Wheeler, the gem of the Oregon Coast
Wheeler on Nehalem Bay
The lovely little village of Wheeler lies at the edge of the Pacific on Nehalem Bay along Oregon’s spectacular north coast. Wheeler was born in the early 1900′s when a railroad link was completed connecting Portland to the timber-rich area surrounding the bay. The train delivered lumber as well as seafood to eager markets to the east.
The lumber mills and fish packing plants of Wheeler’s early decades are gone now….leaving a village of charming, historic buildings strung together on the edge of that beautiful bay as if they were displayed on a holiday mantle.
September sunset
Wheeler enjoys a wonderful “mini” climate and is often bathed in sunshine while surrounding coastal areas enjoy fog and mist. Natives call Wheeler “Pukalani” (hole in the sky) as the surrounding hills seem to protect Wheeler from the prevailing northwest wind and fog. Our sunsets can be some of the best in the world!
Wheeler has been called “the little town with the million-dollar view!”. It is a coastal refuge where people come to relax, refresh, and enjoy the scenic splendor of Oregon’s north coast. Wheeler is small enough to be peaceful and unhurried — yet big enough to offer the services and advantages of a tight-knit community. We are very proud of our sweet little town.
Welcome to Wheeler — for a visit …. or a lifetime!
Announcements
Clean-up Day Saturday May 18
City Council budget hearing June 18, 2013 at 7:00 p.m.
Serve your community! Apply to be a member of the Park Committee or Planning Commission
Welcome to glorious spring in Wheeler! As we all start getting out and about, a concern has been expressed to the Council about the speeds that people are driving up and down our city streets. I know it is easy to get rolling going down some of our hills, especially on Gregory Street, but please keep in mind that the speed limit is 25 mph and there are often people walking alongside the road, so please be mindful and keep it safe.
That said, on to the good part: most of you have probably already heard about the exciting opportunity that was presented to the City Council at their March meeting. The property owners of what most of us refer to as the “Scovell Property,” at the north end of town, presented a proposal that would allow the City to purchase the “upland” part of the property, next to Botts Marsh, through a grant from Oregon Parks and Recreation to establish a City Park. They also expressed a desire to work with the City and other agencies to secure funding to protect Botts Marsh itself. The City Council voted unanimously to move forward with the grant application. If we are awarded this grant it will be an amazing opportunity for Wheeler. As the County and State move forward with plans for the “Rails and Trails” project with Wheeler serving as the first stop along the coast (more on that next time), having a beautiful park for tourists to stop at will help realize our City Vision by creating a strong foundation from which to bolster economic development, while protecting our small town atmosphere and natural beauty and promoting environmentally friendly recreation.
The support for our park project has been overwhelming. When the grant application was submitted, letters of support accompanied it from 65+ community members, the County Commissioners, Senator Betsy Johnson, Representative Debbie Boone, all of the Tillamook County Mayors, and many others. So I just want to close by saying thank you to all of the staff, volunteers, supporting agencies, and our City Council for all of the hard work it took to get the application done and submitted. Fingers crossed…stay tuned.
Stevie S.Burden
Mayor, City of Wheeler
