Rural Congress to meet again

After a gathering earlier this summer that was, by all accounts, a success, the Oregon Rural Congress has already scheduled a second session.

Rural leaders, concerned community members and other stakeholders will convene in Coos Bay/North Bend on Dec. 5 to further discuss how better to bring rural Oregon’s concerns to a state and national platform.

The meeting will run from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Mill Casino off Highway 101.

While additional input on these themes will be accepted at the second congress, participants will primarily talk about transportation and rural financing.

Union County Commissioner Colleen MacLeod, one of the major organizers of the Rural Congress, said summary sheets from the first meeting, as well as from similar brainstorming sessions of the Eastern Oregon Rural Alliance, will be available for participants in the Coos Bay/North Bend round.

The ultimate goal of the Rural Congress’s problem-solving forum are practical suggestions to be incorporated into a report bound for legislators, media and other relevant parties.

Registration costs $50. For more information, contact MacLeod at 963-1001 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Or visit the website of the Eastern Oregon Rural Alliance (www3.eou.edu/alliance), where the meeting brochure and registration form can be downloaded.

Those registering for lodging at the Mill Casino for the Rural Congress will receive a discount if they do so before Nov. 22.