Jeff Wong owns, what’s viewed as, a very difficult lot to build on. It’s in a flood zone, zoned commercial, and particularly small. It’s not exactly a developers dream. But, Wong is determined to show that, despite the challenges, a little creativity and persistence can create housing opportunities in Tillamook County. Wong, owner of CS Fishery (Garibaldi), saw an urgent need for housing during the pandemic. “Covid took out a lot of housing inventory when people decided to come down here full time and not rent out their homes,” Wong said. “And then I think people also did investment buying and short term rentals came in. Many of my employees could no longer work out here. They wanted to work and I depended on them a lot in the summer for seasonal help, but they just couldn’t find any long-term housing for those windows. Out of survival for, not only for myself, but other businesses, we needed workforce housing. That’s how this came about.” Wong detailed that he walked through the steps to get a permit in the floodplain, and hired an architect to draw up plans for a building: four small apartments to occupy the second floor and a commercial kitchen on the first level. “The facility will have a kitchen to support my business so I can cut and sell my fish and other seafood products,” Wong said.

In honor of Mother’s Day, from May 5-10 businesses in downtown Tillamook are hosting a free build-a-bracelet trail. “We’re always trying to do family-friendly events and get people to town and get them to businesses they might have never been to before,” Tillamook Revitalization Association [TRA] President Kristy Lombard said. “There’s no obligation to buy anything. But, people are encouraged to look around.” Presented by TRA, mothers are invited to collect their silver bracelet base and map at ReCurrent. Then, participants can visit the sixteen different business in downtown Tillamook; each with a different collection of beads and charms. “There will be a random array at each location, so people can build their bracelets how they’d like,” Lombard said. “You won’t have a bracelet like anyone else.” 

The Ultramook 50k & 30k is a race like none other. Traveling the Tillamook Ridge Trail, the race is made up of a larger 30k loop and a smaller 20k loop. Participants will either run the larger 30k loop and finish or run both loops to finish a total of 50k. This year’s race will be hosted July 12 at 8 a.m. The race is staged at the Hydrangea Ranch in Tillamook, with the starting line directly across the Kilchis River from the farm. The rest of the race runs through the Tillamook State Forest and BLM managed lands.

Have a young runner? Each summer Ultimook Track Club facilitates a youth summer running program for Tillamook-area athletes. “Our mission is to develop young runners in both mind and body. Young runners require a fun, supportive environment to aid in aerobic development,” Ultimook Youth Director Chelsea Yarnell said. The Ultimook Youth Track Club is a running club designed for athletes entering PreK-eighth grades. “Last year we have over 80 athletes that participate in our club,” Yarnell said. “Each of our practices educate young athletes on the different elements of running such as warm ups, dynamic drills, running workouts, and stretching. We modify all activities based on ages and break our crew into age groups who are overseen by coaches with running and fitness backgrounds.” Registration is currently open. The 2025 season will run June 3 - July 31 with practices for all age groups meeting on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 5:30-6:30 at the Tillamook Junior High School. Each group is led by a coach (or two) with experience in the areas of running, track & field, or fitness. The cost to participate is $110 for the season; financial assistance is available. “Our practices are always a highlight of my day,” Yarnell said. “Our coaches love to share their passion for running with the community, and in return, we’re always rewarded with so much enthusiasm and joy from the kids on our team.” 

Displayed inside the bay windows of the iconic purple house off Hwy 101 is a charming collection of used books. Their home, a 1930s riverside house, is now a bookshop. Stepping into the store is like experiencing a story in itself. Inside, the wide, wood plank floors (that I’m sure are original to the house) creak as you walk through the shop. The sound only adding to the antiquated atmosphere. Small genre sections are noted. Beautiful spines of carefully selected books line the shelves. Vintage décor is sprinkled throughout the little room. Eddy, the shop kitten, softly jumps up on the display table to greet me.

There were a few double takes when Tillamook community members started seeing Domino’s Pizza signs mounted to Tillamook Police vehicles on Saturday night. No need to fret, there were no pizza emergencies, but instead a fundraiser for the Friends of Tillamook Police’s new partnership with Kindness 911. From 4-9 pm on March 29, five police officers helped deliver Domino’s pizzas in exchange for a percentage of the sales during that time. “The officers and the reactions we had from those who we were delivering it to were great. People absolutely loved it,” Tillamook Police Chief Nick Troxel said. “Some of them rolled up with lights and sirens. Some people thought it was a prank and didn’t know what was going on. And of course, we were all armed with a bunch of stickers for the kids in the house. I can’t think of one negative thing that went on with this.”

It’s the “New Guy’s” first day on the job at the family-owned Smart Motors car dealership. Will he successfully fix, or steal it off the lot? Only the hours left until it’s time to clock out will tell. The storyline has all the makings for a sitcom, exactly how Bay City writer Robin Weber intended it. ANGST*, an acronym for “Another New Guy Starts Today,” won “Best Comedy Teleplay” at the Portland Comedy Film Festival back in December. The sitcom focuses on the new employees that are always coming and going from the car dealership. Every new “guy” has their own motives for accepting the job; some of them regret having done so, others cause chaos, either intentionally, or unintentionally. What they all have in common is each one is gone by the end of the episode making way for the next one. “It’s that kind of angst that you feel when you’ve worked at a place for a really long time and there’s a new person starting that day,” Weber said.

It’s time for spring cleaning. Declutter the house. Deep clean the garage. Spruce up the yard. But, what to do with all that junk? Don’t leave it in your trunk. Call Coastal Junkers. Local couple Halle Hartell, 21, and Wyatt Myers, 25, started the company in December 2023. Together, they built a business that offers residential and commercial junk removal, cleanouts, and demolition and construction site cleaning services. Their service area covers Astoria to Tillamook. With their branded truck, the couple often shows up to a job together ready to haul away anything unwanted. But, they truly believe that one man’s trash is another man’s treasure. Yet, each haul doesn’t necessarily end up in the landfill. Sometimes, items are donated, rehomed, or recycled. “The systems we have, in terms of how your junk is taken care of, is a priority for us,” Hartell said. “Our number one concern is how to correctly and efficiently divvy up where things are going so that all materials are getting their best life.” Hartell and Myers each recently completed Tillamook County’s Master Recyclers program, which provided a wealth of knowledge to the young business owners about the trash and recycling industry. “We’re going to take care of your items properly,” Hartell said. “We can tell the customer why we can’t take something and give them advice on what to do with it. If it does have an opportunity for another life, what is the best and most ethical thing to do with it.” Hartell and Myers understand that people’s “stuff” can be hard to part with. Both said they like to take the time to connect with customers and understand how best they can assist in their goals.