TILLAMOOK

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 TILLAMOOK 
Tillamook, Oregon the cheese capital of our state and, well that's almost it. Just kidding. Tillamook is a lot more than just cheese, it's a place too. Listen, if you're from Oregon, you know I'm not going to oversell this place. Tillamook is a little bit complicated, it's the land of cheese and it's main tourist attraction is the cheese factory, and it gets thousands of tourists per year. Honestly this is what the town has always been associated with that and it always will be (probably.) Tillamook county has a rich history, and it is mostly wilderness, which is great, but there are a few small towns huddled near the coast on it. 

 Tillamook is the place to go in Tillamook county, they have the before mentioned cheese factory, the air, a great history museum and downtown. Downtown Tillamook is a rather complicated story. In the 1960s, it was a neon illuminated center of attention, with Chevys cruising the streets. It was not looking so great for a while, and people don't like it because of it's rather associated with Oregon coastal depression. Tillamook county has swung like a pendulum in recent elections. In 2012, there was a great win for Obama in this county, but in 2016, they swung towards Trump. This is hard to think about. Although Tillamook is cool, it still gives off a significantly republican vibe. This is not bad, but it seems to drive away tourists that want to explore Tillamook a little bit more. The homeless population has doubled in the last two years and it is going to get worse, if steps aren't taken to destroy the invisible enemy of rural homelessness. 

 The future is bright for Tillamook though. Many urban renewal projects have been started it has already been improved greatly. A pedestrian mall has been added, as well as new buildings that keep the small town vibes but implies that it is a refurbished city. Street art that imply the city's roots have been added as well, making it great to see all the things they do. Some people are against this because Tillamook isn't acknowledging the history it prides itself on. I say this: Tillamook needed help for a while, and it's finally getting it. It will be a long process that is hard, but Tillamook is already on it, and I think that's great. 

 In conclusion, next time you're in Tillamook, eating cheese, just take so time to acknowledge the steps Tillamook has taken. 
SOURCES:
https://www.oregonlive.com/pacific-northwest-news/index.ssf/2017/11/homeless_rates_around_oregon.html 

 https://www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2017/09/a_new_downtown_is_emerging_in.html   

 https://www.pdxmonthly.com/articles/2017/1/23/why-tillamook-county-voted-for-obama-then-trump

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