The Ribbon Cutting Celebration was held on Friday, September 23, 2022 for the completion of the east bound McKenzie Gateway Sign after 10 years of collaborative work. Among those who spoke on behalf of this endeavor was Carol Tannenbaum: Chair of MRCC Tourism Committee, Pat Farr: LC Commissioner, Heather Buck: East LC Commissioner, Tony Casad: Board Member of the Blue River Water & Sanitation District and Blue River Park and Natalie Inouye: Travel Lane County. The Clements family graciously donated their land and spoke on how locals stand up for those in need, and are honored to provide this opportunity for the entire valley. The McKenzie River Chamber of Commerce and McKenzie Community Partnership thank all who contributed their time and donations.

The Gateway Sign is a symbol to welcome folks to The McKenzie communities. Identifying the region to help support local economy and encourage enjoyment of all The McKenzie has to offer.

“There was much discussion about the wording and how many words could be on the sign in order for it to be large enough and clear enough for drive by folks to read it quickly. It was also discussed that even though the McKenzie River is the drawing card for this area that the McKenzie is also a community, full of businesses, many beautiful sights, and activities.  I believe the goal was to make it simple to read and yet include the entire valley and what it has to offer..” — Nadine Scott, President McKenzie Chamber of Commerce

The east end Gateway Sign captures the 60 mile long “main street”. It will be located north of Clear Lake above the headwaters of The McKenzie near the intersection of Hwy 126 and US 20. The goal is to complete construction by spring. Donations are handled through McKenzie Community Partnership. Visit https://mckenziecommunity.org/donate2/ or Mail to:

McKenzie Community Partnership 

P.O. Box 406

Walterville, Oregon 97489

Memo for Gateway Sign