Jeff Merkley in Yamhill County!

Posted by Ben DuPree on August 5, 2008
100 Towns Tour for Change

This past weekend, Jeff took his 100 Towns for Change tour to scenic Yamhill County. Rolling hills with countless crops and vineyards, charming towns, and stories galore: Yamhill county was a series of fantastic stops as Jeff takes his campaign for change across Oregon.

We began the weekend in Amity, where we met with community members and enjoyed breakfast at Barb's Only Place. The owner, Barb Rowland, told us that she has run restaurants in Oregon, Alaska, and Minnesota over her 60-year career! Here's a picture of Jeff and Barb, and a picture of Jeff next to an Amity landmark:

Next, we traveled to Willamina, where we joined Senate District 12 nominee Kevin Nortness and House District 23 nominee Jason Brown on a main street walk of the town. Jeff had the opportunity to meet and greet with local business owners and residents, talking with them about how we can put Oregon and our nation back on track. Here are pictures from our stop -- Jeff greeting residents at Fat Cat Coffee and Jeff with Jason Brown.

We then jumped back in the car and went over to the Yamhill County Fair in McMinville. The turnout was great, and Jeff got to speak with people from all walks of life who came out to enjoy the fair. It was a special surprise when we came across representatives from Habtat for Humanity -- consider Jeff once ran Habitat in Portland, they had a lot to talk about! Here's are two great pictures from our stop off at the Fair:

We ended the day with stops in Lafayette and Dundee. In Lafayette, Jeff spoke at a picnic with the Yamhill County Democrats and County Commissioner candidate Kris Bledsoe. Jeff spoke about health care, ending the war in Iraq, and getting our nation back on track. Check out highlights of his talk by clicking here. Also, Jeff's longtime friend Raelene Fendall stopped by the event and was happy to share why she switched from a Republican to a Democrat to support Jeff, and how he's a man of integrity -- click here to watch what she had to say.

We closed out Saturday in Dundee, as Jeff met with members from their City Council and joined them on a main street walk to visit local business owners. Here are some great shots from both of these events:

Sunday saw us back in the saddle, returning to Yamhill County to continue our tour of this beautiful region. We began the day in Newberg, where Jeff and I attended worship at the Joyful Servant Lutheran Church. The ceremony was beautiful -- Pastor Tom Struck delivered a powerful sermon on hunger and on what we can do in our everyday lives to help end world hunger. Afterward, Jeff toured the as-yet-uncompleted new sanctuary and spoke to the congregation's members.

Next, we hit the road for Carlton, where Jeff met up with House District 24 nominee Al Hansen. Jeff and Al toured downtown Carlton, where they met with local supporters and visited with local wine growers to talk about the positive impact of Measure 49.

Jeff then rode over to the city of Yamhill and visited with local activists in Beaulah Park. The group had a lively discussion about the environment, and especially how what has worked here in Oregon can be applied on a federal level once Jeff reaches Washington D.C. Furthermore, Jeff and the group discussed the disastrous state of health care and what can be done to get our nation's health care back on track. Here are some pictures from the gathering:

Finally, we ended our tour of Yamhill County in Dayton, where we rode into the heart of wine country for a meet and greet at the Methven Family Viineyards with the members of Oregon Small Business for Responsible Leadership, a group which has endorsed Jeff's candidacy. Joined by Kurt Schrader, Jeff spoke to the group and layed out his agenda for bringing the change we need to Washington D.C. Here are some shots of the beautiful countryside around the Methven Family Vineyards:

In all, it was an eventful, whirlwind weekend through one of the best and most colorful pieces of Oregon.