Beaver State News

Stops 14 and 15 included visits to Astoria, Seaside, and Tillamook 

Tillamook, OR—Today and yesterday, Governor Tina Kotek visited communities in Clatsop and Tillamook counties on the 14th and 15th stops of the One Oregon Listening Tour.

Governor Kotek traveled to Astoria, Seaside and Tillamook to meet with housing, behavioral health, early learning, business, and local elected leaders to learn about the challenges on the North Coast and how the state can help.

“It’s inspiring to be in communities that look at crises like housing and childcare and see solutions,” Governor Kotek said. “Half the battle is knowing what the problems are. The other half is getting people on board to move forward on a plan of action. It’s my job to make sure the state is being the best possible partner to solve problems. That’s why I’m here.”

On Thursday, the Governor toured Hyak Maritime at Tongue Point in Astoria, a commercial maritime industrial center and shipyard that recently received a state grant for an all electric mobile boat lift. Their plan is to repair and maintain more boats with an eye towards environmental stewardship, innovation, and job creation.

“We all live in this world and we’re going to keep it as nice as we can keep it,” Hyak CEO Bob Dorn said. Dorn also says that the Columbia River is among the most efficient waterways in the world, well worth strong stewardship.

The Governor then toured the Liberty Theatre with Executive Director Jennifer Crockett. The tour included classrooms above the Theatre where nearly 100 children from the region take an array of drama courses.

"The Liberty, like all venues in Oregon and many local businesses, has not fully recovered from the eighteen months of COVID closures. We welcomed the opportunity to meet with Governor Kotek to demonstrate the resiliency of the arts in our town,” Crockett said about the visit.

Next up was a walk in beautiful downtown Astoria featuring a stop at Raintown Vintage Collective and dinner at Drina Daisy with Clatsop County Chair Mark Kujala and County Administrator Don Bohn.

On Friday, the day started with a working breakfast and Pig n’ Pancake with Seaside Mayor Steve Wright, followed by a housing and behavioral health roundtable with community partners convened by Columbia Pacific Community Care Organization (CCO).

CareOregon, a partner in Columbia Pacific CCO, recently purchased the Seaside Red Lion Inn & Suites with a plan to convert it into two-thirds workforce housing and one-third permanent supportive housing for individuals with behavioral health needs. When it comes to providing housing such as the Red Lion project, Clatsop County Housing Manager Elissa Gertler said, “We’ve got skin in the game.” They anticipate the housing units to open next spring. The roundtable also included a frank conversation about the impacts of fentanyl use among the populations they serve.

The Governor then headed to Tillamook County for a childcare roundtable with providers, local elected officials, and business leaders at Tillamook Creamery. The discussion focused on the intersection of economic prosperity and childcare access. The Governor left the discussion energized to continue her push to increase childcare access across the state.

This was followed by a farm tour at Victor Dairy for an in-depth look at one of Tillamook’s industrial dairy farms providing jobs and delicious dairy for Oregonians and beyond. She then sat down for a coffee with Tillamook County Chair Erin Skaar to discuss a range of local issues.

The day concluded with a bid farewell to the coast at Cape Lookout State Park. 

Original source can be found here.