Dory Fishers Event: Kickin’ Sand & Story Tellin’
April 17 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
April 17 @ 6:00 pm - 7:30 pm
This is a free event, but due to limited seating, registration is required.
Join us on Friday, April 17th from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM at the Tillamook County Pioneer Museum for Dory Fishers—Kickin’ Sand and Story Tellin’! Joseph E. “Jay” Taylor III will facilitate a panel discussion & storytelling event with three members of the dory fleet: Ray Monroe, Steve Johnson, and Mike Sears. Light appetizers & drinks for this free event are provided and sponsored by our community partners, Tillamook County Historical Society.
Jay Taylor first visited Pacific City in 1959, joined the dory fleet in the mid-1970s, and became a full time resident in 1979. In the 1990s he completed his bachelors and masters degrees at the University OF Oregon and his PhD at the university up in Seattle. Since 1996, he has taught history and geography at Iowa State University, Simon Fraser University, and University of Portland. His most recent book is Persistent Callings: Seasons of Work and Identity on the Oregon Coast, and he is currently writing “47 Percent of the West: The Political Economy of Congressional Conservation.”
Ray Monroe is a Sandlake, Oregon local who grew up immersed in the region’s fishing and farming communities. He attended Beaver Grade School and graduated from Nestucca High School. Ray began dory fishing in 1969 alongside his grandfather and father, continuing a family tradition on the water. Today, he serves as co-chair of the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association.
Steve Johnson is a third-generation commercial fisherman who began fishing with his father, JJ Johnson, when he was just a middle schooler. Carrying on his family’s fishing tradition, Steve has been actively involved with the Pacific City Dorymen’s Association and has served as a board member for the past 20 years.
Mike Sears is a third-generation resident of Tierra Del Mar whose dory fishing experience began with his father Bill Sears who operated Sears Sporting Goods in Pacific City from 1963 to 1979. Mike’s father-in-law, Jack Gilman was a well-known local dory boat builder, further connecting Mike to the rich tradition of the Pacific City dory fleet.
