stop!

Sally Yee & Candy Solovjovs & Shelley Hanson

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