Please take a few minutes to complete our Aging with Grace Survey – COMMUNITY SURVEY CMCA Aging with Grace Project – Surveys due by July 10, 2025
Aging with Grace June 21, 2025
With Grant Award and CMCA Operating Funds- Conex Storage Box Installed
Cape Meares Community Association received large grant from Oregon Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness (OREM) for a fully equipped Conex Box!
Huge thanks to Miriam Fultz who was the lead for a grant writing team working with team members Kathy Burke, Pam Robenolt and Charles Ansorge.
After initially receiving a notice from the Oregon Resiliency and Emergency Preparedness (OREM) office in early April that a grant request would not be funded, the lead for Emergency Preparedness for Cape Meares, Kathy Burke, received a surprise call from the OREM informing her that one of the items in our grant request had been funded. The award was for $98,749 for a fully equipped Conex box ($38,150 for the box and $60,599 for the contents).
In June 2025 the Conex box and contents were received and installed in a secured fenced area at the Oceanside Water District -Cape Meares water treatment plant.
The box has an electrical connection for a heater, humidifier, and built-in lighting. The electronic gear includes the ability to communicate with all local GMRS devices, short-wave communication, HAM connection to the world, and StarLink for wi-fi. This is now a “hot spot” for the community if the internet is disrupted.
This electronic gear enables our community to create an Emergency Operations Command Center (EOCC) which includes a 30-day full power back-up system.
CMCA has an agreement with the Oceanside Water District to site the Conex box at the water treatment plant and our water reservoir. This site was chosen for the following reasons:
Location is one of the five designated Assembly Points by DOGAMI,
It is a secure fenced-in compound,
Site has 12 concrete piers installed that reach a depth of nearly 80 feet below the surface to provide stability to the property,
Potable water may be available from the reservoir following an earthquake and tsunami, and
Site is near a drop zone that drones or helicopters may be able to deliver emergency supplies safely.
In order to accept this award from OREM, CMCA in partnership with OWD obtained required permits, insurance, and electrical connections. The box becomes the property of CMCA two years from the time of delivery and installation.
July 4th Silent Auction
The Cape Meares Community Association (CMCA) is gearing up for our annual July 4th festivities — including a Silent Auction! The auction will take place on July 4th from 12:00 to 2:30 PM at the Barbara Bennett Community Center in Cape Meares, and everyone is welcome to attend.
Proceeds from the auction support the maintenance of the Barbara Bennett Community Center and the programs and services made available to our community. Thanks to the generous contributions of local businesses and individuals, we already have an exciting array of items lined up.
These include overnight stays in Astoria, Cape Meares, and the Columbia Gorge, as well as a variety of gourmet experiences, arts, crafts and furnishings handcrafted and contributed by the Cape Meares community.
We’re grateful to the many community businesses for their generous donations as well as the contributions from our Cape Meares Community. This year’s business contributors include Bay City Kitchen, Country Squire, De Garde Brewing, Jen’s Nails, Kristy Lombard, Les Schwab, Oceanside Surf Company, Pelican Brewing, Rosenberg’s, Salty Raven, SaraSotas Bakery, The Chamber of Commerce, Tillamook Creamery, Tora Sushi, and Werner’s.
In addition to local businesses, we’ve received beautiful original art, crafts, and ceramic donations from talented local artists such as Don Backman, Stacy Mason, Jenny Francis, Spike and Randy Klobas, Ann Quinn, Rajiv Paonaskar, Jim Cameron, Kim Freeman, Ted and Cass Mick, Ciel Downing, Ellen Steen, Bev Stein and Manon Veilleux.
We hope to see you all there!
Call to Cape Meares Artists
Second Annual Cape Meares Community Art Show
Planning is beginning for this year’s reprise event at the Barbara Bennett Community Center. If you do visual art of any kind—weaving, painting, drawing, fabric, sculpture, pottery, photography, collage—let the community see what you do. You don’t need to sell to participate, but you do need to be part of the Cape Meares community.
There will be an artists’ reception on Friday evening, August 29th from 4-6, the show and sale on Saturday, the 30th from 10-4, and pick-up, clean-up, and an artists’ sigh of relief meeting on Sunday, the 31st.
If you would like to display your art or volunteer to help, or if you just have questions, please send an email to cogons58913@mypacks.net before July 7th.
Artists, please include your contact information and medium, and plan to attend a planning meeting on Sunday, July 20, from 2-4 at the Community Center, where we will begin sorting out space needs and event coordination.
Beverly Stein Honored at Annual Meeting
The Community celebrated the contributions of the retiring CMCA President Beverly Stein and Board members Claudia Cameron, John Harland and Steve Quinn. The incoming 2025 CMCA Board was confirmed: Dave Audet (President), Stacy Mason (Secretary), Guy Kyle (Treasurer), Sean Kohles (Assistant Treasurer), Patti and Mike Smith (community center managers), Kathy Burke, Simone Goldfeder, Scott Gordon, Randy Klobas, Jim Cameron, and Steve Lewis.
Emergency Preparedness Grant Award
CMCA received a second grant from the Tillamook PUD for $4,540.21. The grant will pay for two medical shelters, 20 body bags for deceased survivors, 12 Duckbill tent anchors, 45 sleeping bags, and two radios (one GMRS, one ham). We will store the tents in our Third and Ninth Street emergency storage sheds. Thanks to Miriam Fultz and her team.
Cape Meares Community Recognized at Tillamook County Townhall Meeting
Beverly Stein accepted a flag flown over the Captial in recognition of the Cape Meares Community Association.
Excerpt of article by Romy Carver in the Tillamook Pioneer posted 2-25-2025 (Link to full article and photos and video by Don Backman)
The legislators spotlighted the work of the Cape Meares Community Association, which is working to secure and preserve the watershed “for the future drinking water of generations to come.” They are also nearly doubling the size of the Cape Meares Wildlife Refuge. Merkley presented the group with a flag which had been flown over the Capitol. The group’s spokesperson, Bev Stein, expressed worries about the “turmoil of the Trump/Musk administration” hindering the progress of the project, but stated, “We take comfort in knowing we have the full support of Senator Merkley and Congresswoman Bonamici. Their support and the determination and persistence of our ‘little community that could’ gives us optimism that we will succeed. And your activism and resistance to the chaos, cruelty and incompetence of the current administration gives us hope not only for our project but for similar worthy efforts throughout the state and nation.”
CMCA Board Support for Eelgrass Protection HB3580
CMCA Support for Eel Grass Protection Bill HB3580
If you are interested in learning about the importance of eelgrass protection, the Tillamook Bay Estuaries Partnership’s eelgrass expert, Flynn DeLaney, will present information and results of a study he has conducted focusing on eelgrass in Tillamook Bay. The presentation is open to the public, on Thursday, February 20 at 6:30PM, at a Coastal Conservation Association meeting, held at the ODFW field office located at 4907 Third Street in Tillamook.
Watershed Conservancy Project 2024 Award for Excellence in Community Stewardship
The Tillamook County Visitors Association recognized the Watershed Conservancy Project with the 2024 award for Excellence in Community Stewardship. CMCA President Beverly Stein represented the community at the February 2025 TCVA Awards banquet.
