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North Coast
Citizen Serving North Tillamook County since 1996
northcoastcitizen.com
December 15, 2022
Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental board updates plans and progress Will Chappell
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Reporter
he Salmonberry Trail Intergovernmental Agency Board met last month in Tillamook for the first time since before the pandemic to update the public on progress. A trip to visit a section of proposed trail that lies next to the Oregon Coast Scenic Railroad north of Garibaldi highlighted the days activities. The railroad’s Chief Engineer Simon Aldridge guided the visit and told the assembled board and members of the public that the railroad was interested in participating in developing the trail. As the railroad is a federally recognized, class 3 short-line railroad, their involvement could bring several advantages to the trail’s continued development. The railroad controls the right of way for 50 feet on either side of the center of the tracks, meaning that they can permit the trail’s construction within that zone. Additionally, the railroad is eligible for grant pro-
grams that could provide funding to help move the project forward. The Consolidated Rail Infrastructure and Safety Improvements grant gives $1.2 billion annually to short-line railroads across the country and has a stated focus of promoting “rails and trails” projects, like the Salmonberry. The railroad’s assistance and access to funding will both be crucial for the project, which faces difficult construction as it looks to move ahead. No section demonstrates the challenges facing the trail better than the one visited by the group on Monday. Lying between Garibaldi and Barview Jetty, the curve around the hillside and rocky point just south of the Three Graces rock outcroppings in Tillamook Bay poses a logistical hurdle to completing the trail. At the point, Highway 101 is cut into face of a large hill and runs above the railway with narrow shoulders on both sides. The railway is also tightly squeezed onto its bed at the point, with less than 15 feet on each side. There is a historic rock wall
Will Chappell The railroad’s Chief Engineer Simon Aldridge guided the visit and told the assembled board and members of the public that the railroad was interested in participating in developing the trail. Headlight photos by Will Chappell from the 1930s towards the road and an embankment dropping to the beach on the other. Aldridge said that in many places accommodating the path by moving the railway would be relatively easy, but that in sections like this the challenge would be greater. Federal regulations mandate that pedestrians be separated from the rails by at least eight feet and early plans for the trail called for it to be 12 feet wide. At pinch points, these considerations will necessitate building a bridge or expanding the riprap along the shore to support the trail. The difficulty of building on this section and others like it reflect the necessity of the trail that will separate
pedestrians and cyclists from the busy scenic byway, making travel safer for all modes of transport. Aldridge said that in addition to the railroad’s support, the other good news was that the train’s path was shared by the waterline to Barview and the fiberoptic cable bringing internet to the county. Owing to this, the Army Corps of Engineers, which is responsible for maintaining the riprap around the bay, is likely to prioritize the security of those critical infrastructure links, adding to the trail’s prospects. After visiting the site, the group returned to the Oregon Department of Forestry’s Tillamook office for a business meeting. Many organizations from both
Tillamook and Washington Counties as well as the state government and other non-governmental organizations were in attendance. In the meeting, the board gave a brief update about progress happening on different portions of the trail. Several different sections are currently seeking funding to begin planning, including a section from Rockaway to Neahkahnie and another from Bay City to Idaville. The group then adjourned for the day. It will meet again in this month and on a monthly basis going forward. Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia.net.
Monica Isbell
MNF Board President
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Rachel Lee NKN Senior and class President spoke on how the Mudd Nick Foundation has impacted her life since kindergarten. also expressed gratitude for the many individuals and merchants that donated silent and live auction items. The Neah-Kah-Nie (NKN) High School choir under the steady hand of Michael Simpson, teacher and director, sang The Water is Wide, an old folk song arranged by Mr. Simpson that had a complicated harmony. Lynn Mudd, co-founder and board member, and Brad Mudd, vice president, announced that the winner of the 2022 Jim and Lynn Mudd Service to Children Award was John Isbell, who served as a board member for over a decade and, for the bulk of that time, also as treasurer. John recently shifted to Emeritus status and was unable to attend the event in person. The audience heard presentations from three
Cole Brown NKN Senior related advenBrad Mudd and Doug Nicholson conducting the tures on his Costa Rica live oral auction. trip sponsored by The Mudd Nick Foundation. auction. football game score. When Photos by Brooklynne we told the server we weren’t Liz Carroll, who attended Konruff ordering food because we the dinner for the first time were headed to the Mudd with husband Dan, shared speakers. First, Cole Brown, Nick event she thanked us her impressions about the a NKN High School senior, profusely and shared a long MNF and the fundraising related some of the advenlist of opportunities her event. “It’s amazing what tures he had as an exchange children had received as a a few people with a great student last summer to Costa result of the Foundation. Rica in the Partners of Amer- idea can accomplish. The Mudd Nick Foundation sets Then at the event, hearing ica program that was made the example and shows us the students speak about their possible by a grant from the all what is possible. When experiences, it made offering MNF. Rachel Lee, senior Dan and I made Nehalem our support an even easier and class president, spoke our full-time home, we got decision. We look forward to about the many ways in next year’s event.” Another which the MNF has impacted involved in supporting local organizations and events. We local attendee mentioned that her life since kindergarten. quickly realized all the good he loved the Saturday dinner Lastly, Gale Nelson, CEO of the Mudd Nick Foundation because it is one of the very the Rinehart Clinic, let the was doing for the north coast few events in the area where attendees know that a sizable youth and, in turn, their parpeople can dress up and grant by the MNF made it ents by providing educational make donations for a great possible for the new Neahand recreational activities cause. Kah-Nie Student Health & for school-aged children. For During 2022, grants from Wellness Center at the High us, it was an easy decision the MNF touched the lives of School to serve students in to lend our support and over 2,100 children. LearnDistrict 56 and the larger the opportunity to attend a ing Experiences included community. After enjoying September Luau Fundraising Missoula Children’s Theatre, a gourmet dinner with a Dinner sounded fun. Prior to 4H Camp, art camps, Battle Hawaiian theme, including the dinner, we stopped into an entire roast pig, Doug and n See Local, Page 3 the pub to check the OSU Brad conducted a lively oral
Headlight Herald
Sat. & Sun. April 29-30, 2023 Saturday 9 am to 4 pm Sunday 11 am to 4 pm at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds
& BEE DAY 2023
H21195
Tillamook Beekeeper Assoc.
Volume 29, No. 24
Nehalem Council tackles fees, short term rental regs
Mudd Nick foundation supports local students n the weekend of September 16 and 17, the Mudd Nick Foundation (MNF) held its annual charity golf tournament, auction, and dinner – for the first time in three years – in person. The golf tournament on Saturday had a great turnout of 74 golfers. Some groups played nine holes and some 18 holes. Doug Nicholson, co-founder and board member, reported that all received tee prizes and there were awards for first, second, and third place teams for nine holes and eighteen, as well as awards for longest drive, closest to the pin, and closest drive to the string in the fairway for both men and women. One-hundred-eighty participated in the Saturday night dinner. President Monica Isbell welcomed the attendees and thanked them for their past, current, and future donations. She acknowledged the board and the dozens of volunteers who made the event possible. She
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Cosponsored by Tillamook County Solid Waste
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Reporter
ehalem’s City Council discussed short term rental regulations and passed several fee increases in its December 12 meeting. Cemetery plots in Nehalem will cost $750 starting in 2023, up from $500, while business licenses will increase in price from $15 to $60 for the initial application and $40 for renewal. Planning for new shortterm rental regulations is progressing, with councilors receiving an update on the work from City Manager Mellissa Thompson-Kiefer. Thompson-Kiefer told the council that the planning commission had reviewed staff proposals and agreed that a 300-foot buffer between short term rental properties in the city was a good policy. However, after some public feedback concerned that this would overly limit licenses in certain areas, councilors asked staff to come up with a different proposal. Councilors asked for the new proposal to divide the city into zones that will each have an allotted number of short-term rental licenses. Staff will prepare a plan for presentation to the planning commission and city council next year. The council also updated the city’s employee handbook at the meeting, amending it to reflect the twelve weeks of paid leave that will be offered by the Paid Leave Oregon program, passed into law in 2019. It gives employees up to 12 weeks of paid leave for family, medical or safety needs annually, paid for through the state program funded by employer and employee contributions. Juneteenth will also be a paid holiday for city employees beginning in 2023. The council then reappointed Mary Jo Anderson and Justin Bailie to the planning commission. Before adjourning the meeting, Thompson-Kiefer thanked Mayor Bill Dillard and Councilor David Cram for their service, as this was their last meeting in office. Cram was appointed in May 2021, to fill an unexpected vacancy on the council and was presented with a certificate expressing gratitude. Dillard served on the council beginning in 2003, before becoming council president in 2015 and mayor in 2016. Thompson-Kiefer presented Dillard with a plaque thanking him for his twenty years of service to Nehalem. Dillard then adjourned a Nehalem city council meeting for the last time. Please send any comments to headlightreporter@countrymedia.net.
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