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At the May 12 meeting of the Forks City Council, Vilkesh Patel stood proudly as he took the oath of office, officially becoming the newest member of the city council. Sworn in by District Court II Judge Bruce Hanify, Patel stepped into Position 1, recently vacated by Nettie Grant, bringing with him not just a new face, but a personal American journey.
“I am excited and will do my best,” said Patel, after the ceremony. “My family is excited, this is a very proud moment for all of us.”
Patel’s story began in India, where he was born before immigrating to the United States with his parents nearly two decades ago. The family first settled in New York, then Connecticut, and eventually Texas, where Patel’s father worked as a construction manager building hotels. But the 2008 housing crash hit hard, drying up opportunities and forcing the family to reconsider their future.
“At that point, we thought our dream of staying in the U.S. might be over,” Patel recalls.
Then came a fateful visit to Seattle in May 2011 to see relatives. During the trip, they discovered several small lodging businesses for sale in the quiet town of Forks, WA. Inspired by the potential, they took a leap of faith.
“We decided it could be a project my father and I could take on,” he said.
Later that year, the Patels purchased the Town Motel. What followed was hard work, expansion, and renovation. They went on to acquire the Far West Motel, upgrading the property with new cabins, RV spots, guest showers, and on-site laundry. Today, their businesses, situated at both ends of Forks, employ nine people year-round, with additional help during the busy summer months.
“I want our businesses to make a good impression for visitors entering town,” said Patel. “It’s important that Forks feels welcoming from every direction.”
Patel, an engineer by training like his father, has found joy in growing his family and business in Forks. He and his wife Nidhi, who works at Forks Outfitters, have a 7-year-old son. His parents, Bipinbhai and Ushaben Patel, also live in town. Despite the dramatic climate shift from Houston, and an even greater one from India, the family has embraced the lush, cool environment of the Olympic Peninsula.
“We love the weather here. Houston is so hot, and India is even hotter!” he said, laughing.
Yet the cultural shift wasn’t always easy. “It was much harder for my wife, she came straight from India,” Patel said. “It was a bigger culture shock for her.”
Despite those challenges, Forks has become home. Patel became a U.S. citizen with a sense of purpose.
“I felt I couldn’t complain about anything if I wasn’t a citizen and voting.”
Now as a city council member, Patel is eager to give back to the town that welcomed his family. He brings a practical, business-focused mindset to the council and hopes to promote winter tourism, improve the playground in the park, and support small business growth.
He also emphasizes his commitment to supporting the local economy.
“I’ve always tried to use local contractors for our projects,” he said, noting the recent completion of eight new units at the Town Motel.
In his downtime, Patel enjoys wildlife photography, a passion he plans to pursue further with a future trip to Africa. He’s already captured tigers and other wildlife during trips back to India, which the family still visits several times a year.
And when it comes to food, Patel stays true to his roots. “I still prefer Indian food—it’s much healthier,” he said, naming Pav Bhaji, a spicy vegetable spread served with toasted bread, as a favorite dish.
With his family by his side and deep gratitude for the opportunities found in Forks, Patel is ready for this new chapter.
“This is a proud moment—not just for me, but for my whole family,” he said. “I’m the first in my family to serve in local government. There’s still a lot to learn, but I’m ready.”
As Forks continues to evolve, Patel’s story is a reminder of the power of the ever-evolving American dream.
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