As we turn the calendar to 2025, various websites and news organizations publish their annual prediction columns. I’ve never been one to dive into this realm either from a reading or writing standpoint. But I’ll give it a shot here if for no other reason than entertainment purposes.
On a national scale, a fair amount of doom and gloom seems to be hanging in the air. For this exercise, I’m keeping predictions in a positive light. And to be honest, I’m not even sure if I should call these predictions — it’s probably more accurate to call them observations.
1. Christopher McMorran will shine as the new mayor. I’m not going out on a limb much with this prediction. I’ve known Christopher since he was a teenager and have a pretty good idea of what drives this young man. He’s truly focused on trying to do what’s best for Philomath — just have a few conversations with him and you’ll understand. Now you could say that some of that talk is just a politician saying what people want to hear but I do think it goes much deeper. He won’t be perfect at everything that comes his way and we won’t agree with him on every decision. But he loves Philomath. Say hi to him — he’s very visible in the community.
2. With the streetscapes project wrapped up — well, there are still finishing touches yet to come — we should start seeing a few new businesses here and there. There are some spots in the downtown vicinity that should be attractive to potential entrepreneurs. The downtown that I envision is one where people passing through town will want to pull over and walk around to explore — for example, an ice cream shop or a cool bookstore. Perhaps it’s too aggressive to think much will happen there in 2025, though, with this sort of development being something to occur over a number of years.
3. The city will continue to see progress on various projects. It seems as though the water treatment plant upgrade has been ongoing for years. I guess you could say that it has but it should be getting to the point where we’re going to finally see the new facility constructed in 2025. The city worked through its new water reservoir issues with that part of the picture nearly complete and I believe bids on the new plant and related work will go out by the end of this month. Other projects should also see progress with more downtown work, perhaps a gazebo in the new veterans park and a renovated City Hall. At some point this year, the city will probably start talking about changes to Triangle Park over on College Street and North Seventh, although the actual work is probably not happening at least until 2026. It will also be interesting to see what happens with the library redesign.
4. The school district will continue to see an upward trend when it comes to attendance. I know this has been a focus area with such a strong connection between regular attendance and academic success. It’s been an issue not only locally but across the state. The superintendent and her administrative team keep this topic at the forefront. As a matter of fact, as the parent of a first grader, the school newsletter we receive routinely includes attendance rate information on each teacher’s classroom. With this much attention on the issue at hand, I have to believe the district will see positive results.
5. Philomath High sports will see more success on a statewide level in 2025. I hesitate to write much about this type of prediction because I don’t want high school-age athletes to feel any pressure that they are expected to win. But it’s a fact that PHS has some pretty good athletes and teams that can compete with the best that 4A has to offer. Girls basketball, track and field and cross-country come immediately to mind and several other programs just seem to reload year after year. I believe several of these teams are in a good place to put competitive teams on the field, pitch, court, course, pool or whatever.
That’s what I’ve come up with and there are a few others that I hope to see — I’m just not sure if we’ll see it. For example, will the Millpond housing development continue forward with significant progress? Will that park ever happen? Will the second phase be completed in 2025? A few other projects in town spark the same types of questions (the RV park on North 19th comes to mind).
Whatever happens over the next 12 months, let’s hope we have a lot of positive news.
2. Yaquina Bay Lighthouse restoration
This isn’t exactly a Philomath story but many of us enjoy the coast with Newport less than an hour down the highway. A few weeks ago, I received a news release from Oregon Parks and Recreation that restoration work on the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is happening.
Built in 1871, the Yaquina Bay Lighthouse is believed to be the oldest structure in Newport and the only existing lighthouse with living quarters attached. It is also the only historic wooden Oregon lighthouse still standing.
Parks and Rec says the lighthouse will be closed for the project from now until June but the park will remain open. The $1.6 million project includes repair work to the framing and chimneys, brick foundation, lantern, siding, doors and windows along with the installation of a new roof and an exterior paint job.
3. Parking cost at state parks goes up
While we’re on the subject of state parks, another piece of news coming out of the agency involves the parking fee increases at 25 sites. Beginning this week, the day-use parking fee increased from $5 to $10 per day. It’s the first parking fee increase in more than 15 years.
There are actually more than 250 sites in the Oregon State Parks system with only 25 requiring a day-use parking permit. The agency said it uses the money to help pay for operations and maintenance. Increases in reservation and camping fees also went up to keep pace with rising costs, Oregon Parks and Rec said.
Parking fees are waived on the day after Thanksgiving, New Year’s Day and Oregon State Parks Day, which falls on the first Saturday in June.
State parks closest to Philomath that have day-use parking fees include Willamette Mission State Park north of Salem (56 miles from Philomath), Silver Falls State Park (57 miles), Jasper State Recreation Site (58 miles) and Winberry Day-Use Area (70 miles) in the Pleasant Hill area, Mongold Day-Use Area at Detroit Lake (76 miles) and the Heceta Head Lighthouse State Scenic Viewpoint (81 miles) and Jessie M. Honeyman State Park near Florence (88 miles).
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
