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Arts, crafts, and hobbies, Oh my!

Chelsea Yarnell • August 8, 2024


During the Tillamook County Fair, the upstairs of the Main Building is transformed into a gallery. Art-filled walls and displayed crafts and hobbies highlight the talents of local county residents.

 

Incoming Tillamook Junior High School seventh grader Clayton Oleman is one of the youth exhibitors in the art and hobby departments. He entered several Lego creations as well an abstract, spray-painted piece of the “universe.” But don’t confuse age for inexperience, Oleman is an award-winning artist 

 

“I started doing art in kindergarten,” Oleman said. “I would draw a little bit of everything. I would see something and would draw and doodle. When I was little, it was hard to do details. Now, I do a lot in comic style.”


In February, Oleman entered his painting of a mountain with a lake to the Adventist Health “Art for the Heart Art” Gallery Show. He titled his piece: “Heart of the Forest.” It won the hearts of gallery attendees, garnering enough votes to claim the “Youth Award” of the entire show.


 

Oleman recalls his parents and two brothers being there when he found out that he won.

 

“I thought it was really great,” mom Maddison Oleman said. “He got lots of compliments on his work.”

 

Oleman has added another award to his art collection, earning a blue ribbon for his spray-painted piece in the youth division at the 2024 Tillamook County Fair.

 

Oleman is one of many youth that have showcased their artistic talents at the Tillamook County Fairgrounds. The Craft and Hobby Department as well as the Art Department exhibits are located on the second floor of the Main Hall building.

 

“As attendees visit the Art Department, I highly encourage them to explore and experience all of the art, not just the pieces that they themselves or people they know entered,” Art Department Superintendent Leeauna Perry said. “We have a community rich in artistic talent and appreciating every individual age and experience level’s artwork adds to the cultural appreciation experience. A lot of time, effort, creativity and courage go into creating and submitting a piece of art into a public showcase such as the fair exhibit. I encourage visitors to acknowledge the work that each artist puts into these entries by fully engaging in this culturally enriching exhibit experience.”

'Hank the Cowdog' steals the show

By Chelsea Yarnell • March 13, 2025
Bulls & Bronc (indoor rodeo event) was a sold out show on March 8, bringing out a crowd of 1,000 to the Tillamook County Fairgrounds. Check out the video The Newsie captured of “Hank the Cowdog” that has 3.7 million views on social media! 

Country Coffee franchise opens in Tillamook

By Chelsea Yarnell • March 2, 2025
Country Coffee franchise opens in Tillamook, Oregon.

Food Roots focuses on school gardens, closes retail marketplace

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 27, 2025
Food Roots will dedicate the majority of its efforts to school gardens and supporting food producers in 2025. The non-profit was the recent recipient of a nearly $25,000 grant from the BottleDrop Fund of the Oregon Community Foundation . The grant will be utilized to fund the Learning Gardens at three Tillamook County schools: Liberty Elementary, East Elementary, and Garibaldi Grade School. “We have amazing school partnerships to nurture this education and food growth. We're excited to be working with teachers and have these gardens be a part of their classrooms,” Food Roots Executive Director Lindsay Ward said. “Then, all the produce that's harvested from these gardens will be donated to the school food pantries. We're able to provide materials, staff time, and volunteer recruitment efforts towards these gardens as a result of coordination between this and other wonderful grants we’ve received.”

Tillamook 2025 brand campaign focuses on Morning Star

February 19, 2025
Beginning 116 years ago, the Morning Star took sail to deliver a boatload of dairy to the people of the Pacific Northwest. Aboard: products from Tillamook County. Tillamook farmers had more butter and milk than you could imagine. The problem? Tillamook is isolated. There were no real roads connecting the Tillamook Bay to the growing Port of Portland. And the rugged coastal mountain range was dangerous. So, they took to the sea. After months of work and many failures, they found success in the Morning Star. It became Oregon’s first official ship. Building on the “Extraordinary Dairy” brand platform that was introduced by Tillamook County Creamery Association and Leo Chicago, initially launched last May, the 2025 brand campaign tells the tales of the Tillamook origin story which starts with the brand’s dairy boat.

Jones-Knudson Apartments open

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 12, 2025
The Jones-Knudson Apartments in downtown Tillamook celebrated their ribbon cutting ceremony on Saturday, Feb. 8. The project has been in the works since 2019 to bring more housing options to the workforce of Tillamook County. Owner Lisa Greiner purchased the building in 2018. The first level of the building was renovated to house her dance studio: Oregon Coast Dance Center . The second story was not set up as housing. “People always ask me what was up there before: it was just one, big, gigantic open room we were using for storage,” Greiner said. “So, it’s super surreal to not have it be storage up there and actually see this come to fruition.”

‘Lessor’ is more

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 10, 2025
Local couple takes over Bunker Grille at The Mook

Homing pigeon delivers WWII love note

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 9, 2025
Pigeon Handler Specialist Sylvia Tartas received only one message during her tour in Tillamook County, and it had nothing to do with the war. The Pigeon Loft exhibit recently opened at the Tillamook Air Museum . The exhibit highlights the history of the United States Navy WAVES: Women Accepted for Voluntary Emergency Service. These women trained homing pigeons that were carried on airships and utilized during radio silence in World War II. The WAVES oversaw a pigeon loft at Naval Air Station Tillamook. Homing pigeons were not often used on the West Coast, so WAVES Pigeon Handler Specialist 2nd Class Tartas received only one message during her service. On a plaque in the exhibit recounts the message: “What are you doing tonight, Red?” (asking her out on a date.) It’s said that Sylvia later remarked: “Yes, I sure did go out with him!”

Where to find art this February

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 5, 2025
“Heart for the Art” awards given First, second, third, People’s Choice, and Youth awards were given out at the “Heart for the Art” artist reception on Feb. 2. The art exhibition is sponsored by for Adventist Health Tillamook and is on display at North County Recreation District through the month of February. A portion of artist sales are dedicated to fitness scholarships that promote heart health in north Tillamook County. First place: Bosch: U.S. Fancy by Connie Vincent Second place: Piers End by Hannah Hood Third place: Evard, The Sunset Bull by Lisa Miska People’s Choice: Shimmer by Jack Ryser Youth Award: Fish by Kayla Bakker

CARE Shelter Village makes progress

By Chelsea Yarnell • February 4, 2025
This past week "Pallet Shelters" were installed on the property directly next to CARE on First Street in Tillamook as the latest improvement to the CARE Shelter Village. "Pallet Shelters" are temporary shelters that are made of easy-to-assemble panels, packed flat for shipping. This village of temporary housing will be operated by CARE. There will be a large group shelter where those needing a safe place can stay night-by-night. The smaller units are for those, who opt to, can receive intensive case management to be assisted to be housed. “We have some major work still needing to get done,” CARE Executive Director Jeff Blackford said. “The electric vault needs to be installed, the storage unit has to be placed, [and] furnishings need to be ordered.” Blackford estimates the housing village will open within the next couple months.
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