About Me
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
What makes Yachats special to me
September. 5, 2020 by Max E Glenn
How I found and fell in love with Yachats:
My late wife, Marie Soward Green, spent her “growing up years” in Oregon.
I was from Oklahoma, where my grandparents were home-steaders in the 1893 “Cherokee Strip.” I was raised on a hard scrabble farm, with electricity but no indo
What makes Yachats special to me
September. 5, 2020 by Max E Glenn
How I found and fell in love with Yachats:
My late wife, Marie Soward Green, spent her “growing up years” in Oregon.
I was from Oklahoma, where my grandparents were home-steaders in the 1893 “Cherokee Strip.” I was raised on a hard scrabble farm, with electricity but no indoor plumbing.
Our careers were focused on helping the marginalized, low-income people and communities–Marie created the hunger program for Colorado and I worked with the “left out communities” in the 13-state Appalachian region.
In July 2000, we planned a camping trip on the Oregon Coast. As we planned for retirement, I wanted to see if Oregon was still Marie’s roots. While camping at Beachside State Park, we discovered, fell in love with and bought our retirement home in Yachats.
After arriving full-time from Anniston, Alabama, I sat for hours beside the ocean as through I was “drawn to it in a magical way.”
Two things immediately caught my attention: the magical draw of the ocean and the open, welcoming spirit of Yachatians.
I was allowed to be myself in ways I had never known.
I quickly learned that although I had been quite successful in my career, this meant nothing to my neighbors because they, too, retired from successful careers in many different fields and loving the natural environment, friendly spirit and desire to give back to a community we loved through volunteer service became the common ground.
A friend with interests in history and languages shared we me that in some ancient texts the meaning of Yachats was “where the healers gather.”
I came to realize that for me, the mysterious draw of the ocean must be the fact that my composition as a human is largely water and this element was connecting with the water surrounding me.
Built up tensions and stresses from a workaholic career began to melt away. This definition fit perfectly for me as the past melted away and I found myself in new ways!
Likewise, the accepting, welcoming spirit of Yachatians, allowed me to be myself and increased my self-confidence in ways unrealized before.
These new understandings propelled me into giving back to my new community.
The many concerns and skills acquired in community development for marginalized communities focused naturally on my new community and was what I could contribute.
I continue finding self-fulfillment listening to and finding help for the marginalized here, largely the workers who serve our tourism industry and young families with children.
Avenues for service include:
-- creating and administering two Facebook groups for Yachats: YACHATS FRIENDS, public group of over 7,800 persons who fell in love with Yachats & want to stay up with goings-on & YACHATS VILLAGE RESIDENTS, a private group of over 700 who are local residents,
-- the YYFAP (Yachats Youth & Families Activity Program) board,
--President of Community Relations Council for Angell Job Corp,
--Social Service Grant committee for Lincoln County,
--advocacy for affordable workforce housing,
-- and serving as President of the Yachats City Council.
My life in Yachats
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
Watch this YouTube video about my involvement with the beautiful town of Yachats and why it is definitely A Place to Love.
Watch the YouTube video about how I plan to continue helping Yachats if re-elected to the City Council.
Also, please take the time to view my presentation I gave regarding Human and Civil Rights Struggles in: Appalachi
Watch this YouTube video about my involvement with the beautiful town of Yachats and why it is definitely A Place to Love.
Watch the YouTube video about how I plan to continue helping Yachats if re-elected to the City Council.
Also, please take the time to view my presentation I gave regarding Human and Civil Rights Struggles in: Appalachia, school desegregation and the Farm Crisis of the 1980s.
Background:
· Managed ecumenical faith-based community service organizations for 30 years: 13-state Appalachian region; local Metropolitan area of Buffalo, New York; mult-state of Utah, SW Wyoming & Western Colorado and statewide in Oklahoma.
· Graduate level masters education in research and planning with focus on regions and local communities.
· Special training and certification to work with organizations and congregations in times of transition, as “Interim Leader” to create new visions and plans.
YACHATS, a special place like no other:
· My late wife Marie Green and I fell in love with Yachats in July 2000 while camping at Beachside State Park. Captured by the “spirit of Yachats” we were invited to the Yachats Music Festival at the Community Presbyterian Church where we quickly became first-name enthusiasts with artists performing in most top venues worldwide;
found the cities “Vision 2020” online and quickly saw this is the kind of community where we want to retire;
discovered volunteers provided the leadership and energy to implement the Vision 2020 and most important everyone was accepted, respected and provided opportunity to just “be” who they wanted to be, without past identities.
· I enjoyed serving as a volunteer greeter at the Visitors Center. During one 3-hour shift last year, I welcomed visitors from five different countries.
· I created two Facebook pages to function as the community “digital water fountain” where citizens can share. The first “open” group, YACHATS FRIENDS now has over 8,000 members, persons who also fall in love with our place and want to stay up with “goings on.”
Needing a place for actual residents to talk together, I created a “closed” group YACHATS VILLAGE RESIDENTS which now has over 800 members who reside in our zip code.
· I consider it a great honor to serve the community as a Yachats City Councilman. I am a good listener and I am always anxious to hear the concerns and the exciting new ideas you have for our village.
My Passions
Yachats -- GEM of the Central Oregon Coast
My Passions
My life's work is to inspire personal greatness in others, while growing spiritually on my journey.
From a very early age, I have been about the task of pulling together ideas, possibilities and people – helping each person I encounter to excel mentally, physically, artistically, and spiritually so that together we may contribute to th
My life's work is to inspire personal greatness in others, while growing spiritually on my journey.
From a very early age, I have been about the task of pulling together ideas, possibilities and people – helping each person I encounter to excel mentally, physically, artistically, and spiritually so that together we may contribute to the Common Good --- “BE” the change we want to see in our world.
This passionate desire to help others has connected me with many really awesome people; thus, CONNECTIONS UNLIMITED ---Connecting & Empowering people to MAKE a DIFFERENCE in our world & in the lives of people around them!.
I believe that " The future is not some place we are going, but one we are creating. " (John Schaar, futurist).
I know that "Great teaching” is not just imparting knowledge but more importantly, it is about moving us into action