As a relative newcomer to Lincoln City and a permanent resident in the Roads End neighborhood, I was a little surprised and honored to be asked to become a board member for REIA. However, when my neighbors Joe and Diana Hinton put my name forward, I accepted at once because I could see that here was a chance to actively support the community in which my wife Eileen and I had chosen to live.
As a new board member, I wanted to let you know a little bit more about myself in writing since Covid safety guidelines prevent us from meeting in person at the monthly REIA meetings. My original interest in joining REIA last year was to quickly get up to speed on issues important to Roads End residents and to get to know my neighbors as well. This is a uniquely beautiful area that I’ve already come to cherish and love.
We moved here about a year and a half ago from the Denver area with the intention of downsizing our lifestyle and starting our retirement. For 22 years I had worked as executive editor for a national trade magazine serving the commercial signage and graphics industry. Since both our children are now grown and living their own lives, we saw this as a good time for us to embark on a new adventure. Being a city-born nature lover (originally from Detroit Michigan), I find this coastal life to be new and invigorating.
Eileen and I enjoy frequent hiking in the area, and we are learning more and more about the biosphere adjacent to Roads End (Cascade Head Biosphere Reserve) and all the unique and beautiful elements that make up the Oregon coast. As an aside, I also am an amateur musician in that I play some acoustic guitar and a lot of harmonica (which I am willing to teach). And, when conditions allow, I’d love to jam with any Roads Enders who might share similar interests.
Finally, though I am still learning the ropes, I am impressed with the other board members’ level of professionalism, knowledge, and dedication to making Roads End an inclusive and safe neighborhood. Yes, there is a lot of work yet to do, and issues that need to be addressed, but I am confident that together we can help bring permanent residents, VRD owners and local government agencies together to make Roads End even better. I look forward to working with REIA members and the entire Roads End community.
--Ken Mergentime