In the normal business cycle on the Oregon Coast we tend to see smaller gains as well as more modest declines. At present we are experiencing a somewhat steeper decline than usual with some very visible vacancies in Yachats. These include a closed grocery store, a real estate office and the well known Landmark Restaurant. This pattern is especially meaningful in a small closely knit community like Yachats. This situation is probably driven in part by the nationwide recession with the attendant difficulties small business owners face in obtaining operating capital.
Thanks, Oregonian, for the free press on my Yachats restaurant listing!
Here’s my question: When interest rates are historically low, why are lenders restricting the flow of money to the areas that would help support local business and provide employment opportunities to local residents? In a recent Oregonian article (which so thoughtfully promoted one of my listings!) several really important points are raised:
- With the closure of the town’s sole grocery people became very willing to help others who were not able to drive the 8 miles to the nearest market.
- The article opens with the Trouble in Paradise line and then goes on. We do live in what I believe is the most beautiful part of the Oregon Coast — a paradise indeed.
I happen to be one of those “hopeless optimists” who migrated here from a major metropolitan area 20 years ago and never looked back. It is my firm conviction that Yachats as well as other coastal towns caught in the current struggle will persevere and prosper. We have lived through tough times before and we will recover.
When you next have some free time, come on over to the coast and experience what we enjoy every day.
