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About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 27, 2017)
7A THE DAILY ASTORIAN • THURSDAY, APRIL 27, 2017 Tiller: A tiny Oregon community for sale GILLIAN FLACCUS Associated Press TILLER — In the tiny, dying timber town of Til- ler, the old cliche is true. If you blink, you might actually miss it. But these days, this dot on a map in southwestern Ore- gon is generating big-city buzz for an unlikely reason: Almost the entire town is for sale. The asking price of $3.5 million brings with it six houses, the shuttered general store and gas station, the land under the post office, undevel- oped parcels, water rights and infrastructure that includes sidewalks, fire hydrants and a working power station. Til- ler Elementary School, a six-classroom building that closed in 2014, is for sale sep- arately for $350,000. Potential buyers have come forward but are remain- ing anonymous, and backup offers are still being accepted. At a crossroad The listing represents a melancholy crossroads for Tiller, a once-bustling log- ging outpost that sprang up after the turn of the last cen- tury deep in what is now the Umpqua National Forest, about 230 miles south of Port- land. The post office opened in 1902, and miners, loggers, ranchers and farmers flocked to the community along a pristine river. By the 1940s and 1950s, there were three timber mills running, and the town expanded the elementary school and built a new gen- eral store. Then, nearly three decades ago, logging on the federal forest lands that encircle Til- ler came to a near standstill because of environmental regulations. The mills closed, and families moved away. One longtime resident began buying up properties. When he died three years ago, the family owned much of the town. Then the Tiller Elemen- tary School closed and was up for sale, as well as a small market, and the man’s estate bought those too — and the potential became clear. The listing includes more than 256 acres in 29 dis- tinct parcels, water and tim- ber rights, and a variety of zonings, from residential to industrial. About 235 people still live in the unincorporated area around Tiller, and have long relied on the buildings now for sale along historic High- way 227 as a gathering spot and one of the only places to shop for groceries in miles. “Between the dying econ- omy and the dying owners, Tiller became a new oppor- tunity that had never been available before,” said Rich- Nick Swartzendruber/LandandWildlife.com Almost all of the downtown in Tiller, a dying timber town in remote southwestern Oregon, is for sale for $3.5 million and the elementary school is for sale separately for $350,000. The asking price of $3.5 million brings with it six houses, the shuttered general store and gas station, the land under the post office, undeveloped parcels, water rights and infrastructure that includes sidewalks, fire hydrants and a working power station. AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus AP Photo/Gillian Flaccus Longtime Tiller resident Paula Ellis plays with her dogs outside her home in Tiller. Ellis spent her childhood in Til- ler hunting and riding horses and now worries about what will happen to the tiny, dying timber town. Resident Sarah Crume holds her daughter, Hallie, as sib- lings Patricia and Thomas Doolittle color nearby at the lo- cal church in Tiller. The church is one of the few buildings in downtown Tiller that is not for sale. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service LEFT: A potential buyer of Tiller has come forward but is remaining anonymous — and back-up offers are still being accept- ed. RIGHT: A crew of forest workers in Tiller in the 1930s. ard Caswell, executor of the estate. “I started getting inqui- ries from all over the world, essentially, ‘What was it? And what could you do with it?’ It’s the buyer and their imagination that’s going to determine what Tiller can become.” The potential buyers have said through the seller’s bro- ker that they intend to turn the school into some type of campus and create a “perma- THE DAILY ASTORIAN T HURSDAY E VENING A (2) (-) (-) (6) (-) (8) (9) (10) (12) (13) (-) (20) (-) (29) (30) (31) (32) (34) (35) (36) (38) (39) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (56) (57) (58) (61) (63) (64) (65) (162) L KATU KOMO KING KOIN KIRO KGW KRCW KOPB KPTV KPDX KCPQ TBS KZJO ESPN ESPN2 NICK DISN FAM FMC LIFE ROOT FS1 SPIKE COM HIST A&E TLC DISC NGEO TNT AMC USA FOOD HGTV FX CNN FNC CNBC BRAV TCM SYFY RFD (2) (4) (5) (-) (7) (-) (3) (10) (12) (-) (13) (20) (22) (29) (30) (31) (32) (34) (35) (36) (38) (39) (43) (44) (45) (46) (47) (48) (49) (50) (51) (52) (53) (54) (56) (57) (58) (61) (63) (64) (65) (162) 6 culture” development that respects the town’s remain- ing residents and its pictur- esque setting in a bend in the emerald-tinted South Umpqua River. They want to make reopening the market a priority. “The buyers understand that they only have one shot at a first impression,” said Gar- rett Zoller, principal broker for LandandWildlife.com, the seller’s realtor. “They want to address this project with the community in mind.” Future is a mystery Beyond that, Tiller’s future remains shrouded in mystery. The downtown is a ghost town, but plenty of people still live tucked into the mountains in a region where bears wan- der onto porches and where picking up a cellphone signal takes a 30-minute drive. Residents gather at the church for coffee and cinna- mon rolls on Fridays and col- lect their mail at the one-room post office — when it’s open. Some have a sense of humor: A small, weathered sign affixed to the defunct market reads, “Last one out of Tiller turn out the light.” Sarah Crume and a few other mothers cling to a sense of community by meeting with their young children for playtime at the church, LISTINGS A - Charter Astoria/ Seaside - L - Charter Long Beach one of the few places not for sale. She’s raising five daugh- ters here and had to send her younger children to school in the next closest town when Tiller Elementary shut down. “It is a little scary, espe- cially raising our kids in this place that we love,” Crume said. “I’m just wondering what kind of impact it’s going to have on the people.” Paula Ellis grew up in Til- ler on a ranch and spent her childhood hunting and rid- ing horses here. Her daugh- ters’ beds are decorated with the skins of bears they killed when they were teenagers, and the antlers of the first deer Ellis bagged hangs on a wall near the front door. She met her husband at the elementary school and recalls the annual end-of-the- year contests for the children that were dubbed the Tiller Olympics. A giant cross rises over her home from an adjacent hill- top, and Ellis lately has found herself praying. “If you do choose to live here and raise kids here, it’s a community you fall in love with,” Ellis said, wiping away tears. “And we don’t want to lose that.” For Rosemary Klep, news of the sale brought on strong emotions. Her parents built the market that’s now for sale in 1947, and she grew up camping and roaming the forests near town. Her family had the only telephone in Til- ler and, for a while, the only TV. “This town has been in dire straits for many, many years,” said Klep, 72, who now lives near Olympia, Washington. “But we loved growing up there. To us, it was a paradise.” Evening listings THURSDAY A PRIL 27 PM 6:30 7 PM 7:30 8 PM 8:30 9 PM 9:30 10 PM 10:30 11 PM 11:30 KATU News at 6 Jeopardy! Wheel of Fortune Grey's A. "Don't Stop Me Now" (N) Scandal "Mercy" (N) The Catch "The Knock- Off" (N) KATU News at 11 (:35) Jimmy Kimmel KOMO 4 News Wheel of Fortune Jeopardy! Grey's A. "Don't Stop Me Now" (N) Scandal "Mercy" (N) The Catch "The Knock- Off" (N) KOMO 4 News (:35) Jimmy Kimmel NBC Nightly News KING 5 News KING 5 News Evening Superstore (N) Powerless (N) Chicago Med "Deliver Us" (N) The Blacklist "Philomena" (N) KING 5 News (:35) Tonight Show KOIN 6 News at 6 CBS Evening News Extra Ent. Tonight Big Bang Theory Great Indoors (N) Mom (N) Life in Pieces (N) The Amazing Race (N) KOIN 6 News @ 11 (:35) Colbert KIRO 7 News CBS Evening News The Insider Ent. Tonight Big Bang Theory Great Indoors (N) Mom (N) Life in Pieces (N) The Amazing Race (N) KIRO News (:35) Colbert KGW News at 6:00 p.m. Live at 7 Inside Edition Superstore (N) Powerless (N) Chicago Med "Deliver Us" (N) The Blacklist "Philomena" (N) KGW News at 11 (:35) Tonight Show Last Man Standing Last Man Standing Modern Family Modern Family Supernatural "The Future" (N) Riverdale (N) KGW News at 10 Two and a Half Two and a Half Met Your Mother Born to Explore Business (N) PBS NewsHour Art Beat (N) Oregon Guide Midsomer M. (:45) Midsomer Murders DCI Banks "Undertow" 6 O'Clock News Family Feud Family Feud MasterChef "An Extra Serving" (N) Kicking "Survival of the Fittest" (SF) (N) 10 O'Clock News 11 O'Clock News 2 Broke Girls Mike & Molly Mike & Molly Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory FOX 12's 8 O'Clock News on PDX-TV FOX 12's 9 O'Clock News on PDX-TV Family Guy Family Guy American Dad Cleveland Show Modern Family Modern Family Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory MasterChef "An Extra Serving" (N) Kicking "Survival of the Fittest" (SF) (N) Q13 News at 10 Q13 News The Simpsons Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Seinfeld Pt. 1 of 2 Seinfeld Pt. 2 of 2 Seinfeld Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Conan (N) Two and a Half Two and a Half Last Man Standng Last Man Standng Modern Family Modern Family Q13 News at 9 Big Bang Theory Big Bang Theory Friends Pt. 2 of 2 Friends (5:00) NFL Draft "Round 1" (L) SportsCenter The day's news in the world of sports. SportsCenter SportsCenter (4:30) NCAA Baseball Louisiana State University at Alabama (L) SportsCenter SportsCenter SportsCenter SportsCenter Jalen & Jacoby Hey Rookie Hey Rookie Hey Rookie Full House Friends Friends Henry Danger Henry Danger The Thundermans The Thundermans The Last Airbender (2010, Action) Dev Patel, Jackson Rathbone, Noah Ringer. Full House Bunk'd Bizaardvark K.C. Undercover Good Luck Charlie Stuck in Middle Good Luck Charlie Liv and Maddie Liv and Maddie Bunk'd Tangled-Series Jessie Jessie Burlesque (2010, Drama) Christina Aguilera, Alan Cumming, Cher. The Perks of Being a Wallflower (2012, Drama) Emma Watson, Ezra Miller, Logan Lerman. The 700 Club (5:00) Super 8 (2011, Sci-Fi) Elle Fanning. (:20) Super 8 (2011, Sci-Fi) Amanda Michalka, Kyle Chandler, Elle Fanning. (:35) FXM Presents Hide and Seek ('05) Dakota Fanning, Robert De Niro. (:55) FXM Presents Grey's A. "Good Mourning/ Goodbye" Married at First Sight "Wedding Prep" Married1stSight (:45) Married (N) Married "The Wedding Night" (N) (:15) Married Sight Second "So Many Daters, So Little Time" (P) (N) Wild Places Mariners Access MLB Baseball Post-game NCAA Lacrosse ACC Tournament Women's Quarter-final (4:55) FIFA B.Soccer UFC Knockouts (N) UFC Unleashed "Diaz vs. Miller" MLB Whiparound (L) Speak for Yourself Skip and Shannon: Undisputed Opinions on the biggest sports topics of the day. The Hangover (2009, Comedy) Bradley Cooper, Zach Galifianakis, Ed Helms. (4:00) Yes Man Lip Sync Battle Lip Sync Battle Lip Sync Battle (N) Lip Sync Battle The Hangover (2009, Comedy) Ed Helms. Futurama Futurama South Park South Park South Park South Park Tosh.0 Tosh.0 Tosh.0 South Park The Daily Show (N) Pres. Show (N) Swamp People "Busting Chops" Swamp People "Stranded" Swamp Pp. "Brutus the Cannibal" (N) Swamp "Time's Running Out" (N) (:10) JFK Declass. "The Iron Meeting" (:10) Swamp "Time's Running Out" The First 48 The First 48 "Bad Tempered/ The Bully" The First 48 "The Other Wife" 60 Days In "Code Red" (N) 60 Days In "The Marine Test" (N) (:05) The First 48 "Blood on Bourbon" N J By Design "Classic American" My 600-lb Life "Teretha's Story" My 600-lb Life: Supersized "Teretha and Chad" (N) My 600-lb Life "Christina's Story" My 600-lb Life "Teretha and Chad" Street Outlaws Street Outlaws "Start Me Up" Street Outlaws "Doom and Gloom" (N) Street Outlaws (N) Outlaws "The Empire Builds Back" The Jungle King Tiger Wars Wild Sri Lanka "Monkey in the Clouds" Wild Sri Lanka "Sea of Giants" Wild Sri Lanka "Wake of the Leopard" Wild Indonesia "Lost Worlds" (4:00) NBA Basketb. NBA Basketball Playoffs Inside the NBA NBA Basketball Playoffs Young Guns II ('90) Kiefer Sutherland, Emilio Estevez. (5:30) Lethal Weapon 2 (1989, Action) Danny Glover, Joe Pesci, Mel Gibson. Young Guns (1988, Western) Kiefer Sutherland, Charlie Sheen, Emilio Estevez. Law & Order: S.V.U. "Pretend" Law & Order: S.V.U. "Criminal Hatred" Law & Order: S.V.U. "Monster's Legacy" Law & Order: S.V.U. "Secrets Exhumed" To Be Announced Modern Family Modern Family Chopped "Sweet Heat" Chopped "Million Dollar Baskets" Chopped "Star Power: Grand Finale" Chopped "Wild Times" Beat Bobby Flay Beat Bobby Flay Beat Bobby Flay Beat Bobby Flay Flip or Flop Flip or Flop Flip or Flop Flip or Flop Flip or Flop Flip or Flop FlipFloVegas (N) Flip or Flop House Hunters (N) House Hunters (N) House Hunters House Hunters Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014, Action) Scarlett Johansson, Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans. (5:30) Captain America: The First Avenger ('11) Chris Evans. Captain America: The Winter Soldier The Lead "The First 100 Days" Soundtracks "September 11th" (N) CNN Tonight With Don Lemon CNN Tonight With Don Lemon Soundtracks "September 11th" Anderson Cooper 360 Tucker Carlson Tonight Hannity The O'Reilly Factor Tucker Carlson Tonight Hannity The First 100 Days Shark Tank Shark Tank Shark Tank Filthy Rich Guide Filthy Rich Guide Filthy Rich Guide Filthy Rich Guide Paid Program Paid Program Beverly Hills "Reunion Part 1" Pt. 1 of 3 Beverly Hills "Reunion Part 2" Pt. 2 of 3 Beverly Hills "Reunion Part 3" Pt. 3 of 3 Housewives Atlanta "Reunion Part 1" Housewives Atl. "Reunion Part 2" 2/4 WatchWhat (N) Southern Charm (5:00) The Opposite Sex June Allyson. (:15) Our Miss Brooks (1956, Romance) Gale Gordon, Don Porter, Eve Arden. Please Don't Eat the Daisies ('60, Com) David Niven, Janis Paige, Doris Day. (:15) Bells Are Ringing Judy Holliday. The Matrix (1999, Action) Laurence Fishburne, Carrie-Anne Moss, Keanu Reeves. The Matrix Reloaded (2003, Sci-Fi) Carrie-Anne Moss, Laurence Fishburne, Keanu Reeves. SF Machinery Small Town Rural America 'Live' Steve Lantvit Rural Eve. News Market Journal GA Farm Monitor SF Machinery Small Town Time Life Library
