TWST Content

On March 2nd I had the pleasure of joining Sally Yee on a Two-Way-Street Tour (TWST). The meeting was a collaboration between MMT and the Black United Fund of Oregon and was hosted at Portland Housing Center’s offices in Northeast Portland. (See the photo below of Michelle Puggarana, PHC’s Director of Homeownership Programs, standing in front of their fabulous mural.) 

Hi! This time, it's Sophia Aguinaga, Administrative Assistant with MMT, reporting about our Two Way Street Tour. Shortly after Brian and Sally's return from Forest Grove, Aaron Nelson, Technical Operations Manager, and I braved the rain and headed to meet Sally in Beaverton. Aaron and I weren't sure what to expect when we arrived. This was our first time accompanying Sally on a tour stop, and it was really exciting!

We will be holding three Two-Way Street Tour (TWST) community meetings in Washington County on Tuesday, February 28, and Wednesday, February 29, to provide advice about seeking grants from Meyer Memorial Trust and to collect information about the needs of nonprofits and communities in Washington County.

This afternoon at the C. Giles Hunt Memorial Library in Sutherlin, seven folks from Elkton, Oakland, and Roseburg asked me some great questions about Meyer Memorial Trust’s grant application and decision making process. We talked about how local support for a project is really important.

Program Officer Sally Yee reports on her meetings with representative from nonprofit organizations and other community members in Springfield and Oakridge this week. Check back for reports from other towns in Lane and Douglas counties.

We launched the final day of our TWST with a delightful lunch at Salem’s Wild Pear Restaurant. Lunch was delicious and pretty too. To top off our meal, Sally offered me my first taste of “real licorice”.

On Wednesday, we pointed Sally’s trusty green machine due south and headed toward Woodburn, the third stop on our TWST.  The ride was quick and uneventful; two good qualities for a drive in my opinion.

Today, I am traveling with Jill Fuglister, MMT's newest Program Officer, heading to The Gateway of Mt Hood - Sandy, OR.  Jill and I are hoping my little sedan doesn't get stuck in one of the snow berms created from the plowing of yesterday's snowstorm.

Maupin is the last stop on our Central Columbia Gorge TWST of Wasco and Sherman Counties.  About an hour drive south of The Dalles, located along both sides of the Deschutes River on Highway 197, this community of 490 residents strong has reinvented itself over the last few years.

Nestled amongst hills covered with wheat and wind turbines, Moro is the first stop of three communities we will visit on our Central Columbia Gorge TWST. Karissa Lowe, Grants Management Associate of our Grant Administration Department was able to join Sally on the first day of the TWST.

While the county may not have a large number of residents compared to urban areas, residents must cover vast distances and rely on a core group of dedicated leaders to keep services and nonprofits running.  But it’s worth the effort.  When asked to share some of the things they loved about living in Harney County, one participant wrote:“The glitter of frozen air on frozen sunny January afternoons, and the smell of air on a blistering August sage landscape.  We live in Paradise!”

The MMT TWST rolled into Lincoln City on Wednesday for a stop at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. Driving into town on Tuesday afternoon under mostly sunny skies offered amazing views of the coast and the Pacific. The ocean seem particularly active to this