School’s out for the summer, but Tillamook School District facilities are buzzing with renovations thanks to bond funding. In May 2025, voters supported Measure 29-182 that created a bond for TSD9 worth $25.35 million with an additional $6 million grant awarded from the Oregon Capital Improvement Match Funds. All projects outlined for bond funds will finance critical safety and improvement projects to various district facilities. Projects have been prioritized based on safe schools, healthy students, and responsible stewardship. This bond is not a new tax to tax payers, but an extension of the current tax rate of $0.69 per $1,000 of assessed property value. In the next couple months, community members will begin to see the visual impacts of the bond funds at work. At Liberty Elementary School, a combo project is currently underway utilizing bond funds and a seismic grant from the State of Oregon. With a few million dollars from the state, the school’s south walls will receive concrete cylinder pilings to stabilize the building in the event of an earthquake or tsunami. At the same time, designated as a safety project with bond funds, Liberty’s office will be relocated and a double door vestibule will be added to the entrance of the school. Bond funds will also be used to remodel one of the students’ restrooms and add a staff restrooms and nurse’s area to the building. “This is the biggest job, and this summer is the biggest block of time that we have when students and staff are out of the building,” TSD9 Bond Advisor Randy Schild said. “This project would normally take 4.5 months, and we have just under three months without students in the building to complete the project. Construction will create an inconvenience, but it’s one of the trade-offs we’re willing to take in order to make our kids safe.” The project is slated for completion September 2026. Another highly-visible project this summer will be the replacement of both Liberty’s and Tillamook High School’s roof. Liberty Elementary School has sections of roofing that has lost its integrity. “Part of Liberty’s roof leaks here and there through the HVAC units,” Tillamook School District Maintenance Supervisor Jay Marugg said. “We’ve been trying to get that fixed for years. It’s just one of those leaks that keeps haunting you. It’s in the hallway and it drips.” The Tillamook High School’s three-tab single roof was installed in 2007 and is in need of replacement. “A roof is the first guard to the weather and it’s like a protection envelope,” Marugg said. “The roof [at Tillamook High School] is near the end of its lifespan. They’ve only been patching it.” The high school’s roof will be replaced with architectural shingles. Both roofs will be completed by the start of the 2026-27 school year. And it wouldn’t be summer without a little bit of paving work. At the high school, the guest parking lot and part of the west staff parking lot will all receive an overlay of pavement. In addition, sections of the entryways on the east and west of the agriculture building will be completely dug out and replaced as the base layer is failing.  “Work has already started on district projects and is moving quickly along,” Schild said. “The school district proved to be responsible with the last bond we received from the community, and we’ll continue to do what we can to make cost effective and thoughtful decisions on each and every project. It’s our moral commitment to spend these bond dollars in a way that creates the greatest impact and opportunities for students and to ensure a safer environment for all.”

Even though it wasn’t shipped in a brown cardboard box, Amazon has delivered a warehouse to Tillamook – its first on the Oregon Coast. A ribbon-cutting and grand opening ceremony tour was hosted by Amazon to celebrate the opening of its new 47,000 square-foot warehouse at the Port of Tillamook Bay on May 28. The purpose of the building is to operate as a “Last Mile” facility to get Amazon orders to its customers faster in rural areas by operating as a terminus for the company that receives packages, loads them, and delivers them within a 50-mile radius of the Tillamook warehouse – as far north as Cannon Beach and south to Lincoln City.

Early on the morning of February 20, Tillamook Fire District and Bay City Fire were dispatched to a reported structure fire in the Juno Hill area. Upon arrival the large, single story residence was fully involved. The homeowner was awoken by his cat and was able to escape unharmed. The residence is a total loss. Twenty-six fire personnel were on scene for suppression. First responding partners included: Tillamook 911, Adventist Health ambulance, Garibaldi Fire, Nestucca Rural Fire and Tillamook P.U.D.

Starting March 30, the Oregon Parks and Recreation Department (OPRD) will no longer waive the parking fee at 22 day-use parks, including three in Tillamook County. Those wishing to park at: Bob Straub State Park, Cape Meares State Scenic Viewpoint, and Oceanside Beach State Recreation Area will have to purchase a day-use parking permit. The cost is $10 for in-state visitors and $12 for out-of-state visitors and is valid for the entire day of purchase at any Oregon state park.  Access to parks remains free for visitors who walk, bike, or use public transportation. Visitors who drive in can show valid parking by displaying a current hangtag from camping at an Oregon State Park or a current 12 or 24-month parking permit . Visitors who purchase parking permits online or via the parking QR codes can associate their license plates with valid payment. Currently, OPRD requires a day-use parking permit at 46 parks and waives parking fees at over 150 parks across the state. The 22 additional parks were selected based on amenities and features that require maintenance and operation such as restrooms, trails, paving, irrigation, boat ramps and more. Parking fees help pay for maintenance, operation, and keep these offerings available for all visitors.

In any good partnership, the load is shared and the burden is light; just like a relay. Why run a whole marathon when you can split the distance with your friends? The Three Capes Marathon Relay is a 26.2 mile course traveling the Three Capes Scenic Loop, starting at Cape Meares Lake, passing Cape Lookout, and ending at Web County Park in Pacific City. The rugged course, with plenty of hills, passes through or runs adjacent to six state parks, two National Wildlife Refuges, multiple Tillamook County Parks, and boasts stunning vantage points of the Tillamook Bay, Netarts Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. Local spectators are encouraged to come out and cheer participants along, but: “Caution: runners on the road!”

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.