By Jordan Wolfe

Join local communities and visitors alike this February and experience the spirit of the beloved annual Ocean Celebration—traditionally held each August at Cape Lookout—through two special events at the Bay City Arts Center. The events highlight the work of Eduardo Cruz, a self-taught mixed-media artist, performer, and the founder of Huehca Omeyocan, the cultural group behind the “Ocean Celebration”. Taking place on Friday, February 6 and Saturday, February 7, the events offer two distinct ways to engage—through visual art and live performance. Attendees are welcome to join one or both events to celebrate Eduardo’s artwork, experience cultural performance, and learn more about the Ocean Celebration’s decade-long legacy as it approaches its 10th anniversary in 2026. On Friday, February 6, Eduardo Cruz will be featured as February’s Artist of the Month during the Bay City Arts Center’s First Friday gallery opening. The exhibit will showcase his visually striking wood-burning artwork, alongside cultural artifacts from the Ocean Celebration.The evening will also include participation from local environmental partners who help organize the celebration—such as Friends of Netarts Bay WEBS and Oregon Shores—highlighting the powerful intersection of art, culture, and environmental stewardship. The celebration continues on Saturday, February 7, with a ticketed live performance at the Bay City Arts Center. Huehca Omeyocan, led by Eduardo Cruz, will present an Ancestral Music & Dance Celebration, featuring traditional drumming, Aztec dance, and interactive audience participation. “This immersive experience honors the living traditions of Anahuac (Mesoamerican) culture,” says Cruz. “The performance includes a beautifully curated display of instruments and artifacts from cultures across Mesoamérica, inviting audiences to engage, immerse, and connect with the rhythms and stories of these ancestral traditions.” Together, these two events offer a rare winter opportunity to experience the creativity, cultural depth, and community partnerships that have made the Ocean Celebration a meaningful annual tradition on the Oregon coast.  Event Details Gallery Opening: Friday, February 6, 5-7 p.m., 2026 Live Performance: Saturday, February 7, 6-8:30 p.m., 2026 Tickets for Saturday’s live performance are $20. For more information and to purchase tickets online go to: netartsbaywebs.org/events or https://www.baycityartscenter.com Location: Bay City Arts Center, 5680 A Street, Bay City, OR 97107

The Tillamook County Pioneer Museum (TCPM) is honored to announce the receipt of a 2025 Oregon Heritage Grant. The Tillamook County Pioneer Museum received $11,265 to assess their Indigenous collection. In total, the Oregon Heritage Commission awarded $378,971 to 31 selected applicants; over 70 applications were received from organizations all across the state. The Oregon Heritage Grant is a competitive program for qualifying organizations, and is offered once per biennium for projects that conserve, develop or interpret Oregon’s heritage. The grants will help fund a variety of projects including collection preservation and access, research, oral history, exhibits, and performance projects. Award amounts ranged $1,656 - $20,000. “This generous grant will fund our project to evaluate TCPM’s Indigenous Collections to better preserve these belongings, and determine tribal origin in preparation of future repatriation and/or exhibition,” TCPM Collections Manager Clara Scillian Kennedy said. “This is essential to TCPM’s endeavors to uplift and center Indigenous knowledge within its practices and exhibitions. The funding of this project will provide culturally appropriate preservation that is necessary to ensure the safety of these belongings as repatriation efforts are underway. We thank the Oregon Heritage Commission and our tribal partners for their support of this project.” TCPM currently stewards approximately 1,000 Indigenous belongings. This collection contains belongings from tribal groups across the United States, including approximately 500 significant items of the Indigenous Oregon people and their descendants. Funds from the Oregon Heritage Grant will be utilized to hire a consultant who will assist in addressing the condition and tribal association of each item, as well as purchasing supplies needed to preserve the belongings in a way that honors the wishes and needs of the original keepers.

The Bay City Arts Center Board of Directors is thrilled to announce the new appointment of an Executive Director! After 25 years, the Center is busier than ever, with growing demand for programs and our historic building in Bay City. As a community-run arts center, they have been sustained by volunteers, many amazing board members over the years, and a dedicated long-term volunteer Executive Director who served until 2023. A new paid, part-time ED role was outlined in BCAC’s 2025-2030 Strategic Plan to support the increased demand on administrative, fundraising, and operational needs of the organization. Local leader, Lauren Sorg has stepped into this role as of this month. Lauren has a deep background in non-profit leadership in Tillamook County, serving as ED for Food Roots from 2015-2023, developing beloved programs like the local food marketplace and delivery program, beginning farmer incubation and low-income food access programs. Additionally, Lauren is currently serving a three-year term on Oregon Community Foundation's North Coast Leadership Council which advises on community needs and challenges in our region. Lauren began working with BCAC in March of 2025 as a non-profit consultant and grant writer, bringing in over $65,000 in funding, including funds for a new youth after school theater program as well as funding from Bay City TLT to support tourist-related activities such as art workshops and cultural performances. “Lauren has done an amazing job moving us forward and we can’t wait to see her lasting impact as her role adapts,” said Dani Grutoski, Board President.

The Corps of Discovery made history in more ways than one. Under the command of Captain Meriwether Lewis and Second Lieutenant William Clark, a group of U.S. Army and civilian volunteers trekked through the Louisiana Purchase, all the way to near modern-day Astoria. Amongst the explorers was an enslaved man called York. He took part in the Lewis and Clark Expedition from 1803-1806 and was the first African American to explore the American West. York was born around 1772 on the Clark family plantation in Caroline County, Virginia. York was similar in age to William Clark and the two were probably childhood playmates. Once they were teenagers, York was made William’s body servant, responsible for attending to William’s personal needs. In 1803, William Clark joined Meriwether Lewis in leading the U.S. expedition through the newly-acquired western territories and on to the Pacific. William chose to bring York along, making him the only Black member of the party. York proved to be one of the group’s best hunters and was a caretaker to Sergeant Charles Floyd and Sacagawea on the expedition. York’s journey is the origin of Black history in many states, and he is remembered as a pioneering explorer and ancestor.

On Sunday, January 11 the Tillamook Fire District and Bay City Fire Department responded to a structure fire at an apartment complex on 6th Street in Tillamook . Initial units on scene confirmed heavy smoke and fire activity affecting multiple units within the apartment structure. The fire spread rapidly escalated to a multi-agency response due to the structure and its proximity to additional apartments.  “Emergency crews responded to a structure fire with reports of an individual trapped within the structure. Fire crews immediately initiated fire attack and rescue operations simultaneously as Tillamook City Police and Tillamook Sheriff’s deputies coordinated evacuation of residents,” said Alan Christensen Operations Chief of Tillamook Fire District.

Starting this January 18, Tillamook County Transportation District (TCTD) has announced immediate service improvements. Provided below are the details of what that will look like for customers and local communities. TCTD has been working toward this goal for the past year and a half! Over the previous nine to twelve months, they have been able to attract, hire, and train numerous quality drivers, and continue to do so. This has allowed them in a great position to reinstate seven day a week transit service on their entire system and add back discontinued trips that were suspended in spring 2024 due to a driver shortage. The year ahead includes several exciting transit service improvements that will help TCTD better meet the needs of local communities. Near-term improvements slated for the January 18 shift bid include: Reinstatement of seven day a week transit service Added Dial-A-Ride capacity Direct Route 3 service to the new Nehalem Bay Health Center in Wheeler Reinstatement of the 4:55 AM Route 5 trip to Portland (transfer to TriMet’s Red Line at Sunset Transit Center in Beaverton for car-free travel to PDX) 40% more trips on Route 2 (Netarts-Oceanside) and Route 6 (Port of Tillamook Bay) Overall 25%+ service hours increase! 

As the kids call it these days: Tillamook Fire District and Bay City Fire are soft launching. During the City of Tillamook Light Parade on December 6, fire vehicles from both Tillamook and Bay City drove through the streets sporting banners reading “Tillamook Bay Fire & Rescue.” The union is a proposal for both fire organizations to come together and form: Tillamook Bay Fire & Rescue Rural Fire Protection District. The combined district would serve approximately 18,385 permanent residents in the Tillamook and Bay City areas. The new district would be overseen by five Board of Directors elected by the voters. The Board of Directors will be responsible for carrying out a hiring process for the selection of a new fire chief for the newly formed district. Currently, the Bay City Fire Department operates as a municipal fire department under the authority of the Bay City Council. Tillamook Fire District operates under the governance of a five-member elected Board of Directors. “I support the formation of a new fire district as it looks at the long-term sustainability of emergency and fire response to our communities,” Bay City Mayor Liane Welch said. “Currently, Bay City Fire Department has two full-time employees while Tillamook has one full-time and several part-time personnel. This is not sustainable for the multitude of calls for service, especially during tourism season. We heavily rely on volunteers to respond to emergencies, and we need full-time staff to provide support for volunteers, training, documentation, turnouts, and administration support.”  The unification of the two fire organizations will ultimately be decided by residents in Bay City and Tillamook with a measure on the May ballot.