Multi-Presentation by award-winning author Matt Love. How did Oregon establish and protect its unique legacy of publicly-owned beaches that are free to use? What do free beaches mean for the cultural life of the state? What do free beaches mean to you? What are we doing to preserve and celebrate that legacy today? Join publisher, author, educator and beach fanatic Matt Love for an interactive and spirited multi-media presentation on the the inspiring story of Oregon’s famous 1967 Beach Bill at the North Bend Public Library on October 27 at 7:00pm. The event is free. “This is one of the most heroic and exciting stories in modern Oregon history,” said Love, “and it’s been my pleasure over the years to bring it to the Oregon people and remind them how a previous generation won a great victory for the people that enhances our lives today.” The legacy began in 1913, when Oregon Governor West signed into law a 66-word that declared the wet sand areas of the state’s ocean beaches a public highway. He later wrote, “No local selfish interest shall be permitted, through politics or otherwise, to destroy or impair this great birthright of our people.” He was referring to the state’s ocean beaches. In 1966, the looming threat of privatization of the dry sand areas of the beaches imperiled the legacy. In response to a great public outcry, a bipartisan Oregon legislature passed the famous Beach Bill after it nearly died in committee. The legislation was resurrected by the indefatigable effort of citizens, courageous politicians, and journalists calling attention to the threat. Signed into law by Governor Tom McCall in 1967, the Beach Bill protected the public’s right to use the dry sand areas where Oregonians had done so for time immemorial and cemented Oregon’s special relationship with its ocean beaches—forever. At the conclusion of his presentation, Love will read a short excerpt from his detective novel about Oregon’s beaches titled The Great Birthright, discuss the looming 50th anniversary of the Beach Bill on July 7, 2017 and recruit citizens to become involved in the celebration. “My goal on that sacred day is to assemble the largest public gathering in celebration of a piece of legislation in Oregon history,” said Love. Matt Love is the author/editor of 15 books about Oregon and publisher of Nestucca Spit Press. In 2009, Love won the Oregon Literary Arts’ Stewart H. Holbrook Literary Legacy Award for his contributions to Oregon history and literature. He has written extensively on Oregon’s unique legacy of publicly-owned beaches and taught writing workshops at Portland State University, University of Oregon, Pacific University, Clackamas Community College and the Sitka Center for Art and Ecology. His web site is nestuccaspiptress.com. Love also teaches a “Get the Writing Going” workshop to inspire writers of fiction and nonfiction, on October 27 from 4:30pm – 6:30pm at the library. Both programs are free and open to the public, and are sponsored by the Friends of the North Bend Public Library.
