Mary McGinnis Rockaway Beach, OR City Councilor

03/03/2026

Fun time in Rockaway Beach Saturday celebrating the polar bear plunge in Lake Lytle with Special Olympics. A large crowd attended, and many of us (yes, including me) took the cold plunge for our special needs community members.

The event raised more than $10,000 for the local Special Olympics program.

Thanks to Rockaway Beach Mayor Charles McNeilly, Nehalem Mayor Phil Chick, Neah-Kah-Nie School District, and the local Special Olympics for spearheading this. Thanks to the Rockaway Beach Fire Department for providing safety patrol for the plungers.

Join us next year (last Saturday in February) as this is becoming an annual event!

02/04/2026

Rockaway Beach Fire Department made the cover and the featured article in the January Ruralite Magazine!

02/04/2026

Rockaway Beach Mayor Charles McNeilly's Monthly Report for January 2026 is live on the City website. It is full of news about how the City is working for you. Thank you to the City employees for all the work you do for Rockaway Beach. Check out the Mayor's Report and see what is going on. Read it at the Rockaway Beach City page: https://www.facebook.com/RockawayBeachCityHall/

02/01/2026

Do you know what to do in an emergency? Join the Rockaway Beach Fire and Rescue Department this Wednesday, February 4th at 6:00 PM for a presentation by the Red Cross on tips for handling an emergency or disaster. In the last Red Cross presentation, they taught us to filter water with household items. Their tips are always practical. The presentation will be in the City Council meeting room at City Hall across from the Fire Department. Address: 276 S. Hwy 101, Rockaway Beach. This Red Cross presentation is for everyone, not just Rockaway Beach folks.

01/28/2026

Rockaway Beach is becoming a North Oregon Coast Flavor Town! Rockaway is a culinary destination. In our little beach town, there are 21 food establishments, with two more opening soon. We have Eastern European flare, Indian, and Mexican, plus fresh seafood. We also have two small grocery stores and some specialty food markets for a beach picnic, STR stay, or home dining. Two of our unique restaurants are Grumpy's where you can eat breakfast until 2:00 pm every day and Sand Dollar where you can sit mere feet from the beach as you dine.

11/07/2024

Thank you, Rockaway Voters!
Thank you for supporting me as your City Councilor in this election. I look forward to working with you as we continue our progress in the City and continuing the many Councilor Conversations we have.

10/18/2024

Rockaway participated in Oregon's statewide "Great Shakeout" emergency preparedness drill. The community really turned out for this, many with their To-Go-Bags and pets. I am a member of the emergency preparedness CERT team, and we got to practice our skills. Rockaway's Fire Department Chief Hesse and Captain Grace led the way and gave us instructions. If you didn't get the drill alert information, email me at [email protected], and we can update.

10/18/2024

What a view! I spoke at a Salmonberry Trail Foundation Meet and Greet at Rockaway Beach's Sand Dollar restaurant. The sun set as I was speaking. No filters, Folks. It really was that brilliant!

10/06/2024

I have a major announcement-- I am running for reelection to Rockaway City Council (Position # 1), and I just earned a top endorsement! The Rockaway Beach and Tillamook County local employee's union, AFSCME (American Federation of State, County, and Municipal Employees) endorsed me for City Council. In their endorsement they said, "[Local AFSCME] members largely felt [some Councilors] on the current Council was doing a great job and had a plan for the City that they could both follow and get behind." Rockaway City Councilors Tom Martine (Position # 2) and Alesia Franken (Position # 4) were also endorsed. Thank you very much for the endorsement!

09/27/2024

We love living in Rockaway. What if you want to build or remodel in Rockaway? FEMA has new rules under FEMA BIOP, and Rockaway Beach is ready! Check out the picture to see what your Staff, Mayor, and City Council are doing.

09/23/2024

Rockaway rocked music Saturday! Rockaway nonprofit, NCAM (Neah-Kah-Nie Culture, Art, Music) held its first music festival in the Wayside at the beach. I am on the board of NCAM, and thanks to all the bands, artisans, food vendors, nonprofits, volunteers, DJ Rick Cheek, gift donors, and everyone else who helped make the festival a success. Local bands Eric Sappington and Mercury Coast kicked off the music, and local band N.E.Daynow closed the festival. In between bands from Portland played. My favorite festival goer comment: "This is the best event Rockaway has ever had!"

09/12/2024

Want to listen to amazing music, see art demonstrations, eat great food, launch a new cultural nonprofit, and raise money for Neah-Kah-Nie students? Rockaway's cultural nonprofit, NCAM, is hosting a music festival September 21 does all that!

NCAM EVENTSJoin us for our Launch, September 21, 2024 at the Wayside in Rockaway Beach! NCAM Launch~ FUNDRAISER ~ Join us on September 21 at the Wayside in Rockaway Beach to celebrate the launch of NCAM! Help us raise money to create events, support student scholarships, and keep our community engag...