As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Apr 29, 2020
Jim Proehl is continuing to scan in negatives from my collection, and this is one he found in the last couple of weeks. It shows the former Gene Bifano's Market being torn down to make way for Security Bank in October of 1973. Today it is the home of Umpqua Bank on the SE corner of 11th and Highway 101.
Gene Bifano's Market being torn down, 1973
When I was in grade school in the 1940s it was a special Christmastime treat to cross the highway from Ocean Crest Grade School to be treated to a Christmas goodie from Mr. Bifano, who played Santa every year.
Mr. Bifano immigrated to this country from his residence in Italy in June of 1921, moving to Bandon in 1934, and becoming a naturalized citizen in 1940.
When he first arrived in Bandon he worked as a janitor for the Bank of Bandon, which at that time was on First Street. He started a shoe-shine business which he ran until he was burned out in the fire of 1936. He moved to Coquille after the fire, but returned in the spring of 1941 where he leased and later bought the small store and motel from Ed Rauschert. He died of a heart attack in 1956.
Later Ron Anderson operated a saw shop in the building.
To the right of the building, you can see Kaping's Florist, which is now Bandon Floral and Gift.
I do not have an exact date for the second picture, but it was probably taken into the early or mid '60s before the first set of restrooms were built on the South Jetty in April of 1965.
South Jetty restrooms, 1960s
The original restrooms, which replaced these fancy "outhouses" were built as a joint undertaking of the county, city and the Port of Bandon. The Port had donated part of the land to the county, who in turn constructed the building and hauled in many yards of rock to build a retaining wall between the beach and the parking area. The city furnished the water for the facility, which included a drinking fountain.
The restrooms were vandalized repeatedly over the years until the new concrete structure that is down there now was built, although I am not sure what year that was.
The City eventually took over the South Jetty park and the road leading to the jetty, which the county gladly relinquished as the repeated vandalism and upkeep of the road was a big financial burden.
The third picture I am sharing is that of Harvey Hiley, a Bandon native who died April 21 at the age of 92. Although his obituary has not yet appeared there was a lot of interesting information in an article in Western World in 1980 when he was featured in a "Meet Your Neighbor" column. Harvey and his late wife, Betty, had three children, Susan, Tracy and Rudy.
Harvey Hiley, a Bandon native
At the age of 17, Harvey joined the Navy and saw parts of the world. After two years in the Navy he returned to Bandon and completed high school.
As long-time supervisor of the Hydro Electric Department for the City of Bandon, Harvey began as a meter reader and groundman. Later he was a lineman which led to his being hired as supervisor.
Harvey was born in Bandon, and he remembered his parents telling how they came here in 1920 on the river boat Charm. His father worked at the Jack Albertson Mill, and he drove a team to haul sawdust. His mother, Ruth, found time to work on the election board and still raise seven children.
The last time I saw him was at Mary Capps Day at the museum Nov. 29, and although he was a bit frail, he was in good spirits,. He was truly "one of the good ones."
* * *
It's been quite a week, although lately it seems that I have had a lot of those. Most people have already heard that after the Coos County Commissioners voted to open up the county to short-term rentals, the city followed suit and agreed to lift our restriction as of May 1, on a 4-2 vote (with Madeline Seymour and Geri Procetto voting against the motion). But it has generated a lot of feedback and signatures on a petition started by Kim Jonas asking that we reconsider and wait until at least May 11 to make a decision when we have had time to establish guidelines and restrictions to protect our people from the threat of Covid-19.
Frankly, I think that is a good idea, and I know the chamber CEO Margaret Pounder has been working closely with the motel, hotel and inn owners this weekend to put something in place to present to the council. She is in the process of securing masks and hand sanitizer which will be shared with the lodging facilities. Both employees and guests will be asked to use masks.
There were a lot of comments on Facebook, many of which I have not yet read, but I know they numbered in the hundreds on both sides of the issue, as would be expected. There does, however, seem to be some misunderstanding as to who has the authority to do what.
Over a month ago, the county commissioners talked with Governor Brown, who said that she would not regulate short-term rentals, probably because for many areas of the state, it was not perceived to be a problem. She said she would leave it up to each county, and ultimately each city, as to what they wanted to do.
In making the decision, Coos County Commissioner Melissa Cribbins is quoted as saying: "what we don't want to do is draw a bunch of tourists to the area, but the county is going to have to reopen for business at some point." Cribbins added that she had talked to Bay Area Hospital, hotel people, health care providers and city council people before making the decision.
But neither the county nor the cities have anything to say about when non-essential businesses will be allowed to open back up, including restaurants and bars, or when the campgrounds and beach accesses will be opened. That is the decision of the Governor. It does appear that as part of her phase one plan, she will allow restaurants to reopen but with strict distancing requirements.
She did say that hospitals can resume doing elective medical procedures, as of May 1, and dental labs can open, but again with restrictions.
It is sad that the only confirmed cases of the virus have occurred after an inmate was transferred into the Shutter Creek Correctional Facility in North Bend, with the number of confirmed cases now reaching 11 or 12. As far as I am concerned, we can blame the state for that decision!
I have asked that we hold a special council meeting at 4 p.m. on Tuesday to talk about rescinding our decision to remove the restriction effective May 1, to give us time to put in place some strict guidelines for short-term rentals to follow. And that is the work that Margaret and the motel owners are working on. The motel owners I have heard from are just as anxious to protect their employees and guests as is the community.
Unfortunately because of the state restrictions on large gatherings, people who want to listen in or testify will be asked to utilize Zoom, and that will probably mean contacting our administrative assistant Beth Hager at City Hall for directions as to how to do that.
I can assure people that we have heard the message loud and clear.
* * *
On the same issue, the city contacted Southern Coos Hospital before its last council meeting to let them know we were considering lifting the restriction. The district's spokesman Scott McEachren said, in part: "Regarding the discussion over the short-time rental ban, SCHHC recommends that the City offer specific guidance to lodging businesses to follow before and after resumption of short-term rentals. This guidance is consistent with the Governor's framework for reopening Oregon.
"SCHHC recommends that people continue to practice social distancing, practice good hygiene, consider using face coverings in public and at businesses, and stay home if sick. Specifically to employers, we recommend that employers develop and implement appropriate policies for social distancing, access to protective equipment and appropriate sanitation. A key component of owners and mangers is to continue to monitor their workforce for COVID-like symptoms and act quickly if any arise.
"SCHHC is available to work closely with the City and local businesses on providing effective screening and preparedness procedures to ensure the safety of residents and visitors alike," said McEachren.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Apr 22, 2020
I love the first picture I am sharing this week of the old grandstand at the Bandon High School football field, known as Dave Miller Field, named for the many contributions of the long-time Moore Mill & Lumber Co. owner, D.H. Miller. Mr. Miller died in March of 1966 at the age of 82 after years as a pillar of the community.
Old grandstand at Bandon High School, 1979
When the stadium was built many years earlier, the lumber was donated by Moore Mill, for the structure, which was built by volunteers. By the time this photo was taken in 1979, it was way past its prime and ready to be torn down. Several years earlier, in September of 1977, I had addressed the condition of the stadium in my As I See It column prior to a visit by the Workmen's Compensation Department structural engineer, who was to determine whether the stadium was any longer safe for occupancy by the Tiger fans. Not to mention those of us who had climbed the ladder on the back part of the building to access the roof-top press box.
Riddled by termites, dry rot and post beetle rot, the stadium was nearly condemned in 1976 after inspectors revealed that it was in very poor condition, according to then superintendent, Irv Easom. The only reason it survived is because the inspector said he did not have the authority to condemn it.
The main concern was that the pinnings holding up the roof might give way, sending the roof, and its press box occupants, down onto the fans below.
I had really begun to question the safety when I saw the large number of people on the roof that Saturday in 1977, not to mention the heavy TV equipment, remembering back three years earlier when only a limited number of people had been allowed on the roof .... and wondered in my column what had happened to those restrictions.
Maintenance supervisor Bill Haynes had explained that there was no way to correct the structural damage, which started at the base and spread throughout.
Some felt the district should not "rock the boat" because "football is pretty important in Bandon."
My question was: "How could anything be more important than the safety of a large share of the community?"
Clearer heads prevailed, and the structure was torn down, later to be replaced by the metal risers on the south side of the field and the metal structure on the north side.
Those of us who loved the old wooden structure would have to agree that it could never be replaced and we still relive many of the exciting games played on that field over the years.
The second photo was taken in June of 1960 during the grand opening of the new Style Shop on the corner of 10th and Highway 101.
Style Shop, 1960
Owners Belle Shortridge and Gertrude Greenwell had moved from the small location downtown (next to the Masonic building) to the larger, redecorated building formerly occupied by Bandon Appliance & TV near the Western Bank..
Today that is part of the larger building being remodeled by Pacific Properties of Coos Bay.
The Style Shop was later owned by Marvin and Carol Manes, and then by Max and Mary Peabody. This photo was taken before the lounge was built on the south end of Gerry's (later Fraser's) Restaurant (now Asian Garden) and you can see the south end of Ocean Crest School on the right side of the photo.
The third photo was taken in June of 1962 as Archie Rosa, seated with wife Esther, retired from Western Bank after 39 years with the bank. Pictured with the Rosas is W.J. Sweet, long-time officer of the bank, which began as Bank of Bandon in 1904.
Archie & Esther Rosa, W.J. Sweet, 1962
Archie's father, R.H. Rosa, moved to Bandon in 1874. He operated a store at Randolph until 1883 when he built his sawmill south of the mouth of Ferry Creek, which he operated until 1911. R.H. Rosa was elected to the Oregon State Legislature in 1876. Archie was one of four children born to R.H. Rosa and his wife, the former Viola Lowe.
Archie had gone to work for Bank of Bandon as a bookkeeper in 1917, and he had worked there continuously except for a period from 1933 to 1939, when he worked as an appraiser for the Federal Land Bank for one year, and then worked for W.J. Sweet in Sweet Timber Co. He and his wife, the former Esther Solve, had one daughter, Betty, who was married to Wesley Jarvis.
* * *
It's been a bad year for the City of Bandon financially, made a lot worse lately by the fact that no TOT (transient occupancy tax) is being collected by our local motels and vacation rental dwellings. In some jurisdictions, that would not seem to be a big problem, but considering that last year the city received about $600,000 in TOT dollars, compared to just a little over $200,000 in property taxes (from a .46 cent a thousand tax rate), it is a big hit. For many years, the TOT has been a large part of the city's revenues, collected from a six percent tax on lodging. Of the money collected, 20.7 percent goes to the Chamber of Commerce.
Coos Bay and North Bend recently increased their TOT to 9 percent, and it is time that the City of Bandon looked to increase our tax as it becomes harder and harder to balance the budget.
Although the current 6 percent tax does not come under the state restrictions that came about after Bandon first instituted its TOT many years ago, any new revenue would come under the law, which mandates that 70 percent of the tax has to go to tourist-related functions while the other 30 percent can go into the city's general fund. It may well be that some of the costs associated with operating the Barn, the Sprague Theater and the Trolley could be paid for with TOT dollars, as well as maintaining the visitor center building, which is owned by the City.
* * *
Several weeks ago I promised to share an interesting article about the fog horn which I had found in the Aug. 24 1915, issue of the Bandon Recorder.
"The fog horn at the lighthouse had inopportunely gone wrong and a whistle was brought into play as a substitute. The tug was still outside and Guardsman Jameson with a hand bell was on the far end of the south side jetty to make what noise he could to help the boats outside keep their bearings. James Walstrom also brought out a shot gun in the hope that its repeated discharges would be of service. The shots of the guns served to call people from the city who thought a wreck must be the occasion. But the fog lifted, soon lessening the cause of alarm. Both the Brooklyn and the tug remained on the outside all night and came in with the Saturday morning tide."
Jim Walstrom was the father of Margaret (Mrs. Robert) Norton, mother of the late Barbara (Mrs. Jack) McMahon.
* * *
I was sorry to learn of the death of Janell Leach Ebert, a member of the Class of 1968, who passed away April 14 in Portland from complications of leukemia. Janell, who was the daughter of Marvin and Esther Leach, was the last surviving member of five children, including Elwyn, Karlan, Loren and Lans. She and her husband Terry, had two children, who survive.
* * *
People keep asking me when the "shelter at home" restrictions might be lifted by the state, and I can truthfully say I do not know. What I do know is that the Governor is looking at the rural areas of Oregon, which are certain to open sooner than the metropolitan areas, but thus far, she has not given any date certain.
I know that many are hoping that hospitals will once again be allowed to handle non-essential surgeries as many struggle just to stay alive.
Each week, hundreds of elected officials are on a conference call with the League of Oregon Cities, the governor's office, the Oregon Health Authority, Small Business Association and other key players.
Better late than never, but the CDC has now advised people to wear masks when out in public, particularly in places like grocery stores where they may encounter larger numbers of people.
The wearing of masks seems like a small price to pay for the health and safety of us all. And I believe it could help us open our businesses sooner if we wear masks, religiously wash our hands and practice social distancing. And if you do have a compromised immune system, you need to do what is necessary to protect yourself from Covid-19 which may mean not going out in public. Those can be individual choices based on your health. But it cannot be "one size fits all."
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Apr 15, 2020
I love this first picture which is really out of a bygone era: a wigwam burner. This picture was taken at the Rogge Lumber Co. sawmill south of Bandon, which received statewide publicity in the spring of 1972 when owner Ken Rogge threatened to shut down his mill rather than pay stiff fines imposed by the Department of Environmental Quality.
Rogge Lumber Co., 1972
An article in the April 6, 1972, Western World explains that "the fines concerned the operation of three wigwam burners, which were shut down at 4 p.m. on March 31 in accordance with an agreement between Rogge and the DEQ.
"When contacted for a statement Wednesday morning, Rogge said, 'We are in the process of obtaining a land-fill permit to dispose of the waste, but as of today we haven't received it yet.' He added that the waste is now 'being dumped at the mill site.'"
According to a later article, it appeared that two of the wigwam burners may have been at Rogge's sawmills in Port Orford.
Records showed that DEQ had requested compliance with the anti-air pollution requirements in February 1971. "A full year later, DEQ informed the company it would be fined $500 a day if a compliance plan wasn't submitted by Feb. 28. It was then that Rogge announced plans to shut down its sawmill operations completely. DEQ responded that the company would still face civil penalties unless it made satisfactory plans to dispose of wood wastes on hand at the time of shutdown."
Rogge operated sawmills in the area for over three decades and was highly regarded as a lumberman, a businessman and a human being.
In his book about Bandon, author Dow Beckham says: "The lumber industry and Coos County workers suffered a great loss when Ken Rogge died Sept. 20, 1986. Without his dynamic leadership the business that Rogge established 'wound down' and closed in the early 1990s."
The second photo appeared in the Jan. 10, 1974, Western World under the headline "Seaplane Rescued."
Seaplane rescue, 1974
Crowds had gathered at the south jetty that Sunday afternoon to watch an unprecedented crossing of the Coquille River bar .... by an airplane.
The four-passenger amphibious Sea Bee craft, piloted by 28-year-old Charles R. Kelly of Coquille, had run out of fuel and was forced to land in the river channel, but quickly began drifting out to sea. By the time the Coast Guard arrived to rescue the stricken plane, it had drifted out past the second buoy and was moving rapidly out to sea.
Kelly, who drove truck for Lloyd Marshall Trucking, and his passenger, Wallace Kuykendall, signaled for help by waving an oar, which was sighted by a number of people along the jetty who called the Coast Guard.
It was only a coincidence, but it just happened that the 44-foot motor life boat from Brookings was en route to Coos Bay when it received the call, and it was less than 30 minutes before the seaplane was being towed across the bar and into the Bandon port dock.
The third picture was taken during the Cranberry Festival Beef Barbecue in City Park in 1962 as long-time cranberry grower and barbecue chairman Jimmy Olson, left, handed Harrison "Silver" Martindale a plate of food. Silver was the Bandon Cranberry Festival Association president and was largely responsible for keeping the festival alive during a time when it appeared that it might have run its course.
Cranberry Festival Beef Barbecue, 1962
And 57 years later, it's still going strong.
Princesses that year were Laurel Steddom, Joan Lakey, Carolyn Cornwell, Carole Cameron (who was crowned queen) and Donna Barnekoff.
* * *
I love to share tidbits of history that I find as I pore through the old issues of Western World and the even older issues of the Bandon Recorder. I found this item from Jan. 14, 1937, which was only a few months after the Fire of 1936. The youngest children were going to school in the old gymnasium that was adjacent to the high school in East Bandon.
The headline read: "School Closed Two Days."
"The Bandon schools were forced to close Thursday on account of the extreme cold weather, and the children were instructed not to return until more moderate temperatures prevailed. On Monday morning, classes were resumed.
"School was dismissed during the forenoon Thursday when check revealed the temperature in the various rooms of the high school and temporary grade school were hovering around the 43 degree mark. Teachers and children were shivering despite the fact that they were wearing their winter coats. The heating plant was going full blast but buildings not constructed for weather such as was experienced Thursday could not hold the heat, especially the gym which is the improvised grade school."
It didn't say just how cold it had gotten, but if it was 43 degrees inside with the heat on, it must have been extremely cold outside.
* * *
Bandon made the news this week; unfortunately it involved what turned out to be a double homicide just north of town at a home on Weiss Estates Road which occurred around 6:30 Saturday morning.
Mike Lambert, 55, a resident of the home at 88577 Weiss Estates, went to a neighbor's house to report that he had been shot and stabbed. A Bandon police officer was the first to arrive on scene. Shortly personnel from the Coos County Sheriff's office arrived and went to the property where they found the body of 28-year-old Jasmine Mae Moon. According to her Facebook page, Moon was the mother of two young children and lived in Port Orford.
Two others, a man and a woman, were also in the house, and officers arrested Ashley Margaret Webber, 33, who is now in the county jail on two counts of murder after Lambert died early Saturday afternoon in Bay Area Hospital from his injuries. Police said they believe Webber was staying at the residence where the violence occurred.
Several people have indicated that Webber had not lived here for long, but said she had worked at several establishments, including a short time as a busser at Bandon Dunes and later as a bartender in town.
Police have not released the name of the other man at the residence except to say that they do not believe he was involved in the incident.
Another person said that Lambert may have moved to Bandon from Paradise, Calif., after the fire.
Amy Moss Strong had a detailed article at theworldlink.com, along with a photo of Webber.
* * *
I was sorry to learn of the deaths of two former Bandon High School students, including Sonja Hultin Cram (Class of 1958) and Jackie Mayse Crowder (Class of 1967), both of whom were natives of this area. Sonja and her husband Allen have lived in Bandon for many years and were active in the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Jackie was the daughter of Jack and Betty Jo Mayse and lived in Coos Bay.
* * *
People may have been surprised to see that our city council meeting for April was set for April 13 rather than the first Monday in April, but that was because we all believed that the Oregon women would be playing in the national basketball championship on April 6. We all know what happened to that after everything was cancelled because of Covid-19. We later decided to meet at 4 p.m. instead of our usual 7 and provide for on-line conferencing, Zoom or other methods of watching the meeting. Hopefully we will soon be back to normal, whatever that will look like. You can go to the city's website for more information as to how to access the meeting.
I do know that the latest CDC recommendation is for people to wear masks, including home-made cloth masks, when you go to the grocery store or other places where you could encounter large numbers of people. It's a great idea and is probably the best way to make sure you don't spread the virus to others in case you have it, but do not yet have symptoms.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Apr 08, 2020
The first picture I am sharing has been used in my column before when I was talking about the Life Saving Station. Today I plan to talk about the school, which is on the right.
Life Saving Station & School
John Nielson wrote a very comprehensive story on the history of schools in Bandon, which appeared on the front page of the Oct. 24, 1957, Western World.
The Bandon School District was organized in 1887. There were 13 boys and girls of school age at that time. The first school house was a one-story frame building near the corner of what is now Edison Avenue and Fourth Street. (That is probably in the area where West Wind Court is located today). When the building was vacated it was sold to the Methodist Church.
The second building, which is the picture I am sharing in my column, was built in 1894 and occupied in 1895 as the school census was 212 students. It had to be built because of the increased number of pupils.
"This building was on a parcel of land that overlooked the Coquille river and the Pacific ocean, and adjoined the property of the U.S. Coast Guard, then called the U.S. Life Saving Station. This school house was a two-story frame building that burned in the 1936 Fire." It had long since been abandoned as a school and was instead used by the community for other purposes.
"The third school was built in about 1909. This was a three-story frame building with a concrete basement. When I was on the school board, the directors concluded that it was a bad fire hazard to allow children to occupy the top story .... this part of the building was closed and improvements were made to the basement to take care of the pupils. This building burned in the 1936 Fire," said Nielson.
(This building was in the same vicinity where Ocean Crest Elementary School is located today).
"The fourth frame school building was built in 1912 and was known as the East side school. It was in the same area as the Quonset Hut, which was the seventh school, built in 1951. This was a two-story building with a concrete basement," he added.
The building, which survived the Fire, housed high school students, while the grade school students went to school in the adjacent gymnasium until the new grade school was built in west Bandon.
"The fifth school building is used for the grade school and was built in 1939 on the site formerly occupied by the third school. This is a one-story building with a basement and can be vacated quickly in the event of a fire."
Nielson goes on to talk about the sixth building, which was the high school built in 1949. He adds: "The fire hazards have been practically eliminated." Since this story was written in 1957, he, of course, knew nothing about the arson fire which destroyed that school in January of 1974. It was later replaced by the high school that is there now.
The seventh school building was the one-story Quonset Hut building used to teach the beginners, which was built in 1951. That has since been torn down and replaced by a similar looking quonset hut, without windows, used by the high school baseball team.
Had this story been written 20 years later, the eighth building would have been the present high school.
What is really interesting is the number of students who were in the Bandon schools in the 1940s and 1950s, compared to the school census today.
For example, in 1949 there were 661 students; in January of this year, there were about 660. By 1955 the enrollment had grown to 1,246 students. The Bandon School District was (and still is) a consolidation of seven school districts: Upper Bear Creek, Upper and Lower Two Mile, Upper and Lower Four Mile, Randolph and Prosper districts, all of which had schools at one time or another in the early days.
The second photo was taken in 1958 at the Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op building, which was located on the same site where Face Rock Creamery is now. LeRoy Nelson, pictured, was one of the employees.
LeRoy Nelson at Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op, 1958
While going through the 1927 Western Worlds, I found an article about a new cheese factory, Bandon Cheese and Produce, which was built at the corner of Second (the highway) and Creek Street (just east of what is now the Station restaurant) and on the opposite side of the highway from the Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op, which was built later.
The building was financed by a newly incorporated firm known as the Bandon Investment Company. Officers and directors were D.H. Norton (father of Bob Norton), who owned The Golden Rule; J.E. Walstrom (Central Transfer); G. R. McNair (of McNair Hardware); Archie Rosa, banker; John Devereux, Chris Richert and Herbert Brown. Devereux and Richert were farmers, and Brown was the father of Vern Brown and grandfather of former mayor Judy Densmore, who built Sunset Motel. Herbert Brown served on the city council and was mayor in 1929.
The third picture was taken in 1970 and features Buck Rogers, owner of Buck's Sentry Market, which was south of town in the building now owned by Larry Hardin. Note that apples were four pounds for a dollar and a fresh pineapple was 69 cents.
Buck's Sentry Market, 1970
* * *
I was sorry to learn that Marshall Sparks had died on April 2 in a Springfield hospital with wife, Doris, and two of his three children by his side. Marshall was 90. Their friend, Cleone Reed, posted a beautiful video tribute to Marshall on Facebook, with a great number of photos from their life in Bandon and the many friends they had made.
* * *
I had mentioned last month that port commissioner Brian Kraynik had resigned, and I have since learned that Harv Schubothe, executive director of The Greater Bandon Association, has been appointed to replace him. Harv is a tireless worker on behalf of the community so he should be a good fit.
* * *
While going through the 1927 papers I learned that because of an epidemic of infantile paralysis (better known as polio) effective Nov. 17, 1927, the paper said "Bandon is under internal quarantine for all children under 21 years of age. The schools will not be closed but all those under 21 are prohibited from attending any public gatherings, such as parties, shows, dances, churches, etc.
"It is not advisable to close the schools as there are no active cases of infantile paralysis in town at this time. The only two suspected cases have passed the period of contagion. The rigid inspection maintained by the teachers of the local schools is believed more effective as a preventive measure than allowing the children to remain at home. Each morning the children are inspected and those showing the least signs of colds or sickness are immediately sent to the city health officer and they cannot return to school without a certificate from him.
"A guard is to be placed at the east entrance to Bandon for the purpose of preventing children under 18 to enter or leave the city. On the highway south, Curry County is already maintaining a guard and Bandon will cooperate.
"The three intermediate grades dismissed at the time the Boak boy (Rupert) became ill will be kept out of school for the balance of the quarantine period but the rest of the schools will continue on at present."
The order was signed by the City Health Officer, Dr. R. V. Leep.
* * *
People are reminded that this Tuesday, April 7, the Red Cross Bloodmobile will be at The Barn in City Park from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., for a blood draw.
This is critical to the state's blood supply because so many of the Bloodmobile visits have been cancelled when they could not find a place to locate.
A spokesman said, "Collecting and distributing blood during this time is critically important. Blood services, blood drives and the blood supply chain are considered essential services and must continue to help save lives."
The U.S. Surgeon General said, "You can still go out and give blood. We're worried about potential blood shortages in the future. Social distancing does not have to mean social disengagement."
* * *
It was the end of an era last week when the continuous foghorn was discontinued at the jetty on Friday. It will now be activated by VHF radio. Instructions to activate the Mariner Activated Sound Signal device: Fog Signal operates by keying the microphone five consecutive times on VHF Channel 83A.
Next week I will share an interesting story about the foghorn which I found in the 1915 Bandon Recorder.
* * *
During a conference call with League of Oregon Cities, the governor's office, Oregon Health Authority, etc., (and 360 elected officials and city managers), the governor's representative pointed out that for people who have second homes, they need to decide where they will shelter in place rather than traveling between both communities.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Apr 01, 2020
The first photo I am sharing was taken over 60 years ago, in October of 1957, as city employees and industry people closed the switches to energize the City's new West Bandon substation.
West Bandon substation, 1957
Pictured include lineman Ken Potterf, Manager of Utilities (city manager) John Fasnacht, standing at left, and linemen Ralph Brown and Harvey Hiley. The accompanying article explains that the new $25,000 installation will serve electrical energy to the west side of town, while east side residents will continue to be served by the substation adjacent to city hall (which today is the Bandon History Museum). New Langlois substations were scheduled to be energized the following week.
For a bit of history I went to Dow Beckham's book about the Bandon Fire.
"Nov. 16, 1907, Bandon began using electricity for lights. The steam power plant operated with a capacity of 2,000 lights. The company went into receivership in March of 1910. Engineer A.S. Elliott took over as manager and began installing meters and extending services to new customers.
"The city of Bandon acquired the power plant in June of 1921 at a cost of $35,000 and became owner of its second utility. For a short time the city held a contract with Nestle's Food Company to connect with their generators in event of an emergency.
"Aug. 1, 1922, the city began operating the hydroelectric plant on Willow Creek south of Langlois. The crews constructed a dam east of the Roosevelt Highway (later Highway 101) and extended the power line to town. Before it was completed the city ran out of funds and had to vote bonds for an additional $40,000. Costs would have been higher to delay so the citizens complied with a positive vote. The first year's operation reflected a net earning of $500 per month. The Willow Creek dam was 60 feet high, 160 feet long and 60 feet thick at the bottom.
"The bonded debt continued to plague the city. Five years later in 1927 a study showed that the city should sell the electric system to a private company." An unbiased estimate of what it was worth found that $150,000 should be the minimum price. But the appraiser recommended that the city not sell its electric system. The city received two bids, one for $100,000 and another from Mountain States Power Company for $120,000. The city did not sell." And the rest is history ... as the city has continued to be one of a handful of cities across the state who operate its own electric company.
Mountain States Power Co. was a privately owned power company headquartered in Albany.
The second picture was taken in late December of 1965 during a big storm, which saw winds reach 95 miles an hour at the local Coast Guard Station. More than six inches of rain fell between Dec. 21 and 27 of that year.
But my main reason for sharing this picture is to show you what McKay's Market looked like more than 50 years ago, compared to the much larger building that welcomes customers today.
McKay's Market, 1965
Several years later, an attached building was home to the Western World office before it moved downtown in the early '80s and is now the east end of McKay's which houses the produce section of the store.
The third picture was taken in February of 1970 as Pat Fraser and Coach Dick Sutherland look over a program of a past year's East-West A-2 Shrine Game.
Pat Fraser and Coach Dick Sutherland, 1970
Fraser had just been selected to play in the 1970 classic. Coach Sutherland had coached the West club for the fourth time two years previously.
Son of Mr. and Mrs. Gerry Fraser, Pat was one of four area gridders to be selected for the honor. Among the others was Coquille center John Heenan, son of John and Valda Heenan. The senior Heenan was head of the Oregon State Police in Coquille. Fraser was one of three quarterbacks chosen for the West team.
Coach Gene Morrow of Newport, who played for Coach Sutherland as a schoolboy gridder at The Dalles, coached the West team.
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I was shocked by the Thursday night decision of three members of the hospital board to fire the CEO Amy Fine, as she was busy preparing for the real possibility of covid-19 cases coming into the local hospital.
I expressed my concern to the three members, David Allen, Esther Williams and Edie Jurgenson. Only David responded to me. He said the district needs someone with more experience and much better people skills. He explained that during his 16 years on the board, he had worked with four CEOs, adding, "In my opinion Amy Fine is the least qualified CEO I have served with. I care as much as anyone does about our hospital and if I have no confidence in Amy Fine's ability to lead in normal times, why would I want her to be in charge during a crisis?"
I can tell you first hand that his opinion is not shared with any of the people that I have spoken with.
One highly regarded doctor, who was asked by Amy to join the staff at Southern Coos, told me that our hospital is better prepared for the crisis than any other hospital on the Oregon coast. And he said it is because of Amy's leadership.
As a result of the board's decision, our new chief finance officer, Ana Maujica, has also resigned, as has board member Tom Bedell, who was a whiz at hospital finance and has worked tirelessly with Ana and Amy on understanding the district's finances.
At the board meeting where this untimely and irresponsible decision was made, it was pointed out that Amy was not supporting the board. Maybe it was because she has been working tirelessly to prepare the hospital for the crisis, including working with the city of Bandon to possibly lease part of the Barn to be used for Swing Bed patients. She was great to work with, open and honest. Dr. Douglas Crane has since told me that is probably off the table because they no longer have the staff to support such an endeavor.
I was sent a public statement by Amy Fine, which she wanted me to share, and I was happy to do it. Here is what she said: "I have been honored to be a part of the Southern Coos Health District since July of 2017. I have held the roles of Clinic Manager, Chief Financial Officer and in January of 2019, I was appointed Chief Executive Officer. I love the community of Bandon, our wonderful hospital and clinic and the dedicated District staff. I strive to do what is right for our patients, staff, community, hospital and clinic.
"I am troubled that several members of the District Board have become distracted by individual concerns rather than focusing upon the overall management and strategic direction of the hospital. Recently, I pointed out to the Board members how they were not following their own by-laws or my contract as CEO. Perhaps, this is the reason three of the District Board members decided to terminate my contract.
"Lastly, changing leadership during this pandemic is profoundly misguided," said Fine.
Board member Carol Acklin, who has supported Amy, as has Tom, since she was hired, pointed out that it cost about $45,000 for the search firm to hire the previous administrator (JoDee Tittle) and it will likely cost that much to replace Amy. Ironically, only a few months ago, four members of the same board (with the exception of David Allen who was on vacation) voted unanimously to give Amy a three-year contract.
I knew it did not bode well when the board was split 3-2 (David Allen and Esther Williams) when Amy was hired as the CEO. At that time Brian Vick joined Carol and Tom in hiring Amy. He decided not to run again and was replaced by Edie Jurgenson.
Fortunately the CNO (Chief Nursing Officer) Debi Ellis decided to stay on, even though she is a strong supporter of Amy; she has been named the interim CEO as the board begins its search.
Debi sent me a number of pictures Friday of the elaborate tent which has been set up in the parking lot of the hospital, filled with beds in preparation for eventual covid-19 screening. This came about as a result of Amy's leadership.
Last week, Amy said "We continue to pay our staff and are doing everything we can to make sure that we are prepared. Because we have limited our volume for routine care, I am very concerned for our financial survival. Through the Oregon Hospital Association, I have requested state and federal funds."
We are all fearful and afraid of what will happen next. And this decision just adds to the fear and uncertainty. I am just sorry that the board majority did not feel it prudent and responsible to wait until we had gotten through this crisis before they acted; possibly by putting her on a plan of assistance or some other less drastic action. But to say she needed better people skills??? If you know Amy, or have worked with her, you will probably wonder where that comes from.
I have twice served on the board of the Southern Coos Hospital (including back in 1962 when I was the youngest person ever elected) and our local hospital means a lot to me. That's why I think it is so important for me, and others, to get involved.
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I have been in contact with two former residents in the last couple of days, including Joan Goodbrod and Daisy Mallory Turner. Both are doing fine, but Joan is a bit worried as she lives in an assisted living facility in Woodland, Wash., near where her daughter, Michelle lives. Joan is 87, but looks and feels much younger, but she still feels it's best not to venture out from her apartment at this time.
Although I often email back and forth with Daisy as I come across photos of her boys, I do not actually know where she lives, but I know she has been gone from the community for quite a few years. I believe she also lives in an assisted living facility.
Anyone who would like to send Joan a card could do so at Woodland Care Center, PO Box 69 (Apt. 112), Woodland, Wash., 98674. And I know she'd appreciate a call at 360-225-5294.
Daisy could be reached by email at daisyoturner@gmail.com.
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I am not sure I wrote about this before, but in February a white pitbull attacked a small dog, severely injuring the little dog and sending the little dog's owner to the ER with a serious bite wound to the hand.
Well, the same dog has struck again. This time it was Wednesday evening while a woman and her husband were walking their dog. The same white pitbull was being walked by a woman on Tish-A-Tang lane, when it started snarling, pulled the leash out of her hand and attacked the other dog. Fortunately, the man was able to throw himself on the dogs to break them up and neither he nor his dog were injured.
I do know they called Coos County Animal Control as the first couple did, but I do not know what transpired. At any rate please be warned that if you are walking your dog in the Seabird Drive area, please be aware that this dog is unpredictable, and it could well happen again. If I were walking a dog in that area, I would be carrying pepper spray.
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The latest report from Coos Health & Wellness, as of March 27 at 4 p.m., shows that 174 people have been tested in Coos County; 55 test results are pending; 119 have tested negative and none have tested positive.
As part of the press release, the PIO said, "We at Coos Health and Wellness would like to take the time to address the constant rumor circulation happening in the community. Please understand that if a report of a positive Covid-19 case did not come from the Public Health Division of Coos Health & Wellness or the Oregon Health Authority, it is most likely false and misleading.
"A recent example would be the rumor of an individual in Bandon being in contact with a positive Covid-19 case from Wisconsin. This has been proven to be a rumor and has no factual basis," said the press release.
The email for questions is covid19.question@chw.coos.or.us. or you can visit their COVID-19 page.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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