Community Spirit on Display at McKenzie Chamber Meeting

VIDA: A wide range of community organizations, nonprofits, and local businesses came together April 22 under the umbrella of the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce, offering a snapshot of ongoing efforts to strengthen business and residential interactions within the McKenzie River Valley.

The meeting functioned as both a progress report and a networking forum, with presenters highlighting initiatives spanning education, housing, tourism, economic development, and community services.

Elaine Bryson spoke about the McKenzie Education Foundation, a group that funds hands-on classroom projects-from garden programs with chicken incubators to yearbook photography equipment-while also sponsoring early childhood literacy through the Dolly Parton Imagination Library, currently serving more than 20 local families.

The foundation is now working to raise $10,000 to sustain future projects and expand partnerships, including a storytelling collaboration aimed at preserving experiences from the Holiday Farm Fire.

On the business front, Erika Kappel emphasized the role small businesses, like Walterville’s McKenzie Feed and Tackle, play in maintaining community connections. With seven local employees, she said, the store has positioned itself as more than a retail outlet by hosting seasonal events, supporting local vendors, and offering products tailored to rural lifestyles.

Other business updates included the news that the new owners of the McKenzie River Rock Quarry in Rainbow have taken a closer look at their resource. They’ve realized light gray rock that was previously looked on as a source for gravel or crushed stone has the potential to tap into a more valuable market for sculptures, countertops or monuments.

Vida Library Expands Its Reach

Both the O’Brien Memorial and Leaburg libraries shared their evolution from a modest, unheated beginnings into a thriving community hubs. Both have launched initiatives including Artists in Residence program featuring monthly exhibit-and a growing slate of educational offerings.

Among them is the weekly “Write Your Life” workshop, encouraging residents to document personal histories, as well as a summer youth program in partnership with the University of Oregon’s Museum of Natural and Cultural History.

And the site where the meeting was held-the McKenzie Community Center has benefitted from rising participation across its programs, particularly its senior services, which have seen attendance triple in recent months. Representing the center, Shelly Pruitt said the facility now hosts weekly and monthly activities ranging from fitness classes to social events.

In his update on the Bottle Boys, Walter Willson had some thing impressive to report. The volunteer-driven recycling initiative, he said, has returned $158,000 to the community through its bottle and can collection efforts. Operating without a physical facility, the group relies on donated space and community participation to fund local projects, he said.

Addressing one of the valley’s most pressing challenges, McKenzie Community Land Trust executive director Tabitha Eck detailed progress on affordable housing. Six homes have been completed in Blue River, she said, with additional construction planned following a recent $1.7 million state funding allocation.

The homes are designed to remain permanently affordable through a land trust model. By separating land ownership from homeownership, she said the program is designed to ensure long-term community benefits.

Carol Tannebaum, the McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce treasurer, reported the organization is managing approximately $54,000 in transient lodging tax revenue, which supports tourism initiatives such as the annual Holiday Lights program. The Chamber’s monthly tourism committee continues to seek input on how best to attract visitors while supporting local businesses, she said.

The session concluded with a discussion of the “60 Mile Main Street” initiative, a regional effort to foster collaboration across communities from Cedar Flat through McKenzie Bridge. Organizers emphasized that the program extends beyond chamber membership, inviting broad participation in shaping the valley’s future.

Taken together, the presentations underscored a central theme: recovery in the McKenzie Valley is being driven not by any single effort, but by a network of interconnected organizations working toward shared goals of resilience, economic vitality, and community connections.