Welcome to Manzanita Connections
Neighborly news about Manzanita, Nehalem and Wheeler
Welcome to Manzanita Connections, a newsletter that aims to connect residents and visitors of Manzanita, Nehalem, Wheeler and surrounding areas with each other and the community.
My goal for Manzanita Connections is to share the coffee-shop or sidewalk talk. Think useful bits of info whether you’re a long-time or part-time resident, recently moved here or you’re just visiting. I also want to help tell the stories about the people who make up our community and the stories that connect us.
About Me
First, I’d like to share a little about me. My name is Angie Hatfield. I grew up in Eugene, Oregon – and after spending 17 years in Arizona followed by 18 years in the suburbs east of Seattle – I happily returned to Oregon in September 2022 as a full-time, semi-retired resident of Manzanita. My love of the coast began in my childhood years with numerous drives up and down the 101 in a station wagon and Caveman camper. Over the past 20 years, we’ve spent many a summer weekend in Seaside, but we’d always driven right past Manzanita. One fateful day my husband Ted and I made that turn into town and haven’t looked back! Manzanita has a sense of community that not all beach towns have. Along with enjoying the beach and our “secret” sunny days, I spend my time volunteering at the library, doing some freelance public relations work, and chatting it up with anyone who will listen. I spend sometimes what seems like an insane amount of time in the kitchen cooking and baking. Basically, I’m always thinking about food and love to talk about food, as you can see on my kitchenistics blog.
When I moved here, I found that the best way to engage was to get out and walk around and say hello to people and ask questions. I also started following small businesses on Instagram to know what was going on. However, I felt like there wasn’t one single place to go for daily information and everything I wanted to know. The monthly Manzanita Today newsletter is great for civic information such as town budget, finances, housing, land use, public safety and interesting local history. North Coast BBQ is the place to go for selling/buying goods and services and general announcements and various miscellaneous information – submitted by community members themselves. And while many businesses share daily info on social media, not everybody uses social media.
The Power of Connection
This led me to starting this newsletter that is more about daily life in the Nehalem Bay area and current happenings and resources, along with the stories about the people and businesses who make up this community. Basically, the information that you’d ask your neighbor or hear on the sidewalk. I decided on the name Manzanita Connections because don’t we all want to be connected? Being connected to our neighborhood and small town is good for our health and happiness. However, the content won’t be just Manzanita. My intent is to include what’s going on in Nehalem and Wheeler, and sometimes beyond. I thrive on knowing what’s going on in the community and I love that I rarely leave my house without running into someone I know. It’s these little daily connections that spark joy and keep me feeling engaged.
You may have heard of the term “blue zones” – places where people live longer, happier lives because they’re surrounded by strong relationships and support – and they know their neighbors. One thing that blue zones have in common is social contacts and a community of upbeat people with positive attitudes – which is hard not to have living at the beach! In fact, results from the 2023 Gallup National Health and Well-Being Index tell us that liking where you live and saying hello to your neighbor raises your well-being.
Please Subscribe
In the spirit of knowing your neighbor, I hope you will subscribe to my newsletter! To start out, this will be a free bi-weekly subscription-based newsletter that will hit your email box every other Tuesday. Past newsletters will live on the website, and I expect the content will evolve over time.
Whether you own a business, are a long-time resident, recently moved here, have a second home here, visit Manzanita regularly or cherish the limited time you do spend here … please subscribe! Subscriptions are free, and you can also upgrade to a paid subscription to help show your support for the newsletter.
Send me your ideas and information
I need your help! I welcome any tips on what to include and appreciate your input. Are you a business owner changing hours or menu items? Hired a friendly new face? Having a sales promotion, event or other news to share? Is your group or organization looking for volunteers?
Are you organizing a community event and need help spreading the word? Or maybe you have a great photo to share, a friendly neighborly tip, or want to suggest someone in the community to spotlight.
I welcome your input and rely heavily on reader and community input. Please email me at angieshatfield@gmail.com with your news, tips and ideas and I’ll try to include in a future newsletter.
I hope you will keep reading and please say hello if our paths cross on the beach or on the sidewalk!
Angie