A prospective buyer from California recently asked: "What kind of town is Port Orford?" I spoke about the natural beauty of the area then explained that in my opinion the people in Port Orford are its greatest strength. I shared with him my own experience about how open and accepting the community was when my wife and I arrived back in 2005 and how supportive our new friends and neighbors were when my wife needed major surgery to restore her to good health. Then I shared my sense of our community's spirit and our community's sense of place, He decided he needed to experience Port Orford first hand and is scheduling a visit in the next few weeks.
After our conversation I reflected on Port Orford and came up with the following list of strengths which I have discussed individually in previous blogs. Port Orford is:
- Unpretentious small town atmosphere with a strong sense of community
- Natural beauty of ocean, beaches, coastal forests, rivers & deep water ocean port
- Recreational activities - fishing, birding, surfing, scuba diving, kayaking, horseback riding, hiking, & photograpy
- Galleries that promote local artists, craftsman, & writers
- Theatre 101 at the Seaside Plaza for plays, musicals, bands, & musicians
- Savoy movie theater for first run movies and an occassional oldie but goodie
- Locally owned businesses - no fast food restaurants or chain stores
- State and City Parks including one with an arena for giving your horse a workout.
- State and Private campgrounds & RV Parks including a State campground on the beach for horseback riding
- Sense of history - geological, biological, and cultural - indigenous & immigrant
- Sense of our heritage - tribal, pioneer, mining, timber, & fishing
- Sense of time - slower coastal pace, seasonal changes, & migratory movements of whales & birds
- Active/engaged retirees with talents & financial assets
- Local schools & community organizations that enjoy high levels of community support
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