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! 

Ready to dig deeper into gardening and give back to your community? The Oregon State University Extension Service in Tillamook County welcomes everyone interested in participating in the 2026 Master Gardener Training, running January 8 th to April 2 nd , 2026. The Master Gardener Training will take place weekly on Thursdays from 9 am to 3 pm in-person at 4506 3 rd Street, Tillamook, Oregon 97141 in OSU Extension Service room 105 with a few classes on Saturdays from 10 am to 1 pm at North County Recreation District, Nehalem, OR. The Master Gardener training will feature weekly in person classes exploring different topics, engage in hands-on activities as conditions allow and connect with other continuing Master Gardeners. This thirteen-week in-person training will be available for $150. Registration is open now and will close on January 5 th , 2026. Becoming a certified OSU Master Gardener™ also includes a volunteer component. Participants are expected to complete 40 hours of approved volunteer service during 2026 , helping share research-based gardening knowledge throughout Tillamook County. The breakdown of approved volunteer hours is listed on the Extension Page: https://extension.oregonstate.edu/mg/tillamook Ready to grow your skills and your community impact? Apply online at https://beav.es/4MJ or call 503-842-3433 for more information. 

Law enforcement personnel from the City of Tillamook Police Department (TPD), Manzanita Police Department, Tillamook County Sheriff’s Office (TCSO), United States Coast Guard, US Forrest Service & Oregon State Police participated in the 21st Annual “Shop with a Cop” event on Saturday, December 20, 2025, from 7am-11 am. The Tillamook Fred Meyer generously provides breakfast snacks for the children, volunteers, and Officers. This year a $200 gift card will be given to each child to purchase gifts for themselves and their family. Many of the Officer’s dig into their own pockets to ensure the children are provided with something their heart is set on, that exceeds the amount donated to them. These children were selected by a committee through referrals. This committee is comprised of Tillamook School District staff, DHS representatives, TCSO, TPD and Tides of Change Staff. Shop with a Cop gives children an opportunity to see law enforcement Officers in a different light building those everlasting relationships, many times just the look of joy on the children's faces means the world to the officers helping them. This program is supported entirely by donations; financial contributions are collected year-round. TPD would like to thank the Tillamook County community & Friends of Tillamook Police for the money raised to make the event a success. If you are interested in supporting this event, please make a check out to; “The Friends of Tillamook Police” or go to the website at www.friendsoftillamookpolice.org and click on the donate button. You can send or drop off a donation to the Tillamook Police Department at, 207 Madrona Avenue, Tillamook, OR 97141  For questions, please contact Chief Nick Troxel with the Tillamook Police Department.

Sometimes, Santa needs a little extra help and this year Tillamook and Bay City volunteer firefighters were ready to pitch in. At their Santa’s Toy Bag event hosted at Fred Meyer on December 6, the group of volunteer firefighters were able to collect enough toys (or cash to purchase toys) for 300 local children within 155 families in Tillamook County. “To collect all those gift cards and toys in four hours was a great success,” Bay City Fire Chief Alan Christensen said. “This program gives back to the community every single year with the toys being dispersed to families in our communities.” 

Eat local this Thanksgiving!

This celebration is bound to be crumb-licious! For the second year in a row, a fun-filled, family Christmas event with holiday themed activities, food, and music will be hosted at Twin Rocks Friends Camp on Saturday, Dec. 6 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Gingerbread House Party is an open invitation to the community to come partake in the merriment and visit the Twin Rocks campus. “Last year we had 400 guests, it was a really great event that brought the community together. So, we wanted to recreate and grow upon it,” Twin Rocks Development Director Liz Seume said. “This year we’ve expanded our stained glass painting activity, added ornament making, are hosting a modern day nativity play, and have a snow globe photo opportunity.” Entry to the event is free with happenings located inside many of the camp’s buildings. “This is a great time for the community to visit the campus and get to know our organization a bit better,” Seume said.

While many still have turkey dinners on the mind, the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum is gearing up for a tree-mendous time that you won’t want to miss. The 21st annual Festival of Trees fundraiser returns this December with an expanded schedule to allow for even more people to enjoy the magic of the season. Festival of Trees includes four events: three, free community celebrations and the traditional Festival Fundraiser Gala and Silent Auction.  “We’re delighted to expand beyond our usual one-night event to create a month-long Christmas celebration to bring together our community and supporters,” Tillamook County Pioneer Museum Director Peyton Tracy said.

Orange you glad it’s Halloween time? This October, the Tillamook Revitalization Association (TRA) will host their annual downtown Tillamook Halloween decorating contest. Businesses are invited to dress up there windows, doorways, or front entrances for the spookiest time of the year.