As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Mar 26, 2025
It's always interesting to see what Bandon celebrated over 100 years ago. The Aug. 18, 1911, Bandon Recorder urged people to vote for Queen of the Bandon Industrial and Agricultural Carnival (first photo) to be held the coming weekend.
Queen of the Bandon Industrial and Agricultural Carnival, 1911
"The Carnival Centennial has been asked a thousand times what they are going to have for the Carnival, and now in return we will ask just one favor and that is, that every citizen who has Bandon at heart, to do some little thing to help make the Carnival a success. It depends much more on the people as to whether or not the Carnival is a success, than it does on the committee. You must not expect the committee to come around and decorate your store window or store, but we hope that every store front will be decorated in a gay and appropriate manner for the occasion."
I particularly love this photo because the woman that I grew up calling "Auntie Erma" (Erma Crane Best) is the oldest girl in the photo. Years after she was gone I learned that while she was my grandmother's best friend, she was not my aunt.
An article in the same issue of the Recorder reported that the Light House Inspector had been here and "found everything about the Bandon lighthouse in the best of condition (second photo) so far as the work of the keepers is concerned.
Bandon lighthouse
"Mr. Bock was considerably surprised, however, to see how the surf was playing havoc with the lighthouse jetty, and gave it as his opinion that the lighthouse would soon be moved to this side of the river, and he has so recommended. However, he says he would have urged the proposition much stronger if he had seen the present condition before he sent in his report."
It's probably just as well he didn't see the condition the lighthouse is in today, and as we know, in spite of federal efforts, the lighthouse was never moved to a site on the bluff on the south side of the river.
The third photo was taken in November of 1956 during repair of the north jetty, when the contract called for 150 cubic yards of concrete to restore the capping and the placement of some 8000 tons of rock (third photo) for revetment on both sides of the jetty.
Repair of the north jetty, 1956
* * *
Unlike most school boards in the county, people will have a choice at the May 20 primary election with three of the five positions having two candidates.
For position one, Corrie Gant has filed against chairman David Hisel, who is also running for re-election; Claudia Dobney Powers has filed for position No. 3, as has the incumbent Stan Avery; Bandon police sergeant Matt Whitmer has filed for position No. 7, as has the incumbent Jon Sullivan. Incumbents Angela Cardas and Breanna Hutchens are running unopposed.
In the only other contested election, Lori Osborne has filed for Position one on the Bandon Port Commission as has the incumbent Rick Goche of Coquille. Commission chairman Reg Pullen has filed for Position No. 3.
For hospital, Kay Hardin and Bob Pickel have filed for their respective positions.
Running unopposed for the Bandon Rural Fire Protection District are Jeremiah Kasper and Mitch Vincent.
Running unopposed for the Bandon Cranberry Water Control district board are John Roth, Scott Vierck, John Freitag and Tyler Gagnon.
* * *
In ongoing labor negotiations between the Bandon Education Association and the Bandon School Board, the district has proposed a salary offer of 10 percent over three years, with a four percent increase the first year, and three percent for years two and three. The BEA, as part of their proposal, requested a 15 percent increase for the first year of the contract. A spokesman for the district said they expect to hear on April 8 whether the BEA has accepted their offer.
* * *
I know this is short notice, but I only learned about it myself late last week. An open house will be held Monday night (March 24) from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Barn in City Park on the City Park Master Plan.
* * *
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, March 29, at 11 a.m. in the Powers Church of God for former Bandon resident and long-time Powers resident Kenneth Stevens, who died March 20, two months shy of his 103rd birthday.
He is survived by his two daughters, Kayleen Hofsess (Ron) and Kathy (Mark) Rector, and son, Sam (Chris) Stevens, all of Powers. Also surviving are nine grandchildren, nine great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandchild. He was preceded in death by his wife, the former Phyllis Pullen Stevens, who was raised in Bandon. He joined the Navy at the age of 18 in March of 1941. His first assignment was aboard the destroyed tender USS Whitney, stationed in Pearl Harbor, and survived the Dec. 7 attack on Pearl Harbor.
* * *
A Celebration of Life for longtime Langlois resident and well-known area artist Jean Stephenson will be held Saturday, March 29, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the Langlois Lions Club, 48139 Floras Lake Loop (first building on the right after leaving Highway 101). The event will be hosted by Art by the Sea Gallery and the Langlois Lions Club.
* * *
Stephen "Stef" Beauton, long-time resident of Bandon, was recently awarded the Quilt of Valor, awarded to service personnel who have been in combat and still have disturbing memories of those times.
Beauton was 18 when he joined the Marines, and was 19 when he went to Vietnam where he and two Marine friends were ambushed. His friends died in the attack and he lost a leg.
His step-daughter Beth Simmons McShane applied, on his behalf, to the foundation who awards the quilts. Beth graduated from Bandon High in 1988 and in 1993 was crowned Miss Oregon.
The ceremony was held at the Eugene VFW, where the quilting was also done. Members of the Marine Corps League Detachment #1042 attended, as well as family and friends. Since its inception in 2003, 405,000 quilts have been awarded, according to his wife, Gail Pray.
* * *
It's that time of the year when we talk about the Kids' Hope Center, operated by Bay Area Hospital. This year's Child Abuse Prevention Program is more important than ever, according to Mary Carol Roberson of Bandon, a member of the Kids HOPE Center advisory board.
The Kids HOPE Center serves children who have been abused or are suspected of being abused. The center is primarily funded through grants and donations.
"We have been so grateful to Bandon residents and businesses for supporting KHC. This year, we are again giving our prevention posters, in case you have not saved yours from last year. You can request a poster by calling the center at 541-266-8806. Donations can be mailed to Kids' HOPE Center, 1925 Thompson Road, Coos Bay, OR 97420 or call the Center to make a credit card donation.
* * *
The annual Bash for Cash dinner and auction event, sponsored by Project Graduation, is set for Saturday evening, April 5, at 6 p.m. at the Barn in City Park. Individual tickets are $25, or a table for eight can be reserved for $200. Call or text Alicia at 541-404-0075 to purchase tickets or go to eventbrite.com.
Proceeds go toward supporting a gradation night event for members of the BHS graduating class.
* * *
I again want to stress that the American Red Cross, with assistance from members of the Bandon Rotary Club, will be installing free smoke alarms in Bandon on Saturday, April 19, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Volunteers are being sought to help with the program, and are asked to reach out to volunteer.cascades@redcross.org if they would like to volunteer. People are also advised that because they will be going into people's homes to help install the smoke alarms, they will be required to fill out information for a background check.
To schedule an appointment to have smoke alarms checked or replaced, call 541-842-4717 to leave a message with your name, address and phone number so your appointment can be confirmed.
* * *
I want to remind people about the free concert at the Sprague Community Theater Friday night, March 28, at 7 p.m. featuring Celtic harpists Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter. The event is sponsored by Bandon Library Friends and Foundation.
* * *
The Tuesday (March 25) Meet and Greet, noon, at Bandon Fisheries Warehouse will be presented by Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio on being prepared for tsunami or wildland fire events.
A representative of the Coos-Curry Transit will present the April 1 program; Southern Coos Hospital has the April 8 program; Bandon History Museum will present on April 15; An Earth Day program is set for April 22, and representatives of the popular Food Tours will present the program on April 29.
* * *
The Friends of Bandon's Park and Recreation have new officers, after the resignation of their long-time president and founder Christine Hall, who has moved to Eugene.
Laura Brownfield will be the new president, with Claudine Hundhausen to serve as vice president; Wade Troxell as treasurer, Steve Friedland, secretary; Brownfield as head of communications with Andrea Burke as a member at large, and Margaret Pounder serving as an advisor for the group.
* * *
As I write this, I believe that the German Shorthair Pointer dog, Bonnie Lass, who went missing in the east Bandon area during the Wednesday, March 19, storm is still missing. The dog had its left front leg amputated, and even though she has been spotted by several people, who tried to catch her, they were unsuccessful. The owners, who have offered a $500 reward for her return, urge people not to try and catch her as they fear it is only driving her further away. But if you see her, they ask that you call them immediately at 541-551-0377. They also ask people in the east Bandon neighborhood near Ray's and the Fitness Center to search places on their property where she might be hiding.
* * *
I saw a post on River View Gems and Gifts Facebook page that after 25 years in Bandon, this chapter of their business is coming to a close. 'In the last couple of years, we have seen a drastic slow down in the traffic through the door, and at this time its necessary for us to step away for a moment," said the owners, Phil, Joni and Haven Andrist.
They will be at the Umpqua Gem and Mineral show May 3-4, and are hoping to pick up a few shows beyond that. They thanked all who had become friends and customers over the years.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Mar 19, 2025
I always love to find a bit of history about buildings like the old Two Mile Cafe, which will soon open as the Two Mile Bistro, four miles south of Bandon on Highway 101.
In April of 1938, Inez Porter (pictured while grading cranberries years later) was scheduled for the grand opening of the building, to be known as Cherrio Gardens.
Inez Porter
But according to her father, Chris Richert, "two much music for a dance is worse than not enough." He was handling the preliminaries for the grand opening celebration.
"Through some misunderstanding, two orchestras appeared on the scene. There was dispute over which one should play and the crowd was having its say too when someone with a sense of humor dropped a nickel in the music box that stood in the corner, and thereby added further complications. It all ended up with a grand closing before the grand opening had really commenced, the latter being postponed until Saturday night, April 8, when Arkansas Smith's music makers will hold the rostrum. The 'Arkansawyers' were popular at the Azalea Gardens before the Fire."
An article on the front page of the Nov. 15, 1956, Western World explained that the steam schooner (second photo), a West Coast fixture for almost 40 years, apparently is on the way out.
Steam schooner
"E. Whitney Olson, president of the Oliver J. Olson company of San Mateo, Calif., said his line was selling two of its five schooners and turning to barges.
"In the 1920s, steam schooners carried more than two thirds of all cargo landed in San Francisco. More than 200 were built on the West Coast between 1886 and 1923, designed to get into shallow rugged lumber ports in northern California, Washington and Oregon."
Holy Trinity Catholic Church marked its 100th year ... in August of 1983 with a photo (third) in Western World celebrating the event.
Holy Trinity Catholic Church 100 yr anniversary, 1983
Gathered to celebrate 100 years of Holy Trinity were, from left, Rev. Puccinelli, North Bend; Rev. Pius, Coos Bay; Joy Flaxel, North Bend; Archbishop Power, Portland; Tony Poderis, Bandon; Rev. Vandehey, North Bend; Rev. Dale Waddill, Bandon, and Rev. Allen Kennedy, former Bandon priest now of Portland."
* * *
A 60-year-old man, Michael Finley, was arrested near Langlois last week along with 57-year-old Brookings resident Elaine Warner, in connection with the murder of a man, later identified as Larry Burkhow, whose body was found March 12 at Johnson Mill Pond, a county park between Coquille and Myrtle Point.
Support in the investigation was sought from nearby agencies, including the Oregon State Police, Coos Bay Police, Coquille Police and the Myrtle Point Police.
After pursuing several leads, authorities identified Elaine Warner as a person of interest. She was contacted in Brookings and consented to an interview, following which she was arrested on charges of second-degree murder. The second suspect, Finley, was apprehended by patrol deputies near Langlois in the early morning hours of March 15. Both remain in custody.
* * *
Last week I told readers that the Bandon Education Association was in negotiations with the school district, that would include a 15 percent raise in the first year of a three-year contract. I also explained that the entire proposal could be found at bandon.k12.or.us/district-and-bea-bargaining-2025-28.
This week I received information from the school district office, which I will share with you.
"If the Bandon School District were to approve the BEA's request for a 15% pay increase, the financial implications would be substantial, particularly in light of the district's current budgetary constraints. In the 2025-26 fiscal year, the district would incur an estimated total cost of $6,202,510 for licensed staff, with $681,000 specifically allocated for salary increases. Furthermore, as administrative contracts have historically been linked to licensed staff salary adjustments, the district would need to assess the potential financial impact of continuing this practice, which would result in an additional $310,000 increase in management salaries. This would bring the total fiscal impact for the 2025-26 year to approximately $991,000. The financial challenges would extend into the 2026-27 fiscal year, with projected licensed staff costs rising to $6,404,068. This comes at a time when the district has already made $1.6 million in budget cuts for the 2024-25 fiscal year and is expected to reduce an additional $1 million in the 2025-26 budget. Moreover, the district's overall instructional costs rose by 12% in the 2023-24 fiscal year, and total district expenses increased by 15%, while overall revenue only grew by 6%. Given these factors, coupled with the proposed salary increases, the district may face significant challenges in maintaining fiscal stability, potentially necessitating further budget cuts to licensed staff positions and essential programs in order to accommodate rising costs."
The two sides met in open session Thursday, but I do not know if progress was made in reaching an agreement.
* * *
The American Red Cross, with assistance from members of the Bandon Rotary Club, will be installing free smoke alarms in Bandon on Saturday, April 19, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.
Volunteers are being sought to help with the program, and people are urged to reach out to volunteer.cascades@redcross.org if they would like to volunteer for the event. "The Red Cross will provide all the equipment and training; we just need volunteers willing to help their neighbors," said Carisa Hettich, Executive Director, Cascade Region, American Red Cross.
To schedule an appointment on April 19 to have your smoke alarms checked or replaced, please call 541-842-4717 to leave a message with your name, address and phone number so we can confirm your appointment, said a Hettich. This is a completely free service through the American Red Cross.
* * *
Coos and Curry counties were hard hit by what the weatherman called an Atmospheric River of rain over the weekend, with people reporting a 24-hour rainfall of anywhere from 4.75 inches to 7 inches of rain. Widespread flooding closed the highway south near Sixes, as well as off and on closures of highways 42 and 38, as well as the Powers Highway.
Sunday the Coos County Sheriff's Office said "heavy rainfall on March 16 has caused significant flooding along the Coquille and Coos River drainages in Coos County. During this event, four people have been rescued from the floodwaters, as of 6 p.m. Sunday. In one instance a person drove into the floodwaters and was rescued by a Coast Guard helicopter. Floodwaters also rose around Sheriff Office vehicles requiring them to be towed out. In a second instance, floodwaters breached a home, leading to the evacuation of a family of three and a dog. Boats and jet skis were used to safely rescue them."
Ferry Creek behind Face Rock Creamery had risen to meet the pavement alongside Gemini Lounge. The former Mayor of Myrtle Point and a long-time MPSD bus driver Ranelle Allen Morris said she was seeing water in places that she had not seen it that high in 68 years.
* * *
A proposal being floated by the United Food and Commercial Workers Labor Union, Local 555, to ostensibly save Bay Area Hospital has resulted in outrage from outlying hospital districts, including Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center.
The labor union proposal, which is not endorsed or supported by the Bay Area Hospital Board, seeks to annex the current health districts serving the communities of Bandon, Gold Beach, Bookings, Coquille and Reedsport without a vote of the taxpayers in each of those districts. The proposal further suggests that a ballot measure be placed on the May 20 Special Election ballot in each of the communities included in the (enlarged) Bay Area Hospital Health District. The ballot measure would be asking for approval for funding a 5-year-tax levy to pay off a portion of the debts currently in default for Bay Area Hospital.
"Perhaps the most concerning part of the proposal is Step 3, which said that some entity, presumably Bay Area Hospital, would determine if there are profitable services at local critical access hospitals (like Bandon) that could be shut down and transferred to Bay Area Hospital. If this transfer of profitability from the critical access hospitals to Bay Area was allowed to happen, I would foresee potential closures of critical access hospitals in Southwest Oregon," said Ray Hino, CEO of Southern Coos Hospital.
"We all support the need for the long-term sustainability of Bay Area Hospital. But not at the cost of losing our hospitals in Bandon, Coquille, Gold Beach and Reedsport," he said. "We therefore support the planned corporate affiliation between Bay Area Hospital and Quorum Health."
* * *
I have learned that there will be two candidates for one of the Port commission seats that are up for election in May. Both Lori Osborne, a native of Bandon, and incumbent Rich Goche of Coquille have filed for the seat. Deadline to file for a position on district boards and commissions, like the school board and hospital board, is March 20. Reg Pullen has filed for the other seat, which he has held for many years.
* * *
The story of the Breuer building, located on the west end of First Street, which survived the Bandon Fire, will be the subject of the Meet and Greet for Tuesday, March 18, to be presented by Bandon History Museum volunteer Jim Proehl. People can gather at Bandon Fisheries Warehouse at 11:30 a.m. for the noon program.
Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio will present the March 25 program on how to prepare for tsunami and wildland fires.
A representative of Coos-Curry Transit will present the April 1 program; Southern Coos Hospital has the April 8 program; Bandon History Museum will present on April 15; An Earth Day program is set for April 22, and representatives of the popular Bandon Food Tours will present the program on April 29.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Mar 12, 2025
Things in Bandon were really booming in the mid-1930s before everything came crashing down when fire destroyed most of the town in September of 1936.
A headline in the June 6, 1935, Western World read: "Three Thousand Attend Opening Dance Here."
"The opening of the Silver Spray Gardens at Bandon (first photo) has lost none of its allurement to the people of southern Oregon and northern California, as was witnessed Saturday night.
Silver Spray Gardens
It was attended by probably the largest crowd in the history of the big dance pavilion. Traffic officers in charge of the parking in the vicinity of the hall estimated that there were some 500 more people in attendance than last year. They estimated that the crowd numbered close to 3,000.
"Many favorable comments were heard for the Silver Spray Gardens orchestra which furnished the music."
The dance hall was located in the Coquille Point area near the Wecoma Baths saltwater natatorium and cottages.
A photo in the Oct. 12, 1983, Western World shows the remodeling that had begun on the building (second photo) at Highway 101 and Elmira.
Remodeling
"The building at Highway 101 and Elmira that has withstood Bandon's two great fires is taking on a Western facade as contractors gut the interior and remodel it for three shops.
"Joe Bolduc, who is heading the project, said tentative plans are to establish a museum of local history -- focusing on ranchers and loggers -- in one of these shops, selling souvenirs to pay the bills.
"Bolduc had some suggestions for catching the eyes of passing tourist and encouraging them to stop, but some of the more blatant have been put on the shelf.
"Bolduc said he would be interested in hearing from anyone who knows the history of the building, which in recent years has housed a plumbing shop and an antique store."
The plumbing shop he refers to was Gallier Plumbing, which was located in the building at the time of the 1936 fire, with owner Ed Gallier and his wife Edith living in the back part of the building, and the showroom facing the highway.
Beth and Ed Wood operated the Country Merchant, ssslater known as Bandon Mercantile, which closed several years ago. The building is now owned by Gina Morelli of Beach Loop Realty.
I have chosen to share my favorite photo of Mike Breuer because the old Breuer building on First Street, between the old Coast Guard station and the former home of Edgewater's Restaurant, will be the subject for next week's Meet and Greet.
Mike Breuer
Jim Proehl of Bandon's History Museum will be the presenter at the noon meeting on Tuesday, March 18, with seating to open at 11:30.
When I was in junior high, Mike was still repairing shoes at the little shop on the west side of the larger building, which survived the Fire of 1936. The photo I am sharing was taken of Mike when he celebrated his 90th birthday in January of 1950. He died two years later at the age of 92.
* * *
I learned that Beth Louise Handley, BHS Class of 1976, died last week in Portland after a lengthy illness. Classmate Linda Kistner posted a beautiful tribute to Beth on Facebook this week, pointing out that they were with the class that survived the arson fire that destroyed their high school in 1974, and were members of the first class to graduate from the new high school.
Beth is survived by her husband Bill Merk, daughters, Sierra and Aven and their partners, her mother Louise Handley, and siblings, Jennifer, Rick and Michael. Her father, the late Dick Handley, taught and coached here for many years.
I also learned that long-time Bandon resident Libby (Elizabeth) Merritt died Feb. 28 at her home near Franklin Avenue in Bandon. Libby, who worked for years at Fraser's Restaurant and also cleaned homes and offices for Bandon people, would have been 95 in June.
She is survived by her son, Harold Merritt and daughter-in-law Dana, Coos Bay; and her daughter, Deborah Metzger and son-in-law David Metzger, Selah, WA. Her son Roger died in 2014.
* * *
The Bandon High School girls basketball team finished third in the state in the 2A state tournament, held last week in Pendleton. They opened the tournament Thursday by stunning the number one team in the state, Stanfield, 43-39, before falling to Salem Academy in the semi-finals 43-34. They defeated Weston-McEwen 47-43 to bring home the third place trophy.
Makenna Vierck, a senior, and Caitlyn Michalek, a junior, were selected to the All-State Tournament First Team. Other members of the team, coached by Jordan Sammons and Daniel Senn, include Safaa Dimitruk, Jordyn Llewellyn, Olivia Kraynik, Jazmyn Llewellyn, Sunny Thompson, Alex Butler, Gracie Sullivan, Brylee Butts, Marlie Carmack, Shasta Johnson and Gracie Miller.
Vierck and Butler are seniors.
* * *
If you saw the police and an ambulance at Rogue Community Credit Union Friday afternoon, you may have wondered what happened. A black SUV, driven by 76-year-old Harvey Vic Kelly of Jackie Road, Bandon, apparently lost control, jumped the curb and crashed into the front of the Credit Union building.
Fortunately no one was injured, although Mr. Kelly was checked out by personnel at Coast Community Health Clinic, located in the same building, which they recently purchased from Robin and Geneva Miller.
I took some great photos, and posted one on Facebook, but did not know how to share one on this page.
* * *
Bandon's planning director Dana Nichols is leaving the City, according to an announcement made at the Coos County Planning Commission meeting last Thursday night by Planning Director Jill Rolfe.
Dana reportedly was married in mid-February and will be leaving the City effective June 1.
The city council has not officially been notified, although the city manager did share the information with me several weeks ago, but said it was confidential.
Rolfe told the audience that Nichols was burned out and needed a break from politics.
* * *
The newest member of the board of directors of Southern Coos Hospital, Kay Hardin, was walking her dog on the beach one day last week when she was knocked to the ground by an unleashed dog.
She called the police, but left after about 10 minutes nursing a number of bruises, so she is not sure if anyone responded to her call.
The law, of course, requires that a dog be under control of the owner on the beach, which does not appear to be the case in this incident, or others which we have heard and read about over the years. One more reason to carry pepper spray ....
* * *
I saw a Facebook post last week that said someone had kicked in the door at Angelo's, located on Chicago Avenue in Old Town, and stole money out of the cash register, which required them to close for a couple of days while they repaired the door.
* * *
The Bandon Education Association and the Bandon School District have entered into negotiations for the new BEA contract. The next bargaining meeting is open to the public, and will be held Wednesday, March 12, at 4 p.m. in the BHS cafeteria, 435 Ninth St.
I have a copy of the lengthy proposal, which seeks a 15 percent wage increase this year, with COLAs for the next two years of the contract.
I had planned to share more information about what the teachers are asking for, but wanted to provide the district's response as well, which is forthcoming as the superintendent has been out of the district at a state meeting.
People can find the entire proposal at bandon.k12.or.us/district-and-bea-bargaining-2025-28.
* * *
This is a reminder that there is still time to file for school board, port or hospital board seats, with a deadline of 5 p.m. March 20 for the May 20 election.
Lori Osborne has announced that she will be seeking the port commission seat currently occupied by Rick Goche, who is not running for re-election. Chairman Reg Pullen will run for the position he has held for many years.
* * *
Although there was no decision to limit the sale and use of legal fireworks, following a discussion at the Bandon City Council meeting Monday night, Police Chief Cory Dhillon said his department will make several announcements, "that we will increase our presence and have increased manpower and patrols to police illegal fireworks."
* * *
People are reminded that Bandon Showcase will present the Arcis Saxophone Quartet tonight (Monday, March 10) at the Sprague Theater, with the show to begin at 7:30. General admission is $35 and tickets are available at Eventbrite and at the door, starting at 6:30 program.
* * *
Ray Hino, CEO of Southern Coos Hospital and Health Center, will be the speaker for the March 11 Meet and Greet at Bandon Fisheries Warehouse, with seating to open at 11:30 a.m. and the program to start at noon. There are a lot of new and innovative things happening at the hospital, and you don't want to miss this informative program.
March 18 is the Bandon History Museum program, and March 25, the speaker will be Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio, who will talk about how to prepare for a tsunami or a wildland fire.
* * *
If you've never been to the Sprague Community Theater, or even if you're a regular, you are advised of a free concert featuring Celtic harpists Lisa Lynne and Aryeh Frankfurter, set for Friday, March 28, at 7 p.m., sponsored by Bandon Library Friends and Foundation.
I have heard them before, and they are great. You don't want to miss their rare instruments and wondrous stories.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Mar 05, 2025
I know I wrote about this a few years ago, but only shared one photo at that time, and people have been asking me about the pink building east of Face Rock Creamery lately, so I decided to share the story again.
It was back in May of 1957 when the Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op was planning to expand, and they needed the adjacent feed store to move. Rather than tear it down or burn it down, they decided to move it on the stringers across Ferry Creek to its new home on the east side of Grand Avenue, where it still sits today. But it wasn't without problems as evidenced by the photos.
Ordinarily a story like this would have been the top story in Western World, particularly with the number of photos taken by my uncle Lou Felsheim. But it was a small item on the bottom of the page because the big headline reported that the Langlois Cheese Factory, home of the famous Blue Vein cheese, had burned to the ground.
In the caption for moving the building, my uncle pointed out that what started out as his recording progress of the move ended up with a picture of trouble.
"The building is the feed warehouse at the Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op plant here. The feed business is operated by the Coos-Curry Farmers Co-op, for which Kenner Giles is the local manager," reported the article.
One of the photos in the paper showed the building about half way over the creek, being pulled by truck winch (first photo).
Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op being moved across Ferry Creek
"On Thursday morning, when the east side of the building was out on the timbers, the big sticks snapped and the south end of the structure fell into the creek (second photo).
Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op falling into Ferry Creek
"Later, the big wrecker from Art Aldropp's Garage at Langlois was used to help lift the fallen end of the building so it could be shored up again."
The third picture shows the way it has looked for the last 68 years.
How it looks now
After the death of Cheryl Gagnon last August, the building, commonly known as the pink building, is for sale and the merchandise is being sold at reduced prices.
If that building could talk, it would have quite a story to tell ...
* * *
If you were in the vicinity of Southern Coos Hospital Saturday afternoon, you might have seen a large law enforcement presence, who had stopped a white SUV on 11th Street at the intersection of Indiana Avenue.
The story started earlier in the day in Coos Bay.
On March 1 at 5:48 a.m. the Coos Bay Police Department responded to the 200 block of North Main Street in Coos Bay for a report of a dispute. Officers arrived in the area to find a resident standing alone in his yard. The resident reported that a man and a woman, identified as 27-year-old Lanie Denton of North Bend and 41-year-old Joshua Felker of Coquille, attempted to steal his vehicle. During the attempt to steal the victim's vehicle, a shot was fired by the suspects, but the victim was not injured. The suspects had fled the area by the time Coos Bay officers arrived on scene.
At 1:57 p.m. the Bandon Police Department located the suspects and their vehicle and arrested them on a number of charges, including robbery, attempted first degree assault, attempted unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, menacing, felon in possession of a firearm, unlawful possession of a controlled substance, disorderly conduct and interference with making a report.
In the press release, the Coos Bay police thanked the Bandon Police Department for aiding in the case.
* * *
In the past week, there have reportedly been two high-speed motorcycle chases in the Bandon area. In the first one, which involved a motorcycle in the Laurel Grove area, Michael Daniel Farnham was charged with elude, felony in possession of a stolen weapon, UUMV and driving while suspended following a high speed chase by a Bandon police officer. The motorcycle was registered to Aiden Windhurst, but it was reported that the plate did not match the VIN number on the motorcycle, instead dated back to a 2010 Yamaha stolen out of Klamath Falls in October of 2024.
In the second chase, a Feb. 25 press release from the Coos County Sheriff's Office reported that shortly after 9:30 p.m., Sgt. Matt Whitmer had attempted to stop a speeding motorcycle on Highway 101, but the cyclist accelerated at a high rate of speed heading south. Several deputies were dispatched to assist in the chase.
The motorcycle veered off Highway 101 onto Bethel Mountain Lane, where deputies began searching for it. Deputy Z. Smith arrived at an abandoned residence that had two vehicles parked outside. He noticed a spray-painted black Toyota 4-Runner in the garage, with a man exiting the driver's side.
Upon seeing the deputy, the man quickly returned to the driver's seat. The deputy detected a strong odor of fresh spray paint emanating form the garage and noted that the vehicles lacked license plates.
Based on previous encounters, Deputy Smith recognized the male as 35-year-old Daniel Drews. During their conversation, he noticed that the vehicle had originally been red and recalled a recent report of a stolen red 4-Runner.
Moments later two more deputies arrived to provide backup. North Coos Dispatch confirmed that the vehicle was stolen, leading to Drews arrest.
"A search of Drews revealed a blue substances believed to be fentanyl, as well as brass knuckles concealed in his back pocket. Additionally, deputies checked a silver Ford F-250 parked behind the 4-Runner, discovering that the license plates did not match. The VIN check confirmed that this vehicle was also stolen," according to the press release.
Drews was transported to the Coos County Jail for booking on two counts of unlawful use of vehicle, two counts of possession of a stolen vehicle, carrying a concealed weapon and possession of fentanyl. Both vehicles were towed to be returned to their rightful owners, concluded the press release.
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I have learned that former resident Tracie Hiley, a member of the BHS Class of 1982, died recently. She was the daughter of Harvey and Betty Hiley, and the sister of Susan Hiley and Rudy Hiley.
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The Bandon High School girls basketball team defeated Enterprise 35-27 Friday night in the Class 2A playoffs. Caitlyn Michalek scored 10 points to lead the Tigers, in what Coach Jordan Sammons described as a well-balanced attack. Coach Sammons is assisted by Daniel Senn.
As a result of the win, the Tigers will play No. 1 Stanfield Thursday (March 6) at 1:30 p.m. at Pendleton High School in the 2A state playoffs. In the other playoff game, East Linn Christian will play Salem Academy at 3:15 p.m., with the winners of the two games playing March 7 at 1:30 at the Pendleton Convention Center. The championship game will be March 8 at 5:45 p.m. at the Pendleton Convention Center.
In other area action, East Linn Christian defeated Myrtle Point 52-28 Friday to end the Bobcats season.
Class 1A Powers and Pacific both suffered road losses in the first round Tuesday to end their seasons.
Coquille beat Yamhill-Carlton 48-26 in the 3A state playoffs, led by Holli Vigue and Synthia Salazar. Coquille will face top-ranked Amity in the quarterfinals Thursday (March 6) at 1:30 in the North Bend High School gym.
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Class of 2024 Bandon High graduate Katelyn Senn has been recognized as Bandon's current school record holder for the most career points with 1,264. Coach Sammons congratulated Katelyn and her former teammates on the accomplishment.
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You don't want to miss the Bandon Showcase concert, featuring the Arcis Saxophone Quartet, this Monday (March 10) at the Sprague Theater.
The ensemble transports audiences with an enigmatic blend of original material, classical pieces and Broadway show tunes. Their seamless blend of classically informed musicianship and contemporary energy will transform your notion of saxophone sound.
Tickets are $35 and can be purchased at the door or in advance at Eventbrite. The box office opens at 6:30; the doors to the auditorium open at 7 and the show starts at 7:30. Visit BandonShowcase.org for info.
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This week's Meet and Greet will feature Kelley Andrews and Gary McElroy of the Coos County Amateur Radio Club, with people to gather at 11:30 for the noon program at Bandon Fisheries Warehouse. The men will have some radio "show and tell" items there, as well.
Coming up, Ray Hino, CEO of Southern Coos Hospital, will be the speaker at the March 11 Meet and Greet.
Bandon's History Museum will put on the March 18 program. Learn the story of "The Breuer Building," and the family that built it. Join museum volunteers for a photo-rich story of a building, just down First Street from the Bandon Fisheries Warehouse, which is on the National Register of Historic Places. It was one of few to survive the Fire of 1936.
Sheriff Gabe Fabrizio will be the March 25 speaker, with information about tsunami and wildland fire preparedness.
Other events coming up include a benefit crab feed at the Bandon Fisheries Warehouse, March 8, with donations going to the Bandon and Port Orford booster clubs. Tickets are $60.
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Don't forget if you are interested in running for one of the many boards and commissions (port, school board, hospital board, fire board), the deadline to file is March 20 for the May 20 election.
School board seats open are those held by Dave Hisel, Angela Cardas, Stan Avery, Briana Hutchens and Jon Sullivan. Hospital seats open are those held by Bob Pickel and by Kay Hardin, who was appointed to fill a vacancy at the last hospital board meeting. Hardin, who is not related to the Hardin Optical family, moved to Bandon four years ago, and is a retired nurse.
Port commission chairman Reg Pullen told me this week that he plans to file for re-election. The other open seat is held by Rick Goche of Coquille.
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The next program sponsored by Shoreline Education for Awareness is Saturday, March 15, at 10 a.m. at the Bandon Library Sprague Room, and will feature Pinnipeds, presented by biologist Susan Riemer. Come in person or join by zoom: https://sea-edu.org/webinars-2/.
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People are reminded that the issue of whether or not to ban fireworks (with the exception of the community display on the Fourth) will be discussed at the city council meeting Monday night, March 3, at 7 p.m.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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