The residents mostly consist of retirees that have settled down due to love of the area, long time families since this cities construction and those of the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians.

The majority of work in this area is based in the service industry of which I am a part. I cook for the tourists and locals in the area, providing hot meals to many.

The coast is a relatively temperate area, so any amount of snow is unprecedented at minimum. This storm however, saw the aftermath stick around for at least 2 weeks and was initially over 8 inches of snow in my area alone, only a quarter mile from the ocean.

A few casual conversations with the locals pinpointed this as the first storm of its kind in 15 years, and the climate here has generally changed a lot as well, having the area lose its stability.

Settlers were allowed in due to the Dawes act of 1877 and rapidly changed the area.

This group also currently influences the local area, with their Chinook Winds Casino and the cultural center in Siletz.

The antique floats inspired locals to build the glass blowing industry here and now there are even free classes for glass blowing and a program called 'Finders Keepers' in which floats are made here and periodically hidden on the beach for whoever to find them.

This had led to heightened community interaction and an adoption of glass floats as one of the symbols of Lincoln City.

Seasonal staff are a lynchpin for the summer tourism community, and the J-1 Work Visa program is offered to countries partnered with the united states in order to gain a force of labor while simultaneously offering astronomically higher wages to people from countries who make less annually.

I have personally met some of these people who have obtained work visas and one summer worth of hard work in America can be enough for them to live for several years in their home country depending on where they live.

The influx of people from different countries through the J-1 Visa program has influenced primarily those who visit and even motivated some of them to obtain citizenship in the future, integrating into Lincoln County.

This act terminated all governmental connections and recognitions of 61 different tribes in Oregon. This included note only the confederated tribes of Siletz Indians, but also the confederated tribes of Grande Ronde and several others.

This oppression has encouraged the fight for change in the local communities over the years, and as of last year 58 of those tribes have had their previous status restored.

This economic program was adopted earlier this year and looks to support older members and a reintegration of lost professions to provide revenue for the social programs and education for younger members for a return to their roots and enrich the local area with how knowledge of history and customs.

This diversifies the area and keeps traditions alive and well.

Many residents have rejected this plan and caused the issue to be raised at townhall within the last few weeks as there are several job listings for the yet to exist facility.

This has caused an increase in reform in our justice system among coastal residents, increasing awareness and community engagement to protect effected individuals.

Since the pandemic, rates of academic excellence in this county has dropped even lower than State averages.

This is due to factors like teachers unwilling to work out in this area, and loss of funds due to future predictions of class sizes. (https://www.newportnewstimes.com/news/lcsd-expected-to-lose-1-47m-following-student-population-decline/article_b33e9493-6bdd-4231-a31c-10683ee745c9.html)

A drop in proficiency is a direct result of the institution of education failing the youth and this effect broader society when they enter the workforce.

They brought in the most experienced hunters and worked alongside scientists.

This rekindled past practices and paves a path for normalcy, restoring a part of their culture and providing future generations with an example of them.

They used Prayer during the practice for the whale and the act, which marked a historic restoration for the group, and renewed community cohesion.

Federal government verreach has caused local residents to mobilize and many of them are out there in the afternoon, rain or shine to this day.

The No Kings movement has created a resilient environment among the local community, as many of the actions of congress harm benefits, and many residents are older or poor and rely on such programs for survival, especially in expensive coastal neighborhoods.

This movement has drastically changed discourse within the town, and brought hope and positivity to the community.

Economy: Capitalism is the driving force of what has inspired Lincoln Cities growth. Starting as a fishing town it was not initially this way, but over time, the scenic views of the ocean drove tourism and consumerism to its peak and has effected this town in recent years. The building of one of only two outlet malls on the Oregon coast was done here in Lincoln City. Commodification of housing is quite high as well, there are around 7,000 housing units in Lincoln city with 1,226 of them being registered as AirBnb's which are effectively vacation rentals, not to mention the sheer amount of second homes.

Health, Safety, and the State: Lincoln City is a difficult place to get medical care and there is significant outsourcing of care. Recent presence of Immigration and Customs Enforcement within Lincoln City and news of an ICE facility, possibly being constructed in Newport, have brought unease and tension into the community.

Social Movements: Recent protests and community vocalization of needs from the federal and state governments have led to a changing attitude, especially within the last year, as many people move against government overreach and towards protecting the community.

This has led to investments like the Lincoln City Outlet Mall pictured above. Which is one of only 2 Outlet Malls on the Oregon Coast. This kind of establishment is touted as bringing business and jobs, which is true. However, these jobs are mostly menial, low wage, and do not contribute much to the community at large, disconnecting people from each other within the community and continuing a culture based on commodity consumption, instead of trying to create more industries and jobs that center on the beauty and nature on the Oregon coast.

Being a tourist destination, this area is also quite far from supply chains. This in turn also increases prices for goods, and the local establishments that pursue profit, set very high prices for everything, especially for food and housing, contributing to a 14% Poverty rating as of 2023. (https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/4142600).

Much of the housing in Lincoln City has been overly commoditized beyond that of the usual town. Prices are absurdly high for even the cheapest places to rent and a large portion of the homes are vacation rentals or second homes for older individuals. This has made basic function difficult within the city, as we have many poorer residents that contribute to the economy via service sector work and often times multiple jobs (https://www.airdna.co/vacation-rental-data/app/us/oregon/lincoln-city/overview).

The economy has simultaneously provided a place to live and work in, while also pricing out the same people that have helped build it up.

On the Health side, there is very little care to be had. There is a single hospital with any specialties or specific needs having to be outsourced, either to Newport, or into the valley, in Salem and Corvallis. The average age of this community is about 50 according to census data (https://datacommons.org/place/geoId/4142600). Due to the older general age of residents, they are going to need more frequent and specialized care.

When focusing on the State, the above video is incredibly important. There is talk of an Immigrations and Customs Enforcement facility being built in Newport in Lincoln County, which the above is testimony of an individual telling their story with ICE in Washington. Our community in Newport and Lincoln City are incredibly disturbed over this fact. We are staunchly protective of the people that live in this area. And in Newport and here recently, ICE has tried to and succeeded in some cases, to detain individuals. This behavior has a very negative impact on people in the Lincoln County community. ICE has actively intruded into other communities in Oregon, creating problems and displacing friends and family.

This deeply effects the minority communities like the 14% Hispanic population of Lincoln City as they must change how they interact with community. They have to be more wary, and possibly stop contributing to the local economy in an attempt to protect themselves. The Presence of ICE causes this destabilization for the broader communities and the poorer people within said community.

The above article is on a very small anti-genocide protest that happened in August of Last year. This protest was small in size and support and in the article it is noted that feedback from the event is largely negative and dismissive of the concerns of the protesters interviewed.

However, in the No Kings Protest which I noted in my reflection of Chapter 10, was hundreds strong. Individuals that claimed to agree with government previously showed up in mass and actively showed resistance towards the current administration. This has changed general interactions within the city to be more conscious of government overreach. Not only that, there are now differing opinions on the issues brought fourth by the anti-genocide protest instead of negative backlash.

This means that social movements have made an effect on the common resident and is shifting the needle within Lincoln City, moving us to be more informed and empathetic as a people.