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Tillamook County Fair Photos Page 3
Tillamook County Wellness online this week
Headlight Herald
TUESDAY, AUGUST 16, 2022
VOL. 134, NO. 33 • $1.50
TILLAMOOK, OREGON • WWW.TILLAMOOKHEADLIGHTHERALD.COM
2022 Tillamook County Fair in the books Wassmer 2022 Champion Pig-N-Ford racer
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Netarts Bay photo by Brandon Mitchell
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Netarts Bay closed to clamming and crabbing due to raw sewage spill
he 2022 Tillamook County Fair has come and gone. Great attendance under beautiful weather all four days had fairgoers out in droves with Saturday being the biggest attendance day. One big event each year is the annual Pig-N-Ford races, this year, McKenzi Wassmer was crowned the National Champion on Saturday night prior to the Demolition Derby in front of thousands filling the grandstands. It was standing room only for both culminating and highly anticipated events. Little Pig-N-Ford history The first Pig N’ Ford race took place at the Tillamook County Fair in 1925. The idea for the race happened when a couple of Tillamook County residents were transporting some pigs and one got loose. They proceeded to chase the pig in their Model T Fords and had so much fun trying to catch and drive with the pesky pig that they thought “let’s do this at the fair.” The music and entertainment is always a huge draw at the fair. Things got rolling in the grandstands with Stone in Love, a Journey tribute band. Thursday night The Marshall Tucker Band took center stage and on Friday, popular country artist Ryan Hurd
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regon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) issued an warning to recreational crabbers and clammers of a raw sewage spill in Netarts Bay that occurred Aug. 5 near the Netarts boat launch. The Oregon Department of Agriculture closed the bay to commercial oyster harvesting on Aug. 6, according to an ODFW release. Expected reopening is Aug. 26. Recreational clammers and crabbers are advised the water may be contaminated until that date. Netarts Bay is known for its excellent clamming and crabbing. ODFW officials are directing clammers and crabbers to Nehalem Bay or Tillamook Bay for other harvesting options in Tillamook County.
McKenzi Wassmer winning a heat during the Pig-N-Ford races at the Tillamook County Fair. Below: Wassmer hoisting the Championship trophy after the win. See more fair photos on page 3. Race photos courtesy of Parry Hurliman had the crowd dancing in the dirt. Wether you were there for the fair food, rides, entertainment, horse racing, showing animals, 4-H events, the fair had it all. It’s no wonder USA Today has listed the Tillamook County Fair as a “Top-10” County Fair in the nation. Here’s to “Hay Bails and Cow Tails,” until next year.
Rockaway Beach chocolatier brings back the classic bonbon U
Chelsea Yarnell Guest Contributor
p-and-coming chocolatier Patrick Shuman is bringing back an old-time favorite. “To me, a fine arts chocolate, or a bonbon (chocolate with a cream filling), is a refined, fancy, elegant thing,” he said. “It allows for a range of creativity with seasonal flavors; it’s not set in stone, you can fill with everything.” From his home in Rockaway Beach, Shuman crafts hundreds of chocolates each week for his business BigShu’s Chocolates. “My chocolates are not just for the people that love chocolates,” Shuman said. “It is a great way to indulge yourself or if you feel like you want to celebrate something.” As a 2012 graduate of NeahKah-Nie High School, Shuman’s journey to crafting chocolates began during his time as a Pirate. “I did the hospitality, tourism, and recreation program during my junior and senior year of high school,” Shuman said. “That’s where I figured out I wanted to get into the culinary field.” Shuman attended a school trip to Southwestern Community College in Coos Bay to visit their culinary institute. “When I went for a tour, the class was doing gingerbread houses and one of the students had burnt their Jolly Rancher stainedglass window,” Shuman said. “The student was trying to figure out how to fix it. The professor disappeared for a minute and then came back with a blowtorch. That’s when I decided this is where I wanted to be.” Shuman went on to receive his Associates of Applied Science in Baking and Pastry Arts with a
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specialty in chocolate from Southwestern Community College in 2017. “While there, I actually did [chocolate] sculptures with my instructor; some of them were up to seven-feet tall for charities,” he said. Post-college, Shuman returned to Rockaway Beach, took a job at Fred Meyer, and put his culinary dreams on hold. But after a couple years, Shuman realized he missed making chocolate. “For Christmas 2021, I decided to make chocolates for my family,” Shuman said. “Then, I NKN grad, Patrick Shuman, operates BigShu’s Chocolates from his decided to sell some home in Rockaway Beach. Shuman currently sells bonbon choco[to the community] lates at the Tillamook Farmers Market and by special order. for Valentine’s Day to see if I could get some something that I gravitate towards is that people are happy to have a traction. People were supportive in expressing myself.” fine arts chocolate that’s not too of it.” Currently, Shuman makes four bitter and not too sweet,” Shuman With the positive reaction, different flavored bonbon-style said. “People are giving me sugShuman decided to start BigShu’s chocolates: lemon, cherry, and gestions for what they’d love to Chocolates. chocolate buttercream; and peanut see. They’re almost going back to “The modeling chocolate lets butter. a childhood and enjoying it.” you sculpt with it,” he said. “There “The biggest reaction I’ve had Every Saturday, Shuman can are endless possibilities; that’s be found at the Tillamook Farmers Market where customers can purchase chocolates for $1.50 a piece, four for $5, or a dozen for $15. Can’t make it to the Farmers Market? Shuman also delivers within Tillamook County. “I would love to be able to end up in a storefront and have enough room to ship across the United States,” Shuman said. “I also want people to be able to walk in and purchase chocolates.” To keep up to date with BigShu’s Chocolates expansion and offerings, follow the business on Facebook. To place an order, contact Shuman at 503-801-3223 or email patrick.shuman@yahoo. com.
Wyden touts elements of Inflation Reduction Act D
David Rupkalvis Country Media
ays after the U.S. Senate passed the Inflation Reduction Act, approving hundreds of billions in spending on major Democrat priorities, Sen. Ron Wyden took a victory lap during a call with Oregon media. Wyden, who authored several of the key elements, in the package that passed the Senate when Vice Pres. Kamala Harris broke a 50-50 tie, said he was proud of the money to combat climate change, lower drug prices and take on tax cheats. “I’m proud the legislation is going to pack a 1-2 punch on climate change,” Wyden said. “The bill includes my Clean Energy for America legislation and the money for wildfire impact across the state. What the Clean Energy for America bill does is it takes the tax code and throws it in the trash can. It says the more you reduce carbon, the bigger savings you get. The law I wrote is the biggest investment in climate change ever. I’ve been working on it for a decade, and I’m proud of it.” Wyden said the bill provides $20 billion for farmers who use environmentallyfriendly technology, $5 billion to help combat wildfires and $4 billion for drought mitigation. The legislation also takes a big step toward lowering drug prices, although it did not go as far as Wyden had hoped. The biggest change is Medicare will now be able to negotiate directly with drug makers on pricing. “Seniors have felt the restriction that big pharma has been able to protect in the Medicare law, the provision that keeps Medicare from negotiating is a curse,” Wyden said. “The curse is being lifted now. Obviously big pharma is going to fight this every step of the way. Big pharma is going to fight this in courts and state legislatures. “The reason pig pharma is going to fight this is it’s going to be a seismic shift in way drug prices are set. They will no longer be able to charge what they want.” Wyden said in Oregon, 20,000 seniors now pay $2,000 a year or more for pharmaceuticals. Under the new legislation, there will be monthly cap on what anyone using Medicare has to pay.” One big change is Medicare patients using insulin will have a monthly cap of $35 for the life-saving drug. Wyden said perhaps
n See WYDEN, Page A2