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Tillamook and Clatsop State Forests 50th anniversaries celebrated

WILL CHAPPELL

Citizen Editor

Foresters and residents gathered at the Tillamook Forest Center on July 22, to celebrate the Tillamook State Forest’s 50th anniversary with a group photo, family activities, cake and appearances by Smokey Bear.

The event marked 50 years since Governor Tom McCall declared the Tillamook Burn the Tillamook State Forest on July 18, 1973, and celebrated the 50th anniversary of the Clatsop State Forest.

District Forester Kate Skinner briefly addressed the group that assembled for the occasion, recalling McCall’s speech in

1972, calling the Tillamook Burn a permanent memory for Oregon.

The burn refers to a series of four fires that took place between 1933 and 1951, destroying 355,000 acres of forest in Tillamook, Clatsop, Washington and Yamhill Counties.

During the 1930s and 1940s, as landowners in the forests defaulted on their properties’ taxes allowing them to revert to county ownership, the counties entered into an agreement with the Oregon Department of Forestry to manage those lands.

Over the decades following the burn, the forest was replanted, with 72 million seedlings being planted by hand by volunteers, many of them school children, and

Manzanita council approves hotel project

WILL CHAPPELL

Citizen Editor

Manzanita’s City Council approved the application for a new hotel development at the corner of Dorcas Lane and Classic Street on June 28, reversing the planning commission’s June denial.

The development will have 25 units, with a mix of cabins, microcabins and hotel rooms, after the developer agreed to reduce the number of units to avoid the need to include a park in the project.

The application had been remanded to the city after the decision to reject the initial application was appealed to Oregon’s Land Use Board of Appeals (LUBA).

The rejection centered around disagreements between the city and developer over whether hotel rooms qualified as dwelling units and, if they did, whether the proposed development met density standard re-

quirements.

Manzanita’s building code allows for 6.5 units per acre outright, or 13 units per acre if the developer dedicates 40% of the development to either a park or golf course.

The developer contended that even if the hotel rooms qualified as dwelling units and triggered the density standard, the development as proposed met the 40% minimum. The planning commission found in June that the rooms did qualify as dwelling units but that the proposed development had not met the park or golf course requirement. The commission said that the proposed green space did not amount to a park, as much of it comprised a narrow strip immediately adjacent to the road.

The commission also found that the project would have negative impacts on traffic in the area and rejected the application on that basis as well.

City council’s review of the decision began on June 26, with a lengthy meeting to hear presentations from proponents and opponents of the project.

At that meeting, the lawyer for the developer said that the planning commission had erred when determining that the green spaces

many more being dropped from helicopters.

Skinner praised the vision and dedication of those who helped to replant the forest following the burn, allowing it to return as a healthy and productive forest.

The Clatsop State Forest was the first of Oregon’s state forests to begin to take shape as timber companies that elected to exchange their land with Clatsop County for property tax payments starting in World War I. In 1936, Clatsop County deeded its forestlands to the state government, becoming the first county to do so. The Clatsop State Forest covers 154,000 acres in Clatsop and Columbia counties. Today, the forests generate

timber revenue for counties and special districts, offers a variety of trails and other recreation opportunities and stores large quantities of carbon dioxide.

Skinner, who has worked in the Tillamook State Forest for 26 years, said that the Tillamook Forest has yet to reach its maximum potential, as forestry science continues to evolve and trees continue to mature.

The group of attendees first had a photo opportunity with Smokey Bear, did crafts in the education pavilion at the forest center and visited with representatives from ODF, the Oregon Fire Marshall and the Tillamook Forest Heritage Trust. They then moved to the plaza in front of the forest center for a

group photo, before returning to the education pavilion for Skinner’s remarks and a cake cutting ahead of a second appearance from Smokey. The forest center lies 22 miles east of Tillamook on Highway 6 and features a replica forest lookout tower, 250-foot pedestrian suspension bridge over the Wilson River and museum with permanent and rotating exhibits. The center is open from Spring to Fall, Wednesday through Sunday, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. between Memorial and Labor Day and 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. before and after.

Yamamoto announces early retirement from board of county commissioners

WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

Tillamook County Commissioner David Yamamoto announced that he will be retiring from the board in November or December of this year at the board’s meeting on August 1.

Commissioners also instituted a cap on the issuance of new shortterm rental licenses in the county at 1% above the existing number in each unincorporated community and named Hangar B at the Port of Tillamook Bay an official historic landmark in Tillamook County.

“It is with a great deal of apprehension yet with considerable anticipation, that I announce to you this morning, my intent to take an early retirement,” Yamamoto said. “I realize my early departure may be unexpected, but I feel it is time for me to concentrate on my personal retirement goals with my family.”

Yamamoto was first elected to the board of county commissioners in 2016 and reelected in 2020. Before serving as a commissioner Yamamoto had worked timber and long-term care insurance before spending two years as a real estate agent in Pacific City prior to his election.

Yamamoto said that he had never considered running for elected office, but that when his involvement in numerous volunteer causes led people to encourage him to run, he decided to campaign.

In his time as commissioner, Yamamoto has prided himself on his work promoting the naturalresource-based economy of Tillamook County. Yamamoto was a founding member of the Tillamook Working Lands and Waters Cooperative and has led tours of dairy, timber and fishing facilities for elected officials from around the state each year.

Yamamoto also serves as the chair of the Forest Trust Lands Advisory Committee, where he has led the push for more consideration of the economic impacts of new forestry policies on the counties that receive revenues from the state forests.

Yamamoto has promoted the county’s interests at the state, regional and national level too, travelling extensively to participate in conferences for county officials.

Yamamoto is fond of saying that Tillamook County leads the way on a wide variety of policies and practices and is always eager to give credit to the county employees who make that possible.

“I have been fortunate to work with many exceptional people from across the state and nation but none compare to the amazing employees we have right here in Tillamook County,” Yamamoto said.

Letters of interest from parties interested in serving as a commissioner from Yamamoto’s retirement until the beginning of 2025 will be accepted during a three-week period in late August and early September.

The board of commissioners will then review the letters of interest in public meetings and interview candidates. Yamamoto will participate in the process with Commis-

Event attendees pose to commemorate the Tillamook State Forest’s 50th anniversary in front of the Tillamook Forest Center.

PHOTO FROM TILLAMOOK FOREST CENTER

New Wheeler city manager eager to learn, communicate

WILL CHAPPELL

Citizen Editor

Pax Broeder will assume Wheeler’s City Manager position on August 1, and is ready to learn and engage the community.

Broeder also said that he will work to increase the hours city hall is accessible to citizens and to ensure that the

city’s meetings are easier to access virtually.

Broeder is taking over the city manager’s position in Wheeler following the departure of Mary Johnson for Rockaway Beach, where she is now the city planner. Broeder has worked in project management positions for the past 18 years, mostly in retail and distillery operations,

before most recently serving as Wheeler’s Postmaster for the last 7 months.

Broeder and his wife have lived in Nehalem since 2018, after moving from Cannon Beach.

A city councilor who came to know Broeder in his role as postmaster informed him of the open city manager position and encouraged him

to apply.

Broeder’s top priority upon becoming city manager will be to learn about the various aspects of his job. Beyond that, Broeder said that he does not have specific policies or projects that he plans to promote.

“I’m going into this position with an open mind, not an agenda,” Broeder said.

However, he did note that Wheeler’s City Hall has had irregular hours due to staffing issues and that council meetings have been difficult to attend virtually, both issues which he plans to address.

When asked what he felt Wheeler’s greatest asset was, Broeder said it was the people, praising the citizenry’s spirit of volunteerism.

“Not only is there a great team of city employees, but many of the citizens at large care for, support and volunteer their time and knowledge to keep the city moving forward,” Broeder said.

Tillamook County criminal convictions

STAFF REPORT

On May 1, Kenneth

T Kramer, 22, pled guilty to one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about October 30, 2021. Kramer was sentenced to two years’ probation and his driver’s license was suspended for one year.

On June 13, Paul Antonio Cline, 28, pled no contest to one count of driving under the influence of intoxicants, one count of reckless driving and one count of recklessly endangering another person, all class A misdemeanors, committed on or about March 6. Cline was sentenced to ten days in jail, two years on probation and a one-year driver’s license suspension.

On June 15, Jason Santos, 35, pled no contest to one count of harassment, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about May 14. Santos was sentenced to 18 months’ probation.

On July 5, Erick Abraham Jimenez Lopez, 26, pled no contest to one count of assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence and one count of menacing constituting domestic violence, both class A misdemeanors, committed on about February 21. Jimenez Lopez was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 18 months on probation.

On July 5, Ricky Dean Sutton was found in violation of his probation for a count of identity theft after using or possessing controlled substances and drug

paraphernalia and failing to submit to testing for controlled substances. Sutton was sentenced to 13 months in jail.

On July 6, Miguel Velez, 33, pled no contest to two counts of luring a minor, a class A misdemeanor, with one count occurring on or about December 29, 2022, and the other occurring on or about January 1, 2023. Velez was sentenced to two years’ probation.

On July 7, Bobby Joe Harrison, 43, pled no contest to one count of assault in the fourth degree constituting domestic violence, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about April 25. Harrison was sentenced to 90 days in jail.

On July 7, Angela Jean Nebeker, 57, was sentenced

for convictions following no contest pleas to four counts of driving under the influence of intoxicants, a class A misdemeanor, commited on or about four dates: December 20, 2022, March 27, 2023, April 8, 2023, and April 17, 2023. Nebeker was sentenced to 178 days in jail and four years on probation and her driver’s license was revoked for life.

On July 7, Christopher Levi Johnson, 43, pled no contest to one count of assault in the fourth degree, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about September 28, 2021. Johnson was sentenced to 364 days in jail.

On July 10, David Hassel, 36, pled guilty to one count of attempting to commit a class C felony, identity theft, a class A misdemeanor, on

or about February 2, 2022.

Hassel was sentenced to ten days in jail and 18 months on probation and ordered to pay $2,500 in restitution to his victim.

On July 13, Chad James Kephart, 38, pled no contest to three counts of criminal mischief in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about June 14. Kephart was sentenced to 30 days in jail.

On July 14, David William Russell, 67, pled guilty to one count of burglary in the first degree, a class A felony, and one count of criminal mischief in the first degree, a class A misdemeanor, both committed on or about June 29. Russell was sentence to 30 days in jail and three years’ probation.

On July 24, Brittany

Nichole McDaniel, 36, pled no contest to one count of theft in the second degree, a class A misdemeanor, committed on or about December 29, 2022. McDaniel was sentenced to 10 days in jail and 18 months’ probation.

On July 31, Clayton Anthony Grant, 44, pled guilty to one count of theft of services, a class C misdemeanor, committed on or about May 14, 2023. Grant was sentenced to time served in jail and ordered to pay $24.07 in restitution to Denny’s.

On July 31, Donald Joseph Werner, 69, pled guilty to one count of theft in the third degree, a class A violation, committed on or about July 5, 2023. Werner was ordered to complete eight hours of community service.

Cell coverage coming to Highway 6

WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

Work is progressing on bringing cellular ser-

vice to Highway 6 between Banks and Tillamook, with Astound Broadband laying the fiber optic cable that will bring data while Verizon

designs its plan for towers to serve the corridor.

Astound plans to finish laying the cable in the first quarter of next year, while an

official from Verizon said that it would be two to three years before their service is up and running.

“I’m just really excited that we’re able to move forward and start this process,” said Alex Max Leupp from Verizon. “As long as it’s going to take, it will be worth it.”

The cable that will facilitate cell coverage is being installed by Astound, which is serving as the terrestrial fiber backhaul provider for the transpacific cable originating in Asia. Amazon World Services is the largest customer for Astound but will still use less than 10% of the new cable’s capacity.

The transpacific cable landed on the beach in Pacific City last year, joining at least four other transpacific cables, two of which are operated by Astound. Astound’s previous two cables, like the forthcoming one, stretch from the transpacific landing sites to Portland, with one traversing the Salmonberry Pass and another taking a southern route through Grand Ronde before turning north through Albany

According to Matthew Updenkelder from Astound, the company is working with other companies and governments in addition to Verizon to maximize the cable’s impact along its route. Past cables have been designed and installed without consideration for the needs of local communities past and through which it is passing,

but that is not the case with the cable currently being laid.

“This is much more a collaborative effort versus kind of engineering and designing in a box and then going out and building and not telling anybody,” Updenkelder said. “AWS in particular has done a very good job of engaging the community and engaging other folks and allowing us to reach out to other folks about access to the backhaul cable.”

Astound has been in contact with the state of Oregon, Tillamook People’s Utility District, Tillamook Lightwave and the Oregon Department of Transportation and is working to increase internet access for underserved communities along the route. Tillamook Lightwave will own a percentage of the cable’s fibers in exchange for granting the right of ways for its route.

Work on laying the backhaul cable began last year in south county, progressing north along Highway 101. This summer, multiple crews have been working on various sections of cable at different locations on Highway 6, with Updenkelder estimating that work was complete through milepost eight or nine with other portions in progress elsewhere.

Astound is working with Verizon to determine the location of the strategic tie points for their towers, which must be installed as the cable is laid. Updenkelder said that the cable will be operational by quarter one of 2024 and

that connecting Verizon’s towers at the predetermined tie points will not disrupt service for other users.

Once the cable is laid and data is available, the focus will shift to Verizon tackling the logistical challenges of siting, building and powering cell towers in the imposing coastal range forest.

The project has been funded internally and Verizon is currently working on designing its coverage strategy for the corridor. Leupp said that a decision on the number and location of towers has not been reached, but that a mix of macro towers and small cells would be needed to address the challenging topography. In the past, officials from Tillamook County have estimated that covering the 39-mile, unserved stretch of road would take six or seven towers.

Leupp said the project represents the company’s commitment to adding service for high traffic and high crash areas and addressing digital equity issues.

“We look at the digital divide and digital equity issues as: This is not a rural problem, it’s not an urban problem, it’s an American problem. We have to deal with this wherever it is,” Leupp said.

Verizon plans to offer 5G service for its customers on the route and the macro towers are capable of supporting colocation of services for other carriers.

Service will function for emergency calls, regardless carrier, finally allowing drivers to contact emergency services on the sometimestreacherous road.

Astound is also working with the Oregon Department of Transportation on plans to add a trip check camera at the summit of Highway 6, to allow drivers to check conditions in real time.

The Groovy Greek brings fresh, Greek food goodness to Nehalem

By CHELSEA YARNELL Guest Contributor

Rockaway Beach

resident Genny Behar

once searched online for the nearest Greek food. She discovered that the closest option was more than an hour away.

“My family is part Greek on my dad’s side. We grew up always having Greek food at all of our family gatherings,” Behar said. “When I moved out here a couple of years ago, there was no Greek food to be had.”

In the Greek food desert, Behar began making it herself. Then she got the idea to bring her creations to other people.

“I really wanted to slow down and create something I had control over and am happy doing,” she said.

On March 31 of this year, Behar opened The Groovy Greek food truck in Nehalem serving up some of her favorite Greek dishes; each prepared fresh and madefrom-scratch.

“I wanted to keep it small and cook things that I also enjoy,” she said. “I love that it’s all fresh, nothing comes from a package. I put my heart and soul into it; fresh food made with love.”

Gyros, chicken pitas, chicken skewers, and the very popular double fried fries are just some of the items on the menu.

“I cut each potato by hand,” said Behar. “They’re crisp and prepared fresh every day.”

And the hummus and

Genny Behar (right), owner of The Groovy Greek food truck, poses with her mother, Ellen Behar (left), who is the face of the business and operates the cash register at the truck’s walk-up window.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE GROOVY GREEK

Bonamici visits Port of Garibaldi

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Saindon and Commissioners Val Folkema and Bob Browning shared information about the port’s operations and hurdles to its continued development with Bonamici and gave her a brief tour of the port’s facilities.

The meeting and tour marked Bonamici’s first visit to the Port of Garibaldi after Tillamook County was added to the congresswoman’s district in the most recent redistricting cycle.

Bonamici, who cochairs the Oceans Caucus, said that she had been happy to have Tillamook County added to her district and looked forward to working with the port.

Saindon began the visit by briefing Bonamici in the port’s office. He said that the most important concern for the port is the completion of rehabilitation work on the south jetty at the entrance to Tillamook Bay.

Saindon said that the unique water flow patterns in the Pacific Ocean off the northwestern coast led to a need for jetties at harbor entrances that was not present elsewhere in the United States. Tillamook Bay’s north jetty was constructed in 1914, while the south jetty’s construction was

delayed by a lack of local matching funding until 1969, with completion coming in 1979.

It is important for the jetties to be of the same length, Saindon said, to create a selfscouring effect in the channel created between the two and prevent sediment from building up at the entrance. Currently, the south jetty is failing and the last 300 feet are underwater, reducing the effect and increasing the hazard of navigating the channel.

Congress appropriated $62 million for work on the south jetty in the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act in 2022 to match repairs completed on the north jetty in 2010. However, bureaucratic issues at the Army Corps of Engineers have delayed the project’s expected start date from this summer to 2024.

The navigational issues currently being created by the jetty’s disrepair are leading fishermen hailing from other ports with full boats not to enter Tillamook Bay, opting instead to transport their catch to Astoria or Newport, according to Saindon. He said that this was costing the port potential revenue and even made ac-

cess challenging for the local fleet at times.

Bonamici said that she appreciated the importance of the issue and the information that Saindon shared with her and that she would help in whatever way she could.

Saindon then detailed other infrastructure needs at the port, saying that he had a list of between $25 and $30 million in needed work.

Most pressing among these is repairing the port’s aging seawall foundation, which has forced half of the port’s commercial facilities to close due to noncompliance with seismic codes.

Saindon said that the port would also like to build an additional seawall at the entrance to the Miami River to direct sediment away from the port and into the channel to the ocean.

Securing grant funding for these projects is challenging for the Port of Garibaldi, which competes with larger, fully commercial ports, according to Saindon.

Saindon said that while other ports might have larger volumes, the family-wage jobs that the Port of Garibaldi provides are critical to the community. He also noted that Garibaldi’s fleet had a younger average age

than most.

Bonamici said that she understood the port’s importance and the need to focus on all types of infrastructure development and that she and her staff would work to support the port on those projects. Saindon then took Bonamici on a tour of the port’s facilities, with the first stop coming at Oregon Seaweed’s grow tanks. There, Oregon Seaweed President and COO Jason Busch showed the congresswoman the red seaweed that his company produces at the port.

Oregon Seaweed began operations in Bandon seven years ago, recently expanding to Garibaldi, and according to Busch, they are the largest land-based seaweed farm in the United States. The seaweed they grow is high in protein, and Busch said that he hopes to see it used in meat-substitute products in the future.

The tour continued with a visit to Tillamook Bay Seafoods’ warehouse, where Bonamici met with owner Jeremy Coon. The warehouse stands in sharp contrast to the row of buildings that have been left abandoned due to the seawall’s disrepair next to which it sits.

Tillamook Bay Seafoods sells bait and ice to boats at the port and operates several of their own while also purchasing and processing seafood. According to Coon, the 2023 season has been highly successful in Garibaldi, with more than two million pounds of Dungeness Crab harvested, more than twice the average mark. He also echoed Saindon’s concerns about the south jetty, noting that boats were trapped in the port when swells were nine feet and larger.

Bonamici’s visit concluded with a brief, visual inspection of the failing seawall and a visit to the Tillamook Estuaries Partnership, which is headquartered at the port. Bonamici told all with whom she visited that she would be returning to the port in the future and looked forward to working to increase its positive economic impacts on the community

WILL CHAPPELL Citizen Editor

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici

visited the port of Garibaldi on July 24, meeting with Port Manager Mike Saindon, two port commissioners and port tenants.

Congresswoman Suzanne Bonamici and Port of Garibaldi Manager Mike Saindon inspect the failing seawall upon which much of the port is built.

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HOTEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

were not a park, as they used no objective standard to make that determination. He also pointed to a traffic study commissioned by the applicant and completed with the involvement of city staff, that showed the project would not have an unacceptable impact on traffic.

Opposition to the application was led by the Oregon Coast Alliance and joined by a handful of residents.

These opponents said that the hotel would have an impact on traffic in the area and that they did not want to see the development in a residential neighborhood. When the hearing resumed on the 28th, councilors began their deliberations. Only Council President Linda Koslowski and Councilor Jerry Spegman participated in the deliberations process, as both Mayor Deb Simmons

and Councilor Brad Mayerle recused themselves from the proceedings due to their participation in public meetings opposing the project prior to their elections.

However, with the recent resignation of Councilor Jenna Edginton, Mayerle and Simmons were called on to vote on the application because of the need for a threevote majority on a decision.

The city’s counsel explained

that this step was allowed for under Oregon’s “rule of necessity,” which permits recused officials to vote on matters when their vote is needed to reach a decision.

As discussions began between Koslowski and Spegman, it became clear that they tended to agree with the planning commission’s findings that the hotel rooms qualified as dwelling units. They were similarly skeptical that the proposed configuration would meet the 40% park or golf course requirement. At that point, the proj-

ect’s developer, Vito Cerelli, volunteered that he would be willing to reduce the number of rooms in the development to 25 to avoid triggering the park requirement for increased density. The city’s attorney said that the city could accept this proposal and approve the application with the condition that it be built with a similar layout but a complying number of units.

Councilors voted to approve the application with 24 units, a number which Cerelli accepted. They also overturned the planning commis-

YAMAMOTO CONTINUED FROM PAGE A1

sioners Mary Faith Bell and Erin Skaar but will not vote on his replacement. Bell and Skaar will need to agree on the decision.

“Although I will not have a vote in the process, I look forward to sharing my opinions with the other commissioners prior to a vote,” Yamamoto said. “It is my hope that my replacement will be a strong voice for Tillamook County’s robust natural resource-based economy.”

Once his replacement has been selected, Yamamoto said that he will spend a month helping smooth that person’s transition to the role. Yamamoto told the Herald that he then plans to focus on spending time with his family and travelling in his retirement.

The board of commissioners finished the short-term rental regulation revision process at the meeting as well, approving a cap on the number of new licenses that will be available when their availability reopens on September 1.

Commissioners agreed to allow a 1% increase in the number of licenses available over the extant number of licenses before the institution of a pause on license issuance last July. They will also include in the existing number properties that were under construction when the pause was implemented and whose owners joined a waitlist for licenses in July.

The 1% increase will be applied to each individual community across the county and allow for 71 new licenses in total.

The 1% cap will serve as an interim limit while Director of Community Development Sarah Absher holds meetings in each of the communities over the next year to determine locally appropriate caps. Absher told the commissioners that she will start that process soon in the communities of Oceanside, Cape Meares and

sion’s finding that the project would add too much traffic to the area.

Spegman and Koslowski both said that they appreciated the commission’s work but that no additional evidence about traffic impacts had been presented since the LUBA remand, leaving them to rely on the applicant’s study. They also noted that they had agreed with the commission’s determination on the parks question but that the applicant’s voluntary unit reduction had rendered the question moot.

Barview/Watseco. Commissioners also recognized Hangar B at the Port of Tillamook Bay as an official historic landmark in Tillamook County. The hangar was built in 1943, serving as a base for blimps patrolling the pacific coast from northern California to the Strait of Juan de Fuca during World War II. Today, it is the last World War II blimp hangar that is accessible to the public, housing the Tillamook Air Museum. It also provides storage space for locals and houses a lumber mill. The hangar is over 1,000 feet long, 300 feet wide and 200 feet high, and its roof would cover 12 acres if flattened.

The resolution to proclaim the hangar a county historic landmark was brought forward by the Friends of Tillamook Air Museum, which is working to restore the hangar. Currently, the hangar’s roof needs extensive repairs, estimated to cost around $2 million.

Friends of Tillamook Air Museum are focused on addressing that project through a campaign to save Hangar B, with a fundraising event on the August 19, celebrating the Hangar’s 80th birthday.

GROOVY GREEK CONTINUED FROM PAGE A3

tzatziki sauce are Behar’s own recipes.

“I think you can taste the love,” she said. “Every day that I’m open it’s like having a birthday party and inviting people to come and eat my food. It’s vulnerable because it feels like a piece of me.”

Since opening, Behar said the community support has been overwhelming.

“It’s incredible. Everyone has been super friendly and generous,” she said. “It’s been heartwarming.”

While operating as a mostly one-woman show, Behar does bring in some family to help.

“My mom [Ellen] is the cashier. She’s the face of the business and my dad [Art] is back there cooking fries with me. They’ve been putting in so much work because of the overwhelming response that I got. They here for me and the business.”

After ordering at the window, customers can find a seat at the picnic tables under the colorful umbrellas and enjoy the hippie-inspired ambience.

“I really like the [groovy] aesthetic,” Behar said. “I grew up with that kind of music and want my place to be an inviting and relaxing vibe. Plus, I like to wear tie-dye.”

Operating mostly on the weekends, customers are encouraged to follow The Groovy Greek on Facebook and Instagram for posts about updated hours and menu offers.

Located at 35995 N Hwy 101, Nehalem behind North Coast Pinball “at the flashing four-way light.” Additional information can also be found at theGroovyGreek. com.