Category: General Interest

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

To my Tillamook community. Are you sick of negative campaign mailings coming to your mailbox? You can fight back today, with your vote! One of the latest mailings suggests Logan Laity as having no life experience, lives at home and recently graduated from High School. What it fails to mention is Logan Laity is self employed, is very close to receiving a political science degree and has been active with the TillCoDems since he was 18, 18! What young person does this? And then he throws himself into running for HD32 so he can represent us? Yes, Logan is young, fresh and available to work full time, more than that, he has the moral character we want to send to our State Capitol. Take the opportunity to Stand against negative campaigning, VOTE FOR Logan Laity, HD32.

Submitted By: birkowitz119@icloud.com – Click to email about this post

My name is Jim King, and I am currently City Council President in Wheeler Oregon. I am not on the ballot, and my term ends in December.
From this point forward I will be writing as a private citizen.

Over the past five years on Council I have had the opportunity to observe three Mayors, five City
Managers and a plethora of City Councilors. While to a person they were all good people, they did not not all have the necessary global view of their responsibility to Wheeler.

A global view simply means that as mayor or counselor you cannot focus only on one aspect of the city that you serve. Beautification? Yes. Nuisance abatement? Yes. Water system upgrade? Absolutely, yes! But, in my Opinion, the over arching necessity is our city’s financial strength. And just so you can’t say you didn’t know, we are on a track to lose our City charter unless there is an immediate change. In my educated guess, we have less than a year.

There are those currently running for Council who will loudly declare that “Wheeler is being sued by the developer of a portion of our waterfront, and that is the reason Wheeler is in trouble.” There is truth in their claims. But further truth will show that many of these same people, some now running for office, have done all they could to stop the project, rather than trying to help the landowner fit his project into our Vison, and zoning ordinances. That is what we are legally required to do. So, attacked at every point, the developer did what he had a right to do. He sued.

My vision, not Wheeler’s, is to focus 100% on major funding projects. Our Mayor, Doug
Honeycutt, is a good man. I call on him to take the current and future Council to task to seek a solution. He must not be sidetracked, or intimidated by those who helped put us is this situation.

Last, yes, I accept some of the blame for Wheeler’s current challenge. But, if you look at my voting record on Council, you will see that
I have been one of the lone supporters of what could have been , or still could be, our financial salvation.

Thanks for reading.
Jim King
Private Citizen

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

Yesterday I was watching KGW TV news. It showed some Oregonians checking out their county clerks voting program and vote counting computers. There were some concerns about the machines being connected to the internet.These citizens were assured, over and over again – no connection to the internet.

HOWEVER – Recently, in court, Oregon Secretary of State, Ellen Rosenblum admitted voting machines are hackable. Which means they have a chip in the motherboard that connects to the internet.
52% of voters say it is likely that cheating affected the 2020 election and 32% say that it is very likely that cheating affected the 2020 election. I read that sending your ballot in on the last day helps prevent a fraudulent count – so that is what I am doing.
Do I have faith in Oregon’s election system? NO. Am I voting? Yes! I am hoping for honesty and exposing the corruption in our legislature with a balance of political parties. In a Democracy – all voices must be heard.
In 2020 and 2021 approximately more than 600 pieces of legislation were passed each year – Do you have any idea what they were? Who picks the ones (only 4?) that we get to vote for?
I read that Governor Brown only puts things on the ballot that she is sure will pass. Bills 111 thru 114 are for Dummies. Gov Brown thinks you are Dummies, and will pass these Dummy bills.

Measure 111. Change the constitution so it will read that health care should be available to all Oregonians. Umm!! just ask the price because you will be paying for it in a world of high inflation, and higher taxes, and you will not get what you pay for! The Chlidrens Health Defense has an article about this – It is quite scary, because it removes freedom and choice in medical care. and former Governor Kitzhaber says Do not vote for this. It will not get Oregon where it needs to go.

I posted Gov. Kitzhaber’s opinion on Oct 30, and Children’s Health Defense Article on Oct. 31.

Measure 112 – Change Oregon constituion to remove words like slavery and involuntary servitude. Measure 112 fixes something that is not broken. In 1994, Oregonians passed an amendment that made clear that absent medical issues, all inmates had to either work or go to school. Will this be the impetus for activists to push for inmates to be paid minimum wage? How will this effect the current system? The state unfortunately says it’s “indeterminate.” So vote NO

Measure 113 says that if a legislator has too many absences they cannot run for office again – DON’T BE FOOLED BY THIS. Has there been legislators that have had too many absences?
The last couple of years Republicans have stopped the passing of certain legislation by walking out. Before Republicans walked out they asked Gov. Brown to put this legislation before the voters, so the voters could exercise their choice. She refused – Then they walked out. NO on 113

Measure 114 – Sounds good – I would vote for it but I wised up since SB110 in 2020 turned out to be a terrible mistake. Here is the catch to 114 – The police will NOT be putting on any classes on gun safety the near or late future. They are under funded and short staffed and can’t do it. So no permits will be issued.
Please Vote!

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Posting on behalf of Kim Rosenberg. loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

Theft in Manzanita

Someone, or maybe more than one someone, in our community stole several campaign signs for two of the candidates for council. They were discovered in Nehalem. I don’t know who found them but they’ve made their way to city hall for the candidates to pick up.

This is all kinds of wrong, people. First off, it’s theft and second of all, it involved criminal trespass. Plain and simple. Stealing is stealing and trespassing is trespassing. Whoever did this thought it was fine to go onto someone’s property without permission to take something that didn’t belong to them.

Those signs aren’t free. The candidates paid for them. People put these signs in their yards to support the candidate of their choice. When the thief took the signs (and let’s be clear, that person is a thief), they were also taking away free speech and silencing ideas they don’t agree with.

What kind of person steals campaign signs? Someone who doesn’t support the candidates and I’d also say someone who doesn’t support democracy. Someone with the ethics of a spoiled child. Someone afraid that their candidate will lose and so are unwilling to play fair.

I doubt this was a Halloween prank by kids—and let’s be honest, there are only a few kids in town and fewer still who’d be interested in stealing campaign signs.

To steal from these candidates is disrespectful of the time and work they’ve put in. And it’s chilling for our community’s future. People who do stuff like this aren’t interested in fairness and justice and working together.

If we want a healthy democracy where people feel like their opinions are listened to and valued, we need people to be involved. If we can’t even have a sign for a candidate in our yard for fear some random a-hole is going to trespass on our property to steal it—then we’re in deep doo doo in more ways than one.

If you have information about these thefts, including RING or other surveillance footage, please contact the non-emergency police number at 503-368-7229.

Kim Rosenberg
loretta.kim.rosenberg@gmail.com

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

I first met Karen Matthews in 1991 when she and her husband Mike purchased a lot next door and began building their home in Wheeler. In the early years, they were part timers coming to the beach on a regular basis to fish, crab, and enjoy the great outdoors. They moved here as full time residents in 2004 and I recognized Karen’s leadership skills and volunteerism early on. Our small communities run on volunteers and committed citizens and I know how instrumental she was at the Alder Creek Farm and Lower Nehalem Community Trust, both of which I heartily support.

Karen has been a steady steward of our fragile coastal environment, a contributor to the education of our local youth in natural systems, served as a city Councilor, and as an active volunteer with the Nehalem Bay Garden Club; giving much of her time and talent for organizing and willingly sharing her knowledge with others. Her leadership in planting and nurturing over 500 tomatoes helped create one of the Garden Club’s most successful annual plant sales last May.

Over the last 30 years I have had the pleasure of working with Karen on a variety of projects and programs in the community.

She is hard working, dedicated to her community and follows the rule of law. Karen would have my vote if I still lived in Wheeler.

Barbara McLaughlin

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

Combined with the plans of the Oregon Task force on Universal Health Care (created by the passage of SB 770 in 2019), Oregonians would come under total government control of their health care. The plan is to outlaw private health care, depriving citizens of choice. If you didn’t like your health care, there would be no place else to go.

The measure says the state must provide “cost-effective, clinically appropriate and affordable health care.” Who will decide what is “clinically appropriate?” The state, not you or your doctor. To get paid and to keep their licenses, doctors will have to comply with whatever the government tells them. They will be effectively working for the state, not their patients. Do we want the government that deprived COVID patients of effective treatments and threatened the licenses of doctors who prescribed them given even more power to control all health care in Oregon?

The implementation of state control over health care would mean not only loss of doctors’ freedom to practice as they see fit, but it’s reasonable to assume that vaccine mandates would return and expand to other vaccines, because unvaccinated people would theoretically cost the state more. Patients who refused to take mandated treatments might lose their health care altogether or be punished in other ways. The COVID pandemic taught us that the public health authorities have no hesitation about mandating experimental vaccines and depriving people of their jobs if they don’t comply, and there’s no reason to believe it would be different under universal health care.

For all the problems with private insurance, universal health care would only magnify those problems, and there would be no remedy. Patients would get what the state decides, and nothing else.

The state would control hospitals as well. We saw this with CMS (the Center for Medicare Services) and COVID. CMS pays the majority of hospital bills. When CMS banned ivermectin and ordered treatment with Remdesivir and ventilators that killed most patients, the hospitals obeyed, because CMS paid large bonuses for compliance and threatened to withhold payments for noncompliance. Many people died from these “treatments,” and there was no remedy. He who pays the piper calls the tune. Do we want to expand that kind of control to the entire health care system in Oregon?

There’s also no guarantee that we would have access to alternative practitioners under universal health care, and even if we did, those practitioners would be controlled by the state. They would have to practice as required by the state. We would have to battle for the kind of practitioners we wanted covered and their freedom to practice as they think best. They would be constantly under threat of losing their licenses or income if they went outside the lines, so to speak. But isn’t that why patients want alternative practitioners? Because they think and practice in creative ways?

Do citizens want the Oregon Health Authority, which implemented vaccine mandates and still maintains them on health care workers, which made permanent mask mandate rules and to this day mandates masks in all health care settings, running all of our health care? Do we really want to give them more power?

Exhausted by the vaccine mandate battles? Universal health care would only increase the politicization of health care. Under universal health care, we could expect more politics and more censorship of dissenting views. California just passed a law stripping doctors of their licenses if they don’t follow the government narrative on how to treat COVID. The same and worse could happen here, and they wouldn’t have to pass a law to do it. If the state pays, it makes the rules.

Other possible unintended consequences: universal health care could cause the best doctors to move to freer states where they could practice their profession without interference, and wealthy people would likely also leave to avoid the onerous taxes. (The 15% additional income tax to pay for it is likely a floor, not a ceiling.) Oregon would become poorer and poorer as those with means moved away and taxes increased to make up the loss, while the only doctors left would be those willing to function as mere technicians following approved algorithms. The high level “practice” of medicine where doctors use clinical judgement and skill, already under threat in the current regulatory environment, would be snuffed out for good.

Furthermore, what reason is there to believe that Oregon could tackle such a massive overhaul? The logistics of such a change are breathtaking, and if they failed, the consequences would be dire. Yet Oregon couldn’t even build a state health care exchange website. To this day, it uses the federal one. This is also the state that couldn’t get unemployment checks out during COVID, runs a DMV that is still dysfunctional, and it’s hard to get anyone to even answer the phone.

The measure says that the state must balance between the right to healthcare and funding other essential public services. What does that mean? It’s not defined. If Measure 111 passes, health care will become a right enshrined in the Oregon Constitution, but public safety and education will not. So it’s conceivable that the money to fund health care would take precedence over public safety and education and every other need in the state. In addition, the state’s track record on spending money suggests a lot of waste is to be expected, as well as costs that will run far above projections.

Given the assaults on the practice of medicine we have recently witnessed, we ask that you seriously consider your vote on Measure 111 with an eye to the likely increased governmental and pharmaceutical invasion of the doctor patient relationship among other unintended consequences that would likely result. This is one “gift horse” that deserves careful inspection before you decide whether to buy.

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

Kitzhaber, to be sure, wants all Oregonians to have access to health care. But he says reforms need to curb the waste in the system, not just ensure the costs of that wasteful system are covered by the Oregon budget. He also said Oregonians need to understand the difference between access to the health care system and overall health, including the social determinants like affordable housing, nutritious food and safe neighborhoods.

On Oct. 18, Kitzhaber laid out his case for why the ballot measure doesn’t get Oregon to where it needs to be in an op-ed published in the Portland Business Journal. He went into more detail in an interview with The Lund Report.

Kitzhaber pointed to the soaring health care costs for the nation and Oregon, even as health statistics are “embarrassingly poor” compared to other industrialized nations.

“We somehow have to change the focus and the focus to me really needs to be health, not health care,” Kitzhaber said in the interview.

For example, investments in nutrition can help Oregonians prevent chronic health problems like high blood pressure and obesity, Kitzhaber said.

The state needs to focus on those upstream issues that can impact health, which the ballot measure doesn’t do, Kitzhaber said.

“I actually think you should be able to include adequate food as part of the coverage piece,” Kitzhaber said.

Kitzhaber said that the ballot measure doesn’t address the health care delivery system, which continues to grow in cost and be the problem.

“The system itself is unsustainable,” Kitzhaber said. “We need to rethink the financial incentives within the system.”’

Passed by the Legislature in 2021 as Senate Joint Resolution 12, the ballot measure followed years of debate. The late Rep. Mitch Greenlick, a longtime Democratic lawmaker and former chair of the House Health Care Committee, for more than a decade tried to get a similar measure passed before he died in 2020.

The measure continues to be supported by prominent lawmakers, including Sen. Elizabeth Steiner Hayward, D-NW Portland/Beaverton, a physician who sponsored the 2021 legislation, and Rep. Rob Nosse, D-Portland, chair of the Interim House Health Care Committee. The Oregon Nurses Association and a range of health care providers also support the ballot measure.

Kitzhaber said Greenlick was a “dear friend” and they agreed that everyone should receive coverage. At the same time, he said, “we would go around and around on this about coverage,” which isn’t the same as health.

In his op-ed, he wrote: “It seems counterintuitive to create a constitutional right to access a medical system within which the economic incentives are aligned to a maximize revenue, rather than health, and which, by even the most conservative estimates, wastes at least 25% of each dollar is spends on low value care, over treatment, poor care coordination and over-pricing.”

Rather than simply a right to access the system, Kitzhaber wrote: “If we are going to amend the constitution, it would make more sense to create, as a fundamental right, ‘an equitable opportunity to be healthy.’ This would imply that every Oregonian has the right to access some basic, defined level of affordable, effective, quality medical care — but also to affordable housing, nutrition, a clean environment, a safe neighborhood, a good education, and a living wage job. Making access to medical care a fundamental right, without effectively addressing equity and opportunity in accessing the social determinants of health, will undermine, rather than enhance the health of our society.”

You can reach Ben Botkin at ben@thelundreport.org or via Twitter @BenBotkin1.

Oct 20 2022

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

Hello community, I do not live in Wheeler so why would I care about who is elected to the Wheeler City Council? Mainly because I drive through the town regularly and I do not want to see Wheeler lose its charm or uniqueness. The City Council has the power to alter that.
There are several people I know who are running and some I don’t. Walt Porter; forever North County resident, good person, what I respect most about Walt, he keeps throwing himself into local community politics/service. We should all be a Walt! Dave Bell; long term resident, good person and I believe he may bring cohesion to the council. Mary Leverette; newish to the area, mega Portland experience, good person and may bring a ‘bigger picture’ view to the council for sourcing new revenue. Karen Matthew; friend, long term resident, good person and is the most vocal and passionate for keeping the quaintness of Wheeler alive and intact. Because I know Karen more than the others, I know her as an excellent communicator, engaged in the community, organized, fair and has Wheeler Council experience. I would like to see Karen & Mary voted in, they are both strong women, loud, passionate and willing to put their butts on the court. When they put their differences aside, I believe Wheeler will benefit greatly from having them both on the Council, as we all watch from the stands.
Wheeler residents it’s up to you, please vote!

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

Here’s an alternative perspective that would make Hunter Thompson sit up and applaud.

www.sott.net/article/472461-Joe-Bidens-last-stand

Posted by Tevis

Submitted By: nmccarthy1276@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Suppose novelist Ernest Hemingway arrived at Oregon’s North Coast and wanted to write about his experience in a maximum of 600 words. What would he write?
This year’s Writers Read Celebration, sponsored by the Cannon Beach Library, asks that question with the theme, “Hemingway at the beach: What Would He Say?”
Writers of all ages are invited to consider how or what Hemingway would say while at the beach. All written formats will be considered (essay, story, poetry, haiku, script, etc.) Authors are limited to three
entries with a 600-word maximum per entry. The deadline for submissions is Jan. 20.
A panel of volunteer judges will select 10 to 12 works to be read by their authors either in person or online during the celebration March 10 in the library.
Hemingway wrote about his experiences using as few words as possible, and his novels and short stories have become classics. The Writers Read Celebration offers an opportunity to have fun with this writing style in any form; the piece can be serious, whimsical, tongue-in-cheek or thoughtful.
Submissions will be accepted by email (info@cannonbeachlibrary.org) or by mail (P.O. Box 486
Cannon Beach, OR 97110), though email is preferred.
Submissions should be in Word or PDF format and include a cover letter with the writer’s name, email
and phone number. Please do not include the author’s name or contact information on the entry
document so authors remain anonymous during the judging process.
The NW Authors Series Committee sponsors monthly author presentations and other events at the
Cannon Beach Library. This is the fifth year of the Writers Read Celebration. Previous themes were:
“Life on the North Coast,” “The View from the North Coast,” “Pandemic” and “Recovery?.” Writers Read Celebrations on Zoom from 2022 and 2021 are available for viewing on Cannon Beach Library’s website.

Submitted By: clif@home-sellers.com – Click to email about this post

I need your Support!
Hi, it’s Clif Kemp, City Councilor in Wheeler. As the vote deadline approaches, I just wanted to reach out to anyone that has not cast their ballot, to please consider my re-election for the 2 year seat. It’s been a great honor to serve you on the Planning Commission and City Council for these past 25-30 months.
I have several projects underway for new revenue potential to the city with long term parking fees, boat ramp fees and waterfront park seasonal vendors fees. Mary Johnson has copies of my initial proposals, which is a complicated issue with several land owners involved: ODOT, Tillamook RR, ODFW, and city of Wheeler, and considerations for merchants and adjacent businesses. I am the Council rep to Port of Nehalem, where we are looking for some dredging help, most of which is on DSL leases (again complicated). I was honored to be chosen by the Council to be lead Councilor for waterfront development, blight conforming issues in residential and commercial areas, and Council rep to TSP for 10 year strategy for waterfront development, trails, walkways, and safety for Wheeler.
I’ll need help on fresh ideas, from non-conflicted councilors, and chose to support Karen Mathews and Deanne Ragnell, who have worked tirelessly for improving the city over the years that I have here. I don’t think sending individuals with openly expressed relationships of interest with this particular developer will serve the best interest of the city to attain some logical development done with Botts Marsh, LLC, or any other Developer. If you have followed any of the city affairs recently, you are aware I have a strong background of developing and building in retail, real estate, property management, and business startups. I’m not here to pick on anyone, just to be the voice of reason. Thanks for listening, and thanks for voting, together we can get this done.

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

AS LIFE GOES FORWARD

Tomorrow, I leave for an international trip planned months ago and will not have internet access or know the outcome of the election until several days after results are announced.

Before I leave, I want you to know that I will work hard for our city regardless of the outcome of the election. I want to assure you that I have successfully worked alongside people with differing opinions in the past and will continue doing so going forward.

It is my most heart felt hope to come back to serve on the council where the representatives of this town work together for the best solutions under the law.

With Respect,

Karen Matthews

Submitted By: kyrasin1@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Getting ready to start snuggling in for the winter? I am here to help you!

I do Weekly, bi-weekly, monthly, or whenever you need cleanings for friends & family visits, your home or Vacation Rental cleanings. Years of experience.
Please give us a call. 503-717-2585

Thank you so much for all your support everyone!!!!

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

Irish MEP Clare Daly delivers a provocative speeh about terrorism everyone in this country should hear.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KRPB8CMYWAI
Please enter link in your browser. Well worth listening to.
Posted by Chuck

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Colonel Mustard says “Check your ballot for Brad my dad!”.

Brad Mayerle for Manzanita City Council

Submitted By: Dougmall@iCloud.com – Click to email about this post

In times of stress, like the current political climate, people get emotionally tied up and frequently make statements that are not well thought out.

As a general rule, I practice reserve in entering into social media discussions, particularly regarding elections. However, when inaccuracies naming me as a public servant, I am compelled to address these to provide clarity to the voting public.

I urge all of you to seek facts to guide your decisions. I am always open to chat with citizens and my phone number is listed below. I welcome your input. Data can also be found on the city website.

Here are a few clarifications regarding Mr. Anderson’s account of my role in his private “Meet the Candidates” event at NCRD.

• The meeting date was set by Mr. Anderson for this event prior to consultation of all the candidates.
• Only the candidates that Mr. Anderson is supporting had confirmed prior to establishing the meeting criteria.
• Some of the candidates were unable to attend on the prearranged date as they were notified after the meeting was established. One candidate asked for reschedule or Zoom options. Both were denied.
• Three city employees were named as attendees; only Mr. Grossnickle had been contacted prior to the meeting notice distribution.
Regarding the Mayor agreeing to support Mr. Anderson’s NCRD event with a city notice; he is correct that I originally agreed as I was told all candidates (but one) were notified for participation. After conducting further research in election laws for municipalities I reversed that decision based on the following.

• Under ORS 260.432 it is not permitted for a municipality to support a private event or candidate with public time or resources (letters, emails, texts, staff time etc).
I appreciate citizens taking initiative to educate the public, however, I do not support the process used to organize the meeting, as it was not a balanced opportunity to engage with all candidates.
In closing, in the future, I would expect Mr. Anderson to have a better concept of how to arrange an impartial meeting, with the understanding of the difference between a private event and city business and not be willing to encourage public officials to conduct violations in state elections laws. My job as the mayor as well as every councilor and employee is to uphold the laws.

I feel that it is extremely important for citizens to EDUCATE THEMSELVES on which candidates will lead Wheeler to a better future. As your Mayor, I am always available by phone should you have questions. Many citizens call me and encourage you to call. I operate with transparency and public decorum.

Doug Honeycutt
Mayor, Wheeler Oregon
504-348-4008

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

Oregon Democratic senator Ron Wyden warned early in the pandemic that wealthy business owners could abuse the Paycheck Protection Program. Financial disclosures suggest his wife did just that.
Nancy Bass Wyden, the multimillionaire owner of New York’s Strand bookstore, received $2.7 million in Paycheck Protection Program loans between 2020 and 2021 and nonetheless went on to lay off 180 employees. Small businesses were eligible for the federally forgiven loans on the condition that they used a majority of the funds to keep employees on the payroll. In October 2020, Bass Wyden told CBS News that the Strand would not rehire many of those employees and that the store would “have to give back part of the loan due to the forgiveness rules
But as of September of last year, the federal government had forgiven both loans, ProPublica reported. The Small Business Administration declined to comment and the Strand did not respond to the Washington Free Beacon’s requests for comments on the loans.
freebeacon.com/democrats/ron-wydens-wife-raked-in-ppp-loans-while-laying-off-hundreds/

Sen. Ron wyden does not live in Oregon anymore and hasn’t for a long time – please don’t vote for someone who doesn’tt live here and cannot possibly represent Oegonians

Submitted By: clif@home-sellers.com – Click to email about this post

Response to Wheeler Candidate: Leverette, and Anderson Letters:

Some straight answers on Wheeler Politics and answers to specific points in publications like “Elephant in the Room”, “Being Aware Will Make for Wise Decisions” and “Notice of the Wheelers Candidate”. Forum.

My name is Clif Kemp, I am a current City Councilor, and up for re-election in the 2 year slot. I choose to recommend Deanne Ragnell and Karen Mathews for two of the 4 year council seats because I have watched them both work for the city benefit for several years.

The candidates I will be voting for have dedicated countless hours for the betterment of the City of Wheeler through public park and city hall landscape improvements, guiding our city maintenance staff in landscape techniques, organization of documents, volunteer coordination, downtown lighting and planter boxes, train station remodel, grant writing, project management, and more.

Both have volunteered many hours to improve our City. While on Council (2008-2015) Karen helped write many of the Ordinances we use today, Deanne wrote and received the grants (2019 & 2020) for money for our new Train Depot, and is currently working on a grant project to redesign and build new restrooms on the waterfront.

The other candidates have single event, and some longer-term city service, which I applaud them for. I was on Planning Commission prior to City Council and saw how that was managed under the leadership of Mike Anderson. Ask yourselves why he, as a private citizen, not running for office or serving the City in any official capacity is so desperately working to get “his people into office?” Going so far as to spend his own money and time on the effort. In August 2022, he held an “invitation only” townhall meeting at his house to “Guide the Future of Wheeler”. When excluded citizens asked if they could attend his meeting he stated it was by invitation only.

Several members of this group should take ownership of this quagmire the city finds itself in now. The Planning Commission made a sound data based decision weighing a poorly and incomplete land use proposal which they denied. It was appealed to City Council and Burden, Bell, King, and Stacks all took part in the Council’s overturning of a perfectly good Planning Commission decision, without any regard as to what the consequences might be. They simply did not follow the law. So along comes the 2020 election, and Bell and Stacks loose their bids for re-election. Now, after 2 years of the current council moving forward on multiple tasks to create new revenue for the city, bring excitement to the waterfront and downtown, work with Botts Marsh LLC on a solution to serve his and the city needs, improving the water district, improving the storm water safety, and fighting to save Wheeler from several litigations burdening staff, Council, Commission, and city funds they want to pull the brake on work and reverse the legally held (LUBA supported) decision.

We don’t need Levertte, a self proclaimed emissary for the developer; a person who has lived in Wheeler for two years and does not understand the laws. Lets move forward for the city, not individual egos. Leverette meets Ulbricht before public meetings. Ms. Leverette has publically stated she is Botts Marsh LLC representative. So a vote for those candidates will be a vote for suing the City of Wheeler it seems. Or would they just rubber stamp the incomplete application again?
Please Ask Yourself
Do you support The Citizens of Wheeler through the Vision Plan: a document enforced by ordinance and Comprehensive Plan?
Or
Do you support the out of town developer who refuses to provide the technical data needed for safe building and who refuses to follow the rules?

I’m asking for your vote, and for your vote for Karen and Deanne, this will put some new life on the council with people who will work on real issues and do the research needed to move us forward. It will provide new prospective, and a sense to get the correct job done for the city following the laws. We are too good a community and individuals not to get this done.

Submitted By: ben.killen.rosenberg@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

Opening this Thursday October 27, from 6-8pm. Pizza and beer at the opening! located at Clatsop Community College in the Art Department’s Royal Nebeker Gallery.
The Clatsop Community College Royal Nebeker Art Gallery will open its 2022/2023 exhibition season with a show celebrating our beautiful environs as well as the bustle and business of a seafaring community in The SHIP SHOW, curated by Ben Killen Rosenberg.
This exhibit will run from October 13, 2022 through January 26, 2023. Please join the art department for a reception with the artists on Thursday, October 27th at 6:00 p.m. The gallery reception and exhibit are free and open to the public.
This exhibit features artwork by the following artists: Lindsey Aarts, Mark Andres, the late James Weldon Brown, Sally Cleveland, Roger Dorband, Annie Eskelin, Kevin Farrell, Anna Fidler, Drea Frost, Friderike Heuer, Nick Knapton, Randy McClelland, the late Royal Nebeker, Henk Pander, Paul Polson, Ben Rosenberg, John Taylor, Kristin Shauck, Lucien Swerdloff, and Noel Thomas.
Ben Killen Rosenberg, Clatsop Community College’s Printmaking Instructor, who conceived of and curated the exhibit, explains his concept for this show:
“When visiting Astoria, I always stop to watch the ships traveling up the Columbia River. Large vessels bringing goods or carrying vacationers from places near and far away pass by– a visual delight for all who see them. Ships are mysterious and romantic; they speak to an earlier time and a slower pace of travel, as they pass through vast bodies of waters.
“Ships can also be ominous harbingers of cruelty and environmental damage. From news reports I’ve followed, I’ve learned of ships carrying illegal cargo or using slave labor changing the GPS locations to avoid being caught by the few authorities on the “look out. Out at sea, in stateless open waters, the environmental impacts and horrendous labor conditions are monitored by almost no one.
“This is a show about ships as we know them–cruise ships, tanker ships, container ships, offshore vessels and fishing ships–it’s a Ship Show, which sounds a lot like something we’ve all been saying the past couple of years. Enjoy!”
The CCC Royal Nebeker Gallery is dedicated to enriching the cultural life of the campus, the local community, and the North Coast region. Please join CCC in its mission to sustain and promote contemporary art and visual culture through professional exhibitions and programming. The CCC Royal Nebeker Gallery, located at 1799 Lexington Avenue in Astoria, is ADA accessible. The gallery hours are from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and on weekends and holidays by appointment only. For more information, please contact Kristin Shauck by phone (503-338-2472) or e-mail kshauck@clatsopcc.edu. 
www.clatsopcc.edu/ccc-royal-nebeker-art-gallery-presents-the-ship-show/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=ccc-royal-nebeker-art-gallery-presents-the-ship-show

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

Walt Porter is a retired dairy farmer from the Nehalem Valley, who moved to Wheeler seven years ago. He dived into community involvement on the Neahkahnie School District board, the Tillamook County Soil and Water Conservation District and Wheeler’s FY 2022-2023 budget committee.

Learning about Wheeler’s budget and financial challenges illustrated to Walt the work facing city council. He considers having been through the “school of hard knocks” as a farmer, running every aspect of the business, thorough preparation for being a councilor. But, ultimately, he points out, it’s relationships and collaboration that get any job done.

From working with the soil and water conservation district, he learned the basics of state and federal funding for water infrastructure. He emphasizes the efficiencies of maintaining systems versus the expense of rebuilding them. If elected to council, he would focus on optimizing funds, rather than postponing infrastructure investments.

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

THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM……
Or the big issue concerning Wheeler
_________________________________________
The recent notice that was distributed regarding a meeting for Wheeler candidates stipulated: “that there could be no discussion of projects that had been applied for on the Wheeler waterfront.” ……..

The question is …..Why Not?
The fact is that the Wheeler waterfront and a proposed development there, has been the primary topic of meetings, agendas, hearings and legal appeals and a law suit for the past several years. Any attempts to dismiss this issue as un-important to this community completely ignores THE ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM!

This waterfront project was originally denied by the Planning Commission in 2020 because there was insufficient evidence to show that it was in compliance with the Wheeler laws and the applicable environmental, geo-technical and certified architectural studies on the site had not been done. The city council (on which candidate Bell served ) overturned the Planning Commission’s decision and gave the developer a green light to go ahead, thereby ignoring all the studies required to support approval of the project. LUBA has confirmed twice that the original denial by the Planning Commission was justified and that the vote of Mr. Bell and his council members to discount the provisions of the Vision Plan was in error.

For the past two years Mayor Honeycutt and the current council have worked to try to find resolution and compromise with the developer. Unfortunately his response has been to litigate.

Mr. Bell has attempted to label me and others as being anti-development. Not so! Being “pro” or “anti” development isn’t the issue. The question is, does the development follow the law? Adherence by city government to the laws of the town is the only assurance that citizens have, that development in their town will happen within the mandated guidelines. City representatives not complying with our laws – or as one candidate has been overheard to say “bend them” is a dangerous proposition for the town.

The “candidate forum” organized and paid for by Mike Anderson, (former planning commissioner) was scheduled with the two candidates he has been working with, who support the large scale development. Mr. Anderson failed to verify the availability of any of the others prior to announcing the meeting on the candidate’s doorsteps, and he denied a request to re-schedule. He also stipulated what could not be discussed, thereby controlling the meeting by design.

I committed to supporting the voice of citizens and the laws which were put into place to preserve many of the aspects of our small town livability; this includes many important items not just development. I will not betray the community’s priorities. I will support change and development that is in keeping with those laws.

Please vote with care for Wheeler city council……

Deanne Ragnell
Candidate for Wheeler City Council

Submitted By: taylorgordon003@gmail.com – Click to email about this post

There has been misinformation spread that the present City Council took actions concerning waterfront development proposals that were illegitimate and unethical. This is not true. I was one of the councilors about whom the developer had complained and attempted to have a $20,000 ethics fine placed against me. The Oregon Ethics Commission ruled that my fellow councilor and I had done nothing wrong and had a perfectly legitimate right to vote on the waterfront development. Nevertheless, we both recused ourselves out of an abundance of caution, so there would be no bias at all or even any perception of bias. To repeat I DID NOT VOTE on the hotel project. I recused myself. Rumors to the contrary are false. The Land Use Board of Appeals never chastised me or any Council member for bias; it only remanded the decision back to the city to make sure some legal rules for complete recusal had been followed. Council held another hearing, following the requirements LUBA addressed for complete recusal, and came to the same decision about the waterfront project as before: this development could not be approved.

City Councilor GORDON TAYLOR

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

Dear Neighbors,

I enthusiastically endorse Linda Kozlowski for reelection to the Manzanita City Council. In my capacity as county commissioner, it has been my privilege to work with Linda on emergency preparedness issues, for which she is recognized statewide. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for Linda’s leadership, her heart for service to the community and her ability to develop, nourish and maintain positive relationships with a wide range of people. Moreover, Linda is a dynamo, she accomplishes amazing things, and leads and inspires others to great works as well. Truly, it is accurate to say that Linda brings out the best in people, often more than they knew they were capable of. Linda’s continued leadership on the Manzanita City Council is in everyone’s best interest. Please vote for Linda Kozlowski.

Mary Faith Bell
Nehalem, OR

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

We are recommending that — for the two-year position on Wheeler City Council — Heidi Stacks be written in. She has been extensively involved in our city and better understands how our city council should function than the current candidate.
Citizens for a Proactive City Council

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

A couple of years ago when Suzanne Weber was running for the Oregon House of Representatives, I contacted her campaign twice to find out where the candidate stood on protecting a woman’s right to choose. No response to either inquiry. Before the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade earlier this year, the writing was on the wall where things were headed in this country with regard to reproductive freedom.
This year, I didn’t bother asking Weber’s campaign, assuming I would not get a response, which of course, speaks for itself.
Fortunately the Democratic Party of Oregon did the leg work this year, sending a mailer reflecting where candidates stand on protecting women’s rights to make decisions about what is best for their bodies. You can see the candidates and their positions on the attached photo.
Since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, stripping away national protection for abortion rights, our state leaders are the last line of defense protecting these rights. I urge you to elect candidates who protect the rights of women to make their own decisions about what is best for their bodies and lives.
Janet Paulson