New Year, New Place, New Face

Episode Highlights: 

A new face, familiar voices, and a look at what’s happening locally to kick off the year, all on this first episode of 2026.

• Meet Dan Pack, the new Executive Director of the Siletz Bay Music Festival.
• Nancy Wyatt and Elena Jones from the Nelscott Neighborhood Association and Eagles Lodge return to the conversation.
• Jeanne Sprague, Director of Parks and Recreation for the City of Lincoln City, talks about New Year’s activities, including the postponed New Year’s Day splash.

Transcript

Jana 0:06

Welcome to the Double R Show, the podcast that features everything about North Lincoln County. The Double R Show, directed and produced by Paul Robertson and hosted by the voice of Lincoln City, Roger Robertson.

RR 0:30

And welcome back to the Double R Show as we enter a brand new year. 2026, folks. It is here. It's now. It's right now. We're in it. That is amazing to me that this year went that quick.

Son Paul 0:44

Yeah, well, it seems to be the case. The last uh, I'm gonna say a couple decades seems to be rolling by pretty fast these days. But yeah.

RR 0:52

And we're gonna have a brand new voice, a brand new face, uh joining us on a double hour show today. And uh along with Jeannie Sprague from the Lincoln City Parks and Rec, and along with uh an opportunity to find out about the Nelscott area and uh all those wonderful facilities there.

Son Paul 1:09

Yeah, Nancy Wyatt's joining us, and then as you mentioned, uh Dan Pack is the brand new face, new uh new voice. Uh Cellist by trade, just throwing that out there for folks that want a little taste of what might be coming. So, yeah, it's uh it's a new show and the new year, and uh we look forward to uh bringing that all to you here on the Double R show now and for the rest of the year.

Chinook Winds 1:34

The original voice roll.

RR 2:02

Kicking off the new year with a new face, a new voice, and somebody new to the area that is just joining us, Dan Pack. And Dan, you have taken on an area of responsibility in this community already, and that is uh I'm the new executive director for the Siletz Bay Music Festival, which feels like big shoes to fill.

Dan Pack 2:23

I mean, for one, the the last couple years it's just been the board and they have done an amazing job all on their own. So I've gotta come in and show that I'm worth my worth hiring session.

RR 2:36

So Dan Pack is who?

Dan Pack 2:38

I am I'm a musician and an educator and an arts administrator. I I've done a little bit of everything. If uh if it has to do with the performing arts, I like to be involved. Primarily in the classical sense or yeah, clas I was trained classically as a cellist, but I also I do theater as well. I did quite a bit of technical theater, specifically lighting design and and sound. I was actually the technical director for theater in Utah for for several years. But yeah, I one of my former jobs was the executive director of a classical music organization in in Ogden, Utah, just north of Salt Lake. It was mostly chamber music, which the festival has quite a bit of that as well. So that's something I'm quite familiar with, and I've done quite a bit of concert production as well as performance myself.

RR 3:28

So how did you hear about this job from Utah all the way to Lincoln City already gone?

Dan Pack 3:34

So my wife Kelsey and I, we've uh we have visited the coasts a lot. While we were dating, we did a uh road trip up the coast, and you know, we kind of just passed Lincoln City by that time, our first time through. But then we when we came back to the coast, we we stayed in Lincoln City and fell in love almost instantly as soon as we go. So we we've been back to Lincoln City as many times as we could since then, and we had some interesting uh uh job issues this year, and we were kind of thinking we're like, man, we need to we need to make a change. And so Kelsey actually got online and looked up arts jobs in Lincoln City, Oregon.

RR 4:15

You're kidding. So you weren't actually looking for a position here in town.

Dan Pack 4:20

Yeah, Lincoln City specifically. We we just love this town. So so yeah, that job opening came up in her search, and I just barely caught the deadline. I it was the day it was due, so I was probably the last email that Jane got, and uh and it's been amazing ever since.

RR 4:35

So So coming onto the table, you you have a degree in music or wha what what's the educational background?

Dan Pack 4:44

So I I'm almost done with the degree. My education was paused a few times. I I used to be LDS, so I did an LDS mission, and then I actually injured my back, moving a piano. Oh, that would do it. Yeah, yeah. Um, and so I was on and off with school, and then right around the time I was supposed to graduate was when COVID hit. And so I have to finish that up now because uh a lot of my classes ended up being cancelled, including like my senior project. And so I've been kind of working too many jobs to finish it before now. So it is one of my goals to kind of finish up the last few touches, which I I should be able to do from afar.

RR 5:23

So it it will happen.

Dan Pack 5:26

Yeah, it will happen. But yeah, in school I was studying uh music as well as entrepreneurship.

RR 5:30

So now you your job is to run the festival, I I assume, but in the off season, if you will, because the festival doesn't run year-round. So then what is your position?

Dan Pack 5:42

Yeah, so the the festival, I mean, with most performing arts, the the ticket sales rarely cover all of the costs. And so a lot of what I'll be doing is is grant writing, a lot of the logistical things. Because we bring musicians from all over the world, there's a lot of logistics that have to be worked out ahead of time. And we have an amazing board for that, but I'm gonna try and take some of that burden on to help out.

RR 6:06

That'll be your shake.

Dan Pack 6:07

Yeah, and you know, part of it too is yeah, we wanna we wanna make sure that the the festival is relevant for the community. So a big part of my job for the next few months is just to get to know the community, get to know as many people as I can, and and make sure that the festival's for them.

RR 6:24

So, how does somebody get in touch with you to get to know you?

Dan Pack 6:27

You can reach me at my email, which is danpacksbmf at gmail.com, and that's probably the most re reliable thing. I I do not prove to text, so I avoid it when I can, but I'll email somebody back.

RR 6:41

I would agree with you. I hate it with a plague. Yeah. Yeah. It doesn't work really, really well for me as well.

Dan Pack 6:49

Yeah.

RR 6:50

It is really pretty exciting for you to embark on something brand new. I mean, uh they have never had an executive director.

Dan Pack 7:02

And you know, they they tried a few times over the years, but it's it's been long enough that yeah, it's gonna be I get to make a lot of decisions as far as how I want to do things. And you know, it helps that I have the examples of of what Jane has already been doing. And and so it is it it's an adventure, and honestly, it's one of those things where I it's the first job I've had where I wasn't already connected in some way before I started. To start fresh in a new town and in a new place, it's it's definitely going to be an adventure.

RR 7:35

Well, welcome to Lincoln City. Thanks for coming. We uh uh anticipate uh good and great things from you and and the music festival again.

Dan Pack 7:44

Absolutely. Thank you so much.

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RR 8:51

Right, thank you for coming. Merry Christmas.

Jeanne Sprague 8:53

Thank you so much, Roger. Merry Christmas to you too.

RR 8:56

It's a Merry Christmas celebration that goes into the new year.

Jeanne Sprague 9:00

Exactly. Weeks and weeks of it. No, let's keep it going.

RR 9:03

Before we get into some of the other activities upcoming, the big one, the uh jump into 2026 is gonna happen later on.

Jeanne Sprague 9:12

It is gonna happen later on, and that's uh that's a new development this year, but a very, very smart development. So we typically have the Solette's Bay splash on January 1st of every year. Makes sense. It's for a new year resolution. Jump in, freeze yourself, and get out. Start the new year. Yeah, I know. Yeah, I crazy people.

RR 9:32

Recognize somebody that got this started.

Jeanne Sprague 9:35

Yes, that was Paul Robertson for sure. Crazy, Paul. Crazy.

RR 9:40

I can't believe one of my kids would have been doing that. Totally one of your kids.

Jeanne Sprague 9:44

Yeah, who it makes sense to me.

RR 9:46

Okay.

Jeanne Sprague 9:46

But this year we've had to push it back. And do you know why?

RR 9:50

Uh big, big serve. Yes, King Tides. You're right.

Jeanne Sprague 9:54

So King Tides are actually January 1st through 4th this year. And we always do the event in collaboration with North Lincoln Fire and Rescue. And in talking with them, they said, please don't send people to jump into the Silets Bay during a King Tides. And we said, You got it. We're not gonna do that. And so we've pushed back the date for the New Year's resolution dip into Silets Bay to January 17th. So it's a few weekends back, but we wanted to be super safe. So it's on Saturday, January 17th, 10 a.m. No registration required, just show up at the bay.

RR 10:28

And you draw quite a crowd.

Jeanne Sprague 10:30

We did last year. We had over 500 people. And we started it years ago with 20. So it's grown.

RR 10:37

Exponentially grown. Exponentially.

Jeanne Sprague 10:40

Yeah.

RR 10:40

So you have a new winter guide for 2026. What's in it?

Jeanne Sprague 10:45

It's a lot of fantastic new ideas that my staff came up with that I'm thrilled about. We're doing programs for all ages. So we always have before, but we really are focusing on the adult population, the teen population, just populations that we feel weren't always included in parks and recreation, you know. And we've heard from the public that they want things available to them too. So we're doing a lot of nighttime programs now, weekend programs for adults who may be working.

RR 11:13

Like what?

Jeanne Sprague 11:14

Oh goodness. We have yoga, all different types of yoga. We have a sleeping class, how to sleep better. Oh yeah, I'm gonna be taking that one for sure. Yes. So we're doing that. We have a uh pollinator garden, uh, how to be a beekeeper coming up. We have lots of new fitness classes, and then we're just trying to do special entrance classes too, like the sleep sleep condition one.

RR 11:37

Do you have to pay for these classes? If so, what kind of money we're talking about?

Jeanne Sprague 11:41

Yeah, it it totally differs. So if you look in the fun guide, some of the events are free. And with all of our programming, we try to make it either free or as low cost as possible. So some of those programs, like the sleep condition one, are free, Lisa Let's Bay Splash. A lot of our special events in our parks are free. But if you're doing a fitness class or if you're joining our master swim club, which meets in the pool twice a week, there is either a drop-in fee, which could start anywhere from six dollars for adults on up, or it is a membership fee, and that's all different prices there. But again, we try to make it as low cost as possible.

RR 12:20

Well, I think of it. I wanted to compliment the union staff on all of the decorations around town that uh I I see the Veterans Park and I'm I'm a little prejudiced about that one. Rightly so. There are so many different parks that are so well lit this year.

Jeanne Sprague 12:37

Yeah.

RR 12:38

And it's really pretty neat.

Jeanne Sprague 12:39

Yeah, we worked with Explorer Lincoln City on that. So they funded that program. Public Works was part of the conversation and trying to get more holiday lighting and other holiday decorations up around town. So we are excited to put wreaths on bridges around town. Public works was a big part of that, and yeah, just make it a festive, festive town.

RR 13:02

Yeah, I like it. The big new park. Yes, and where what's the status of that?

Jeanne Sprague 13:07

So Schooner Creek Discovery Park, we are over halfway through with constructing it.

RR 13:11

Very nice.

Jeanne Sprague 13:12

Yes, we have actually so there's three phases over three years, and we're basically through year number two. We've seen that the playground has been opened, and everyone's welcome on that. Of all ages, I want to remind everyone. And all abilities, and all abilities too, right, Roger. Yes, we try to be as welcoming as possible. It just makes sense. It's just human. That's what we're supposed to do, you know. So phase two is the big stage where we hope to have special events like concerts. We've talked to Siletsi Bay Music Festival for the future, not for next year. And it has the public restrooms that are fully accessible. That will be opening probably spring, if not by June 2026. And then all the very neat sports fields, multi-sports uh covered sports courts, the permanent pickleball courts, which we've gotten a lot of input on. Um I bet so. We have a strong contingent of pickleball players. We're happy. We're very happy that they are here.

RR 14:11

Uh a number of them are trying to convince me to lead a group cruise where they can play pickleball.

Jeanne Sprague 14:17

Oh my gosh.

RR 14:18

On a cruise ship.

Jeanne Sprague 14:19

That sounds amazing.

RR 14:21

Sounds like fun.

Jeanne Sprague 14:22

Yeah, it does sound like a lot of fun.

RR 14:23

I don't play picketball, but I think I could learn.

Jeanne Sprague 14:25

Oh, yeah, yeah. You'd get a you get a good following there if you did something like that. We have pickleball players playing five days a week in our community center, and then when there's nice weather in the summer, they're out at Dorchester Park, and soon to be Schooner Creek Discovery Park. So we hope to have all those fields constructed by December of 2026. Then the park is fully opened.

RR 14:45

That is amazing.

Jeanne Sprague 14:47

Yeah, we can't wait. It's been a lot of years to come to this.

RR 14:52

Okay, going back to the fun guide, uh this is available where in I assume this starts as of January 1.

Jeanne Sprague 15:01

Yes. So that is correct. The winter fund guide is for January through March. You can find it online if you go to Lincoln City Parksandrec.org or stop by our community center. We've got many copies of it. And I wanted to thank Oregon Coast today for years, if not decades. They have been the one that who prints it and puts it together for us at no cost.

RR 15:25

As you scan through this, your favorite would be?

Jeanne Sprague 15:29

Oh my god, you can't ask me that. What if one of my staff listen?

RR 15:34

Um it'll get the rest of the staff working. That's right, that's right.

Jeanne Sprague 15:39

You know what? I'll I'll I'll divide it up between recreation and between parks. So with recreation, I love all the fitness classes for all ages. I think it's really neat that you can walk into the community center and see, you know, youth working out with adults. And and it's called intergenerational recreation, and it's something that we want to promote and it needs to happen, and it's just people of all ages being together and having a good time.

RR 16:03

Good for the seniors, good for the kids.

Jeanne Sprague 16:05

Exactly. Exactly. And then I just love our parks and open spaces. We are doing so many neat projects right now, not just building a new park, but maintaining our current parks and our trails, and my parks crew just do such a good job of thinking of ways to make the environment more sustainable, to be more environmentally friendly, to treat the environment for so that it's going to be around for decades to come, long after we leave this earth, you know. So I just love going out there and seeing all the good work they do.

RR 16:37

Genie's Wright, Lincoln City Parkes and Wright. Thank you much. We'll be back in just a moment.

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RR 17:08

Nell Scott is one of our favorite areas, and one of the ladies that uh has got a lot of history in Nell Scott is with us. And Nancy Wyatt, tell us about Nell Scott from your perspective.

Nancy Wyatt 17:21

I think it's one of the jewels of the area. It's kind of the unkept secret. I think.

RR 17:27

What makes it so?

Nancy Wyatt 17:28

It's got a lot of community, it's got the ocean right there, it's got the beach accesses, two of them. And it's just a very small amount, and each of those homes, almost all of them, have a wonderful history. A lot of them have names. I mean, there's the green onion, there's the dew drop in, the house where I purchased was called the Pickle House. I mean, a lot of them all have, they have a they're small, but they have a lot of charm. A lot of them were built in the 20s, so they have a lot of history.

RR 18:03

A lot of history. And that history has really come to life because of uh the the neighborhood association, right?

Nancy Wyatt 18:10

We have really worked hard to try to preserve our area, not preserve it in that like we don't want any changes, but preserve the charm of the area and make sure that like the trees are intact and the oceans are taken care of and the beach access looks good and just make it welcoming but also keep it small town.

RR 18:36

Now, the Eagles Lodge uh uh in a former interview that we did with you is one of the buildings that has been there a long time, along with your house.

Nancy Wyatt 18:47

Yes, their whole stretch on coast has been there a long time, but they didn't used to be Anchor Coast and Beach, which is like ABC. They all had different names. They went by lot numbers. It was pretty interesting. But the Nelson and Scott started this area because they developed an auto park. So if you see the early pictures of the Eagles, Auto Park is is what? Where people came with their old-fashioned automobiles and came down to be able to go to see the ocean, which was very cool. And that's really right. They came and camped. They'd have tents and they would bring their old-time automobiles and they would camp right there. And so that became a community kitchen. And believe it or not, the Eagles Kitchen still and fireplace is still there.

RR 19:42

Also, with us is Alina Jones and uh Elena, the Eagles Lodge is very active, a center focal point of that community, is it not?

Elena Jones 19:52

Yes, we invite you know all the members or the residents that live in that area to come in. They don't all have to be Members, we would like for uh everybody to join and be part of our family because the Eagles is a family, and uh so when somebody comes new in, there's always somebody that will uh sign them in so they can come in. They have like the jam session, they can come into those activities because they are open to the public. And so we just try to to help Nell Scott and be part of the Nelscott community.

RR 20:27

You got a couple of guys that are chefs in their own realm, if you will, Frank Napoleon and Phil Bowls. These guys do a lot to raise money for the lodge, do they not?

Elena Jones 20:39

Uh yes. Frank does a Hawaiian breakfast once a month, and then uh he also has his own catering business, and I think he has a landscaping, you know, he's very busy. And then Phil does a lot of barbecue uh type of food uh with barbecue meats, and he does some smoking down there in the kitchen. Our kitchen is uh licensed, and and so Frank and Phil use it as their prep place for their some of their catering stuff.

RR 21:08

Going back again, uh Nancy talking about the Nelscott Neighborhood Association, is there any misconceptions of what that association is or is or isn't?

Nancy Wyatt 21:18

I think they just people need to know it's not an HOA. We're just an association. HOA is like a homeowner's. We're not telling you you can't paint your, you know, your house a certain color or anything like that. But we're just there to protect our neighborhood and for neighbors to get to know neighbors. We just had our meeting a couple weeks ago, and we invited all of our friends to come that are in the neighborhood, all of our Nil Scott friends to come. And we had a barbecue and a social hour, and we had our city council people come and talk, and we had one of the police officers, Eric, I believe Anderson, came and he gave us a little insight into what neighbors can do for neighbors to keep the area safe and really look out for each other.

RR 22:06

That's probably the biggest thing is people looking out for each other.

Nancy Wyatt 22:11

Yes, because we have a you know a fair number of vacation rentals in the area, just like a lot of Lincoln City. And we just have to really make sure we watch out for each other to make sure that that's all going well.

RR 22:23

And having the stoplight out on Highway 101 to be able to get across Highway 101 was a good gift. It's gotta be a godsend.

Nancy Wyatt 22:31

Yeah, that was a good gift. And I would also like to talk to you a little bit about the strip, that area. There's the mercantile building there, and a lot of those buildings are original for that area. And there's a lot of good places to go see and eat and enjoy. I mean, you've got the Christmas shop that everybody knows about, and you've got the Nelscott Breakfast Cafe and La Roca and the Rock Shop.

RR 23:01

Great, great, great mixture.

Nancy Wyatt 23:02

A lot of good food and the coffee places, and they just added Pioneer Coffee along with the Left Coast coffee. So there's a lot of things to come enjoy in Nelscott, but we also have the two beach accesses, which are really important to be.

RR 23:17

And right across the street, you got Theater West.

Nancy Wyatt 23:19

Yes, we do. Very fortunate.

RR 23:21

Yeah, very good. Anything else that we should add about Nelscott andor the Eagles?

Nancy Wyatt 23:27

I think it's just a really wonderful place that we embrace the ocean and we embrace our community. And we're so fortunate to have the Eagles Lodge right there as a focal point for us.

RR 23:38

Elena, any further comments you'd like to make about the Eagles?

Elena Jones 23:41

Oh, I think you've probably heard enough from me for the day.

RR 23:45

Elena Jones, Nancy Wyatt, and we've been talking about the Nelscott uh Neighborhood Association and the Eagles Lodge in Nelscott. We'll be back in just a moment. If you're looking for great early garden fresh produce, it's Kenny's IGA in the Bay Area of Lincoln City. Four generations of Morgans caring for your every grocery need. All your favorite beverages of full deli, meat produce, and of course, groceries. And thanks to Jeannie Sprigg, Dan Pack, and Nancy Wyatt for joining us on the January 1, 2026.

Son Paul 24:20

Yeah, you can't get an earlier start than midnight on New Year's Day for uh your podcast listening. Uh so we are starting the new year out bright and early. Uh, but uh yeah, it's uh it's been a good episode and uh look forward to well, 51 more this year.

RR 24:37

51 more to count. Well, we have live music upcoming at the Moon Mountain String Band. This is going to be on January 10th, 7 o'clock at uh the Lincoln City Cultural Center. And they are also looking for some volunteers. Uh the Tibetan monks are coming back. Uh they do just a wonderful artwork of uh sand sculpture. Uh I I I I that's not the right term. The mandala sand sand mandales. It it is just absolutely uh stunning uh what these uh monks do, and that is forthcoming at the Lincoln City Cultural Center. It is an opportunity for you to uh volunteer and uh become part and parcel of it as well. So that's forthcoming. Also, don't forget the uh new program for the Oregon Coast Community College uh uh catch the wave with all of the classes, not just the uh college courses, but also all of the community ed classes as well. Right, yeah, yeah. All great stuff. And if you're looking for other activities, the fun guide, uh the new fun guide uh for the winter of 2026 is now out from the Lincoln City Parks and Rec. And Shenokwin's Casino Resort reminds you that they are open today, and it is party time because tonight, on this first day of January, they're gonna give away a brand new car. Oh gosh, wow, another new car, huh? Another new car, another new car to be won uh this evening at Shenanguin's Casino Resort right here in Lincoln City. You might go for dinner, go up to the Rogue River room, have a nice steak. You might go to the hotel, uh, have a great bowl of seafood. It is just really quite good.

Son Paul 26:32

Yeah, yeah. And then uh, I was just noticing on their calendar, they've got uh Sebastian Bach of Skid Row coming. Uh it's the original voice of Skid Row, an old kind of 80s rock band, I think. So you might uh be tuning into that January 17th. And of course, Comedy on the Coast returns January 23rd and 24th. Always fun uh event there. They've got uh three folks there coming in again. Uh again, Comedy on the Coast, January 23rd and 24th up at Chinook Wins.

RR 26:59

At Chinookwins Casino Resort, reminding you it is better at the beach. Anything else you side of the table?

Son Paul 27:06

No, uh just a happy new year. And uh yeah, here we go again. 51 more to go.

RR 27:12

Battle to the dudes on a double R show. Please remember to like, subscribe, and share so you, your family, and friends around the world and across the street can join us on the double uh the double R show. I'll get it out yet as we enter a brand new year. Poor Paul, I'm Double R. Happy New Year.

Jana 27:36

You've been listening to the Double R Show. Join Roger and Paul Robertson as they explore everything about North Lincoln County. The Double R Show produced by Always Productions and hosted by Roger Robertson. Have a story? Email contact at alwaysproductions.com or call four five eight two zero one three zero three nine. For the double R Show, I'm Janna Kron.