Did you know that Mazama has its very own Advisory Committee? Maybe you did. But if not, now you do. It is quaintly named the Mazama Advisory Committee (MAC). You may be thinking to yourself that Mazama couldn’t possibly have much to advise. What is Mazama but some trees, rocks, pine cones, trails and a small collection of buildings and homes?
But this is where an advisory committee is of the utmost importance, working on a plan before things get out of control.
This committee, which was formed in 2008, has completed some fabulous improvements that are very appreciated by all. According to my source, Claire Bunney, the Mazama Advisory Committee, property owners and stakeholders came together for the purpose of creating a long-range plan for development of the Mazama commercial core area. Through these efforts, they have seen quite a few improvements to the area such as power feeds being moved underground, buildings being moved to improve traffic and pedestrian flow, expansion of the Corral Trailhead, flush toilets added and additional parking areas created.
The last major obstacle to create a beautiful public space is the removal of the CenturyLink building, which is scheduled for this year. Perhaps when CenturyLink moves its building, they could improve our internet? However that is not the point of this writing. I will save that for another week when I have been buffering for two hours. No, the point is that the Mazama Advisory Committee is now seeking public input and ideas for the design elements of the Mazama commercial core area: A sort of Welcome to Mazama space.
As you drive from Highway 20 and reach the intersection of Lost River and Goat Creek roads, what would you like to see? How do you know you have arrived in Mazama? Some ideas and suggestions that have been proposed include landscaping, benches, kiosks, walking paths, directional signage, public artworks, a water feature, a rock feature and intersection realignment or a roundabout.
A representative from MAC will be at Mazama’s World-Famous Pancake Breakfast on Saturday (May 25) with information and comment sheets that can be mailed back to the committee. Please stop by and let your voice be heard because one day our sweet little burg will be more than just trees, rocks and pinecones.
Speaking of pine cones (see what I did there?), at one of the last Liberty Bell boys’ soccer games, Eveline Wathen stopped by to watch the game along the fence with some of the louder and more vociferous fans. She mentioned that when she and her husband, Bernard, watched their daughter, Elke, play with the girls’ team, she had to “give Bernard the pine cone.” Now, I was thinking this was a charming Dutch saying. My mother-in-law is from the Netherlands and I have heard some good ones, like “why don’t you take a cookie from your own dough?” But no, as much as “give him the pine cone” sounds like something one might like to say, Eveline really did take a pine cone out of her pocket and give it to Bernard to put in his mouth during the game. Whatever works. I might try it myself sometime.
