Current News

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection

(Lincoln City, Oregon) – June is officially Pride month in many places around the world and not just the U.S., celebrating LGBTQ+ culture and community in places like Australia, Hungary, the UK – and now the Oregon coast.

Lincoln City joins in the pride parties with a hefty helping of activities and events that show off an array of talents from around the Pacific Northwest. Lincoln City Pride Fest takes place on June 29, and is a family-friendly festival of riotous fun that takes place at the Lincoln City Cultural Center, sponsored by Explore Lincoln City, Samaritan North Lincoln Hospital, and Samaritan Pacific Communities Hospital.

The lineup of performances and activities happen both indoors and outdoors, with most participants actually from around the central Oregon coast and Lincoln City area.

In that old-timey, historic auditorium, the spotlight will shine on drag performers. Kicking off the festivities at 1:30 PM, the fabulous drag pianist Sweeney Gray will set the stage on fire. Brace yourself for the dynamic lip-syncing extravaganza by the drag queen sister duo, Mai Faye Rit & Lexi Vaughn, at 2:45 PM. Following that comes captivating performances by Portland’s own drag artists – Max Little, Mars, Given, and The Infinite Urkscape – starting at 3:45 PM.

Miss Robbie Dee

And yet there’s still more frivolity to be had. Outdoors, the entertainment continues to sizzle. At 12:15 PM, the Conexión Fénix ballet folclórico dancers hit the stage, followed by the enchanting moves of the Hokus Pokie dance crew at 12:45 PM. Local singer-songwriter Kathy Redwine takes the spotlight at 1:30 PM, right after the Pedestrian Pride Parade. Get ready to groove to the modern alt-rock vibes of Katelyn Convery at 2:45 PM. And at 4 PM, it’s the haunting solo violinist Miss Robbie Dee, all the way from Florence. Wrapping up the day at 4:30 PM, there’s a performance by Lincoln City’s very own acoustic duo of wives, Alanna & Catherine Baumann.

The Poetry Path hosts the fun ‘n funky Pedestrian Pride Parade at 1 PM, where public participation is encouraged.

“All are invited to don their most fabulous attire and join the promenade around the Lincoln City Cultural Center’s grounds in celebration of queer love and joy,” said organizers.

Kathy Powers

Hungry? Thirsty? Here’s the ticket: Zeller’s Bar and Grill’s beer garden awaits, offering frosty brews and savory chowder. Then if your taste buds crave more, explore the food vendors for more central Oregon coast delights, with Bobablastic, Grub’s On, and La Wawa on-hand for the culinary adventures.

The rollicking times continue as the outdoor resource and vendor fair runs from 12 PM to 5 PM, featuring over 30 booths. Discover local and regional organizations, snag unique goods, and dive into educational materials.

Indoors, let your creativity soar. Sponsored by Tah-Lume: Curiosities and Gifts, the Dance Studio invites you to craft paper crowns and contribute to a commemorative community art journal. Royalty awaits within.

For those seeking a moment of tranquility, a quiet room in the yoga studio will provide a safe space to slow down for a moment. New Moon Yoga teachers will also guide peaceful meditations, schedule to be posted on the studio door during the event.

“LC Pride Fest is a celebration of Lincoln City’s queer community, because we deserve it! It’s my hope that this festival becomes an unforgettable day full of queer joy, resilience, and love,” said organizer Zoe Vincent. “Please join us on June 29th to support our small but mighty town’s LGBTQ+ community. It’ll be all kinds of fun!”

For details or to contribute, contact Vincent at 541-994-9994, zoe@lc-cc.org.

www.lincolncity-culturalcenter.org

This article first appeared on Oregon Coast Beach Connection and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

By Grace Wesson, RARE AmeriCorps Member at OSU-Extension

On one of the first bright, sunny days of spring, I met with Mary Repar to interview her. Mary gave me a croissant and we sat out in the sun together. She shared her story while I listened, jotting down notes.

It’s hard to come up with just one sentence to describe Mary. It feels like she has lived many lives in one, weaving together her experiences as a geophysicist, a veteran, an immigrant and an advocate. In Mary’s words, “I’ve had a lot of variety in life.” Her enduring hope and unique perspectives broaden her advocacy for causes ranging from environmentalism to affordable housing.

Mary was born in Croatia, and her family immigrated to the United States in 1959. She credits her upbringing, especially her mother, for her dedication, work ethic and courage. She was taught that there is no such thing as failure, just an opportunity to do something different.

“’The world is your oyster’ may be a cliche, but it really is,” Mary reflected.

In 1990, Mary moved to the Gorge from Houston, Texas, to be closer to family. Mary jokes that she was “here by mistake,” settling in “the last apartment in Stevenson.” The town of Stevenson, with a population just under 1,500, has become a very important place for Mary over the years. “There is so much to do in our community,” she said.

Mary lived in the same rental in Stevenson for 29 years. However, in 2019, her rent increased drastically, jeopardizing the living situation for her and her cats. Housing insecurity and the resulting stress galvanized Mary’s advocacy.

She found that many others struggled with housing insecurity, too. Mary emphasized that educators and first responders often can’t find affordable housing in the Gorge, and there could be a greater threat to workforce housing in the future.

The data shows that more folks are in unstable housing situations or are worried about housing. The 2022 Columbia Gorge Regional Community Health Needs Assessment found that 13% of survey respondents had insecure or unstable housing, a large increase from 6.8% in 2019. Mary cares deeply and speaks passionately about this community issue: “If the asteroid hits tomorrow, will the money do anything for you? What about friends? Neighbors?”

Her community-based problem solving led to her involvement with the Homeless Housing Council and the Healthy Skamania Advisory Board, where she advocates for sustainable solutions and policy change. “You’re going to have to change — why not change incrementally, not waiting until your survival is on the line?” she asked.

Mary emphasizes the importance of “learning something new every day,” especially when it comes to large, complex problems.“These issues make our heads hurt – you have to spend time and effort to understand them,” she said.

Wellness among older adults is another of Mary’s passions. For example, Mary just started a term with the Area Agency on Aging & Disabilities of Southwest Washington, with the goal of enhancing nutrition, transportation, and the Meals on Wheels program. She also worked in home aide care for five years.

Mary centers seniors in her work with the Stevenson Community Garden. “I grow food for the seniors in one plot,” she said.

The Stevenson Community Garden, located at the west side of the Skamania Fair Grounds, was formerly sponsored by Stevenson Grange No. 121. Under Mary’s leadership, the Stevenson Grange was re-certified and won honors from The National Grange. It now offers a variety of events, like community resiliency workshops, film screening series, and the two annual plant and seed swaps.

Local animals also benefit from Mary’s contributions. For the last 17 years, she has been feeding the cats in downtown Stevenson, affectionately named Missy, Big T, and Cuddler.

When she isn’t busy at the Grange or at local advocacy coalitions, Mary loves to spend time outdoors foraging for mushrooms or simply appreciating the beauty of the Gorge. She recalled watching double rainbows over Rowena Crest, surrounded by grass widows and wild cucumbers.

Mary’s gratitude for nature and the beauty of our community reignited my own hope. “If you pay attention to nature, you notice differences…you have a connection. If you lose connection, you lose caring,” she reflected.

As we wrapped up our conversation, Mary and I watched a sparrow hop along the sidewalk. “No two are alike,” Mary laughed. “Nature is amazing.”

This article first appeared on Columbia Gorge News and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

By Sarah Akbari, Klamath Grown RARE AmeriCorps Member

By David Hayes

By KTVZ news sources

PRINEVILLE, Ore. (KTVZ) — Crook County is partnering with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and Central Oregon Intergovernmental Council (COIC) to collect public feedback to support updating their Natural Hazards Mitigation Plan (NHMP).

Crook County is offering individuals an opportunity to weigh in by filling out a public survey. The goal of the survey is to collect information from the community to better understand individuals’ preparedness, risk, and vulnerability to natural hazards.

This information will be used to support the county in updating the NHMP and will help improve coordination of hazard mitigation and risk reduction efforts within the county.

Click here to fill out the survey.

*Information can also be found on our website here – https://co.crook.or.us/county-admin/page/crook-county-natural-hazards-mitigation-plan

This article first appeared on The News-Review and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

Story by Rusty Savage; Plans and Graphics by Kaity Hardwick

This article first appeared on The News-Review and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

By Emilia Shoup, RARE Alum

As a young professional who has lived and worked in Sisters for nearly four years, I have been invited to share my story for C4C’s Community Forum about local housing challenges, “Who Gets To Live Here? The Search for Local Housing Affordability.”

It was spring 2020 and the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown was in full swing in Portland, when I graduated with a degree in urban planning. It was important for me that I get a job in my field as soon as possible, but as uncertainty from the ongoing pandemic continued, fewer job openings remained available.

Luckily, I was able to find a position through the University of Oregon’s AmeriCorps program called “RARE” (aka Resource Assistance for Rural Environments). Through this program, a cohort of young professionals are assigned to serve in rural communities throughout Oregon and provide technical assistance on community projects.

Once I found out that I was assigned in Sisters, I had six weeks to find housing and relocate.

I was given a living stipend of $1,700 per month — which is quite generous for an AmeriCorps program. For perspective, this stipend was comparable to a person’s income working full-time for minimum wage in 2020.

It was July when I began searching for rentals in Sisters, and units were quickly disappearing from the market. I found myself in an increasingly competitive housing market when there was an influx of “urban refugees” seeking solace in the beautiful region of Central Oregon, where COVID shutdowns had not yet fully gone into effect. I likely could have found more housing options if I chose to locate in Bend or Redmond, but I wanted to be fully immersed in my AmeriCorps experience in Sisters.

I applied for what felt like the last two apartments available in Sisters and was accepted for a 600-square-foot two-bedroom unit that cost $1,200 per month. I was hoping to get a one-bedroom unit that would have been more affordable for someone living by themselves — but regardless, I was grateful that I got a place in Sisters.

So, let’s take a moment to talk about what is typically considered “affordable” housing. The general rule of thumb is that a household should not allocate more than 30 percent of their monthly gross income to housing costs (i.e., rent, utilities, insurance, etc.). By that definition, a rental unit that costs $1,200 per month would be affordable for a household with a gross monthly income of $4,000 per month. In my case, with a $1,700 monthly living stipend, I was spending around 75 percent of my monthly income on just housing costs. What would have been an “affordable” housing unit had to be less than $510 per month – which may have only been possible by renting a room in a house with multiple roommates in Bend or Redmond.

I stayed in that apartment for two years, and in that time, it served my needs and allowed me to establish myself in Sisters. I was able to financially improve my situation after the AmeriCorps service year when I was hired into a full-time position with the City of Sisters, where I continue to work as a planner to this day. When the COVID pandemic subsided, I made local connections and found myself able to move into a house with multiple roommates in Bend, where I now technically have “affordable” housing. However, that came with the additional costs associated with commuting (i.e., gas, wear and tear on a vehicle, loss of personal time, environmental impacts, etc.).

I think many aspects of my story remain true to today’s context. The Central Oregon housing market is still relatively competitive, and there are limited affordable housing options for minimum wage and early-to-mid-career professionals. These individuals make up a significant amount of the local workforce.

Gaps in available and affordable workforce housing impact the local economy and community livability. The quality of restaurant services may decrease due to not being able to retain enough staff. Grocery stores may increase prices to provide more competitive wages. School districts may struggle to retain and recruit teachers that are essential to providing quality education. And frequent turnover of staff in government agencies may delay permitting and programs that help to bring more housing units to the market. Affordable housing is basic infrastructure – just like water, sewer, roads, and parks.

In Sisters, there are agencies, organizations, and local businesses working together to find solutions to support workforce housing needs. Currently, the City of Sisters is issuing grant funds for affordable and workforce housing projects and beginning the process of evaluating an urban growth boundary expansion which could include approximately 150 acres of new residential lands. You can learn more about local housing efforts at C4C’s May 5 Community Forum at Sisters Fire Hall’s community room from 4 to 5:30 p.m. or online at https://citizens4community.com/events/spring-forum-24.

This article first appeared on The Nugget and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.