“When the winds of change blow, some people build walls, and others build windmills.” (Chinese proverb)
Donna Miller, a retired teacher with the NeahKahnie School District and a 32-year resident of Manzanita, has announced her candidacy for a seat on the Manzanita City Council.
The Mayor’s position and two City Council seats are open in the Nov. 8 election.
Miller worked as a Special Education teacher for 30 years and has been involved in many community programs and activities since her retirement in 2011. She served as a leader in GardenBuds and Jr. MuddNicks, two organizations that exposed elementary children to the rewards of community service. She coordinated programs and events for the MuddNick Foundation, volunteered at Nehalem Care Center, Friends of the Library, Schmuck Foundation Tournament and Hoffman Center for the Arts.
She currently is a host at the Hoffman Clay Studio and delivers meals for the Nehalem Bay Methodist Community Meals Program. “I am a strong believer that it really does take a village to build a thriving community,” Miller said.
She decided the time was right to seek public office, noting that her breadth of experience, her ability as a thinker and a doer, and her strong relationships with many local citizens will be an asset to her community.
“Why am I choosing to run for city council at this time? Manzanita, where I plan to live out my life, is changing quickly, losing its feel of community,” she said. “There is a great need for a proactive council to study and guide this transition, to protect its citizens, plan to keep the environment healthy and encourage sustainable growth. Too many of the decisions being made benefit developers at the expense of residents. We need a better balance. A strong council will recognize the need to break down walls of doubt and closed- mindedness, instead harnessing the thoughts, ideas and experience our citizens have to offer to bring this community back together. I hope to help build the windmills to generate this energy!”