A countywide group of conservatives on March 9 basked in the afterglow of a series of events that drew headlines as well as the ire of some local progressives.

The Hilltop Patriots, meeting in the backroom of a popular Lincoln City restaurant, recounted their flag-waving exploits during the arrival of U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) at the Lincoln City Cultural Center on March 16. The demonstration caught the attention of the Lincoln County Leader newspaper, which splashed the display of disgruntled citizens across its front page.

Some organizers of the open house tried to shut down the rally, to no avail. “They called it a ‘protest,’ but all we were doing was carrying American flags,” commented one undeterred participant. “That’s not a protest.”

The event also caused a social media stir, with opponents painting the group as “right-wing extremists” and “MAGA fanatics” in some posts. But Patriot spokeswoman Marie McFarlane said that wasn’t the case — the 60-member group has followers interested in a wide array of issues “important to everybody.”

At Tuesday’s meeting, for example, the group heard an extensive report on the curriculum of the Lincoln Co. School District. A committee of citizens from the group recently reviewed middle school and high school science books, including the bi-lingual “Experience Chemistry, Vol. 2.” The high school book passed “with no propaganda,” but the lower level tome contained dozens of one-sided views the committee deemed “political ideology” instead of science.

A guest speaker was Rick Beasley, candidate for Lincoln Co. Commission, who claimed the county’s handling of the tourism industry led to the loss of 60 jobs in January. A Depoe Bay resident who sits on the city council there, Beasley also spoke to issues such as rural sprawl, environmental threats and “other self-inflicted wounds.” The primary election is May 21