The idea of turning a downtown block into a summertime gathering spot took a few more steps forward at a May 27 Philomath City Council special meeting where councilors dug into the details of “Fridays on 13th Street.”
The concept, championed by City Manager Chris Workman, would close a half-block of North 13th Street to vehicle traffic on Friday evenings, opening the space entirely to pedestrians. Workman framed it less as a cycling-and-wellness open streets program — the model common in larger cities — and more as an economic development and community-building effort.
“I believe Fridays on 13th Street will transform downtown Philomath into a welcoming gathering space where residents can reconnect with neighbors, support local business, and enjoy a relaxed evening close to home,” Workman told the council.
Much of the 42-minute discussion centered on how often to hold the event. Workman initially recommended every Friday in June, July and August — 13 events in all — while some community members had suggested once a month to limit impacts on the neighborhood. Several councilors landed in favor of a weekly rhythm, seeing consistency as key to building the program into part of Philomath’s identity.
“The routine of Fridays on 13th will become a part of who we are during the summer months,” Councilor Teresa Nielson said.
Councilor Rich Saalsaa suggested a later launch to allow time for promotion and Mayor Christopher McMorran agreed. The council ultimately decided upon a June 26 launch for a 10-week summer run.
The closure would run along North 13th between Main Street and the alley, the heart of downtown near Dizzy Hen, Dirt Road Brewing and other businesses. The arrangement removes eight parking spaces, but Citizens Bank has offered its lot for the event, adding 19 spaces. Public works would barricade the street each Friday afternoon. Hours are still being finalized, but Workman suggested something in the range of 5 to 9 p.m.
McMorran was careful to distinguish the low-key vision from a rowdier scene, saying it’s “not a proposal to do the Dirt Road block party every week.”
The council approved up to $1,000 in community support funds for the summer, along with a portable restroom on site.
Workman summed up his hopes for the program simply — that it becomes something Philomath is known for.
2. Spreading peace
A partnership between Philomath Rotary and the school district will bring peace poles to every school campus in town this fall, with one additional pole headed to Philomath Community Services as well.
Superintendent Susan Halliday shared the news at the May 21 School Board meeting, describing the project as another example of Rotary’s ongoing investment in local schools. Rotary purchased eight poles in total — six for school campuses, one for Philomath Community Services and one that has already been installed at Paul J. Cochran Veterans Memorial Park.
Each pole carries the message “May Peace Prevail on Earth” in multiple languages. Halliday said the poles share three in common — English, Spanish and an indigenous language drawn from what the Siletz Tribe provided. Each school then chose a fourth language — Arabic, Mandarin Chinese, German or Nepali, depending on the site. A fifth language will be added via a Braille plaque mounted on each pole, she added.
The poles were made by Mike Hewitt, a past president of the Port Orford Rotary Club. Halliday said she picked them up in Eugene last weekend, where they were still being constructed — the photo she shared with board members showed the tall white poles lined up and bearing their multilingual messages.
Installation is planned for fall, with Halliday noting the timing is intentional.
“We want our students involved and we want our students to be able to know the history and the purpose and intent,” she said.
The six school sites for installation of the poles include Blodgett Elementary, Clemens Primary, Philomath Elementary, Philomath Middle School, Philomath High and the building that houses both Philomath Academy and Philomath School District’s office.
Peace poles are a global symbol rooted in a movement that originated in Japan more than 50 years ago. An estimated 200,000 poles have been planted on every continent.
3. Kinetic creativity
Philomath’s own Team Glory will be back on the course when the 33rd annual Graand Kinetic Challenge rolls into Corvallis on July 18-19 — and this year, the Maxtivity-based team will hit the water.
The Graand Kinetic Challenge is exactly what it sounds like, and also nothing like what you’d expect. Human-powered kinetic art sculptures — imaginative, often elaborate, always costumed — race over land, sand, mud and the Willamette River in what organizers describe as a “see it to believe it” spectacle. The event was founded in 1993 as part of the original da Vinci Days Festival.
Team Glory is coming in with some momentum. Over Memorial Day weekend, the crew traveled to Humboldt County, California, for the Kinetic Grand Championship — billed as the “Triathlon of the Art World” — where they competed against 48 teams from across the country and brought home two awards — the Titan Award for largest vehicle and the Biggest Splash Award.
The team is led by Captain Rob Lorensen, retired engineer. According to a Maxtivity social media post about the appearance, Philomath resident Scott Ramsey, who owns Ram-Z Fab, contributed major upgrades to Team Glory before the race, including new brakes. Pilots, crew members and several other volunteers were also involved with the effort.
New at the Graand Kinetic Challenge this year is a collaboration with OSU’s STEM Research Center’s Corvallis Kaleidoscope, which expands the weekend into a broader community STEAM celebration with interactive exhibits, robotics, art activities and performances at OSU’s PRAx facility. Maxtivity is among the sponsors of Corvallis Kaleidoscope.
Race Director Stacey Newman Weldon — a Philomath resident herself — described the pairing as something of an organic relaunch of the da Vinci Days spirit in a new form.
(Brad Fuqua is publisher/editor of the Philomath News. He can be reached at News@PhilomathNews.com).
