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I agree that a lot of the problem may be expectations, particularly if someone comes from an area where conformity is highly valued.
I wear a beard in the winter time, for one reason: it keeps my face warm. I spend a lot of time outside. In the summer I shave it off because it gets itchy when I sweat. For the same reason, I wear flannel in the winter. For someone who is judgmental about personal appearance, that might be a deal breaker. <shrug>.
As for diversity, if Pakistani cab drivers are your thing, Oregon is not the state for you. However, if your kid plays soccer, they will quickly develop a Spanish sports vocabulary. There is a good sized Hispanic community that is fairly well integrated into the community. There are still some hate incidents, but not as many as you would find in a larger city like Beaverton. A smaller population does not offer the freedom of anonymity.
As for Greenman, I have no idea where he is coming from. I guarantee I have never seen panhandlers, homeless and felons milling around public areas. I suspect he is seeing with the eyes of prejudice. McMinnville does have a large group home for the mentally handicapped, but the residents are supervised.
Mac is well off the I-5 corridor, so has less of a homeless problem than you find in towns with an exit number. The most recent homeless controversy involves people parking RVs on the fringe of town, but Mac has not gone to the extremes of cities like Eugene where they tear up homeless camps and haul the tents and blankets to a landfill.
If you are contemplating a move to McMinnville, I suggest an online subscription to the News-Register, where you can find local news items and the comments of local residents on the news.
I used to live in LA and made friends who were from all over. I liked that better, but the traffic and overcrowded living made us leave. Phoenix also had its good points, but the heat was unbearable. I appreciate the beautiful scenery here, but many small towns are isolated. The Seattle Freeze extends down to Oregon, I bet.
Small towns do have problems and meth was a problem in rural AZ like it is in rural areas up here. Oregon is a pretty state, although I’m not sure where we’ll end up, it will be someplace closer in to a city. As far as the homeless problem, intervention would be good. These people would benefit if someone took the time to get them off drugs, help them find a job and housing. I’ve seen plenty of homeless in the Olympia area, they panhandle, then head to the pot stores.
You and Greenman seem to have exactly opposite views on life in Mac. I’ve noticed this on CD, positive views of a place seem to be the norm.
On moving here, I was expecting more diversity and should have researched this area better. I wasn’t prepared and we bought in a hurry. I’d estimate 75% of the men here wear beards and flannel. Nothing wrong in that, but coming from a large city, it was a culture shock. I didn’t realize how important a variety of people, ethnic restaurants and being close to a city was, until I didn’t have them.
I might have a bad attitude and they pick up on it, you could be right. But after two years of dealing with high priced bids for repair work from locals, surly attitudes in stores, and a spouse who hates it and complains constantly, I’m worn thin and just want to put this nightmare behind and move forward.
The locals should think outside the box, if timber is not coming back, they should give some thought on what else they can do.
So contractors overbid on jobs for two reasons. They think someone will be difficult to work with so they charge you a "pain in the hiney" premium or they are so busy that they really don't want the business. They don't want to turn away business outright so they do a crazy high bid.
That said, I highly doubt that is the issue behind the high price repair bids. We have a significant contractor shortage in Oregon and labor costs have skyrocketed in the post 3-4 years as a result. So small jobs, which pull contractors away from larger better-paying jobs, tend to get hiked up because if they are going to take a small job it has to be worth their time. For example, there are only a couple of roofers local to Mac right now. If you want bids from the Salem contractors, they will need to charge you more for travel time and such to make it worth their time. There is ample business here to keep them busy.
And yes, small towns are generally homogenous. I also find it very common for people to move to smaller towns and then realize that they don't like the lack of amenities offered in smaller towns. You aren't alone in moving to a small town and then moving out 2-3 years later. It's kind of like living on acreage. People think they want it and then realize that it is a lot of work to maintain acreage. So they last a few years and then sell it.
On moving here, I was expecting more diversity and should have researched this area better. I wasn’t prepared and we bought in a hurry. I’d estimate 75% of the men here wear beards and flannel. Nothing wrong in that, but coming from a large city, it was a culture shock. I didn’t realize how important a variety of people, ethnic restaurants and being close to a city was, until I didn’t have them.
I might have a bad attitude and they pick up on it, you could be right. But after two years of dealing with high priced bids for repair work from locals, surly attitudes in stores, and a spouse who hates it and complains constantly, I’m worn thin and just want to put this nightmare behind and move forward.
The locals should think outside the box, if timber is not coming back, they should give some thought on what else they can do.
McMinnville has never been a timber town. The rural economic base is agricultural, as it always has been. The diversity of agriculture has allowed the major crops to shift many times, from green beans and sweet corn to turkeys to wine and most recently to hazelnuts.
Thanks to a progressive business community and government, the infrastructure was in place to attract light and medium heavy industry like Smith Pies and Schnitzer Steel. Jobs are not a problem in the area. Oregon's unemployment rate is about 4%, Yamhill County is at 3.1%. I think they are doing fine in the current economy.
So contractors overbid on jobs for two reasons. They think someone will be difficult to work with so they charge you a "pain in the hiney" premium or they are so busy that they really don't want the business. They don't want to turn away business outright so they do a crazy high bid.
That said, I highly doubt that is the issue behind the high price repair bids. We have a significant contractor shortage in Oregon and labor costs have skyrocketed in the post 3-4 years as a result. So small jobs, which pull contractors away from larger better-paying jobs, tend to get hiked up because if they are going to take a small job it has to be worth their time. For example, there are only a couple of roofers local to Mac right now. If you want bids from the Salem contractors, they will need to charge you more for travel time and such to make it worth their time. There is ample business here to keep them busy.
And yes, small towns are generally homogenous. I also find it very common for people to move to smaller towns and then realize that they don't like the lack of amenities offered in smaller towns. You aren't alone in moving to a small town and then moving out 2-3 years later. It's kind of like living on acreage. People think they want it and then realize that it is a lot of work to maintain acreage. So they last a few years and then sell it.
I was under the impression that contractors and handymen charge a lot to newbies in a rural area. When people from CA move up, locals smell money and go for top dollar. Fortunately, we have skills and can do a lot of home improvement.
In the situation you mention, with a contractor shortage, it makes sense what you said about charging more for small jobs. That’s another thing I don’t like about rural areas. If a contractor is the only game in town and you can’t do the work yourself, you stand to spend a lot of money. After here, living closer to a city is a definite must.
Living rural is too homogeneous. A population of white guys in beards and flannel shirts is almost cult like. Seems strange, although people who grew up here would probably think a population including Muslims, Asians, Hindu and African Americans is strange. Living in cities like LA, Houston and Phoenix, there is a diverse population along with great ethnic restaurants. Something we can’t find in central Western Washington.
McMinnville has never been a timber town. The rural economic base is agricultural, as it always has been. The diversity of agriculture has allowed the major crops to shift many times, from green beans and sweet corn to turkeys to wine and most recently to hazelnuts.
Thanks to a progressive business community and government, the infrastructure was in place to attract light and medium heavy industry like Smith Pies and Schnitzer Steel. Jobs are not a problem in the area. Oregon's unemployment rate is about 4%, Yamhill County is at 3.1%. I think they are doing fine in the current economy.
It sounds as though they are doing a great job in attracting business. I agree, a 3 to 4% unemployment rate is excellent! I’ve been looking at the Sherwood area too.
Well that does sound good. Pinot Noir is my favorite wine and my favorite vineyards that make it are all in Oregon.
I like the Oregon ones also; Mystic Wines is my favorite most of the time, but I really appreciate a good pinot from the Loire Valley when I can get it out here, which is pretty much never unless I drive to Portland. My advice about the International Pinot Noir celebration is to get the one-day pass for Sunday instead of the whole thing. It's not just PNW vintners; they come from all over.
Last edited by Metlakatla; 12-17-2018 at 08:22 PM..
Living rural is too homogeneous. A population of white guys in beards and flannel shirts is almost cult like. Seems strange, although people who grew up here would probably think a population including Muslims, Asians, Hindu and African Americans is strange.
No I don't think they would think it is strange, but it is just the difference between cities and rural areas. I think you need to stick close to cities because it isn't cult-like to wear flannel and have a beard. We have lots of hunters and fishers in Oregon and both flannel and beards keep you warm.
You think too little of the people that live in small towns because they like a different lifestyle than you. People that live in small towns don't need a variety of restaurants. They like going to the same places, and knowing the same people. It's kind of the point of small towns: a sense of community. Not everyone wants to go out to eat. If you go and hunt your own deer, catch your own salmon, and go crabbing, you don't really need to eat out. If you liked living in LA and Phoenix, then small towns are not the right choice for you.
And no, no one gouges you because you are a newbie from California. They gouge you because we have a contractor shortage. Its supply and demand. The contractors that made it through the bust burned through most of their savings so having a chance to refill their savings isn't a bad thing.
If you walk into a community thinking these negative things about people, you won't fit in.
I find this conversation about beards weird. My daughter has lived in Portland and now outside of Portland. Beards are common among the younger generation, including doctors and other professionals from what I've seen.
I find this conversation about beards weird. My daughter has lived in Portland and now outside of Portland. Beards are common among the younger generation, including doctors and other professionals from what I've seen.
It's common among us old folks too. Most guys quit shaving entirely when they retire and it's no longer required. About half of them don't even trim their beards. I have a set of clippers and keep mine pruned, but a lot of guys don't.
As I mentioned, I wear a beard in winter because it keeps my face warm, and I spend a lot of time outside. If you are from a warm climate, or live a sedentary indoor lifestyle, a beard is probably not as useful.
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