As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Dec 27, 2017
I learned a lot more about The Barn (Community Center) while going through some old 1945 Western Worlds recently. On the front page of the May 10, 1945, issue, there is an item headlined "Dance to Benefit Community Hall."
A big benefit dance was to be held at the high school gym the following Saturday, sponsored by the Junior Women's Club, with the proceeds going for the new community hall that was being established in city park, under City of Bandon supervision.
The article explains that "the city bought the big horse barn building erected in the city park by the Coast Guard and used for only a short time. It is a substantial structure and lends itself well to remodeling plans that will convert it into a spacious, comfortable, recreational hall. All civic organizations are backing the project, but the Junior Women have been the most active in raising money. They have already contributed $100 which they made on a previous dance ... and with this as a down payment the committee has bought $390 worth of hardwood flooring which is to be laid by volunteer labor soon. Other improvements are to be made at the same time and it is hoped to have the new hall ready by the Fourth of July.
"Bum Gartin's orchestra will play for the dance Saturday night and tickets are being sold at 60 cents per person, tax included."
In a later article, the committee urged people from all service clubs in the community to join them in a work party to further upgrade the building, which today we know as The Barn/Community Center. The spacious building we enjoy today is a far cry from the original building, which is the first picture I am sharing this week.
The Barn
The second picture I am sharing this week has also changed dramatically over the years. This picture was taken in 1972, and is the building now owned by Dan and Lynn Barnett and known as Billy Smoothboar's. The building has housed a number of restaurants over the years, including the Whistlepunk and Papa Raymond's, but I am not sure what it was called when this ad photo was taken.
Billy Smoothboars building, 1972
Speaking of Lynn and Dan, they hosted their annual Christmas program for the less fortunate Wednesday night, and it was a fabulous success. The restaurant was beautifully decorated for Christmas, as only Dan and Lynn can do, and they were assisted by many volunteers, including one woman who made beautiful knit hats for all the children. Santa (who looked a lot like Eric Albertson) was there to greet each child and send them home with packages of gifts, while local photographer Gary Edmiston donated his time to photograph the entire event. On a Facebook post, Dan said this was the most successful event yet, and I am sure that is true judging from the number of people I saw in the short time I was there.
This is a wonderful thing they do for the community and it seems to get bigger and better each year. Thanks go to Dan and Lynn and their volunteers.
The third picture I am sharing is a bit self-serving (but really, who would wear those glasses?). It was taken during the 1970 Cranberry Festival when I was busy judging the parade from a platform near Western Auto (now Bandon Ace Hardware).
Judging the Cranberry Festival Parade, 1970
Behind me are my uncle and aunt, Clyde and Nellie Stearns, who were the grand marshals. Just to the right of me is Bill Cook, with his trusty pipe. Directly behind my uncle I can see Al Martin, the principal of Ocean Crest School.
* * *
As I was writing my column a couple of weeks ago, I heard a strange noise from the other room. At first I thought it was the sound of rain pounding on the roof, but it was even too loud for that. So I jumped up to see what was going on ... only to find that my new "house-cleaning assistant" had come off its charging dock and was busy cleaning my carpets.
Not that they were dirty. I ran my new Ecovac (robo vac) the previous day and was amazed at how much dirt it picked up ... after not having "worked" for four or five days.
But for the life of me, I can't figure out what causes it to jump off the charging dock and start cleaning, having not been programmed to work unless I specifically ask (tell) it to.
Believe me, for someone who hates vacuuming as much as I do, this is a Godsend. All I have to do is pick up the throw rugs, let it run around the house for an hour or so, empty the dust tray and put the rugs back down.
I always thought it was probably pretty much of a gimmick, but it's not. The thing really works. It does not like shag carpet, but on other carpeting and bare floors, it works great.
It does get hung up on a carpet edge at times, so it's best if you're home when it's cleaning.
That's why I worry about it jumping up and starting to clean at all hours of the day (and maybe the night) without me having programmed it to do so.
But my house has never been this clean .... and I love it.
* * *
I hope people use caution when driving on icy highways, particularly early in the morning.
Last Monday, Dec. 11, a 2009 Kia Rio operated by a woman from Tigard crashed into a westbound white 2015 Jeep Cherokee head-on, killing the driver of the Rio and a young woman, believed to be her daughter, who lived in Wedderburn (near Gold Beach).
The 37-year-old woman and her 15-year-old daughter in the other vehicle were from Scottsburg, not far from where the wreck occurred on Highway 38, and although they were transported by ambulance to the hospital, they were expected to be fine.
Such a sad story of two women and their daughters, on an outing . . .
Last week, there was a fatality on Highway 101 near the 42 intersection, and a 25-year-old women from North Bend, Vanessa Goodwin, died. The police report attributed it to hail and speed, but as you know, no matter how fast you are driving, if you come into a sudden hail storm, no speed is safe. It is like driving on ball bearings. The police put out pictures of the wrecked vehicles to the media, and it is enough to make me want to stay off the highways during the dangerous winter months. But I guess that's not possible ....
* * *
This has certainly been different, from a weather standpoint, than last year. I am not sure how much less rain we've had, but I would guess it is considerable.
My boyfriend and I went to see the movie, "The Greatest Showman," in North Bend Friday evening and then went out to Shore Acres to view the lights ... over 300,000 of them this year. It is an amazing spectacle, and coupled with the crisp, cold weather, it made for a great evening. One person wondered if you drive around to see the lights, but the answer is no. You pay $5 a car to park and then you walk the many trails through the light display, ending with a cup of hot cider and a cookie, served by Friends of Shore Acres volunteers.
Back to the movie. Although one rater in the Register-Guard gave it only a two-star (out of four) because they said the story line was thin (or something like that), it is based on the life of P.T. Barnum of circus fame and is a wonderful holiday film. There were only 10 or 12 people in the theater where it was showing, but when it ended, most of us clapped. You don't often think of clapping in a movie theater. But it was that good!! Sometimes the reviewers just don't get it right, as it had a Rotten Tomatoes rating of only 51 percent ... but the viewers gave it a score of 88 percent. I'd give it 100 percent.
I also wanted to see "Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri," but it is no longer playing, so I will have to wait for the DVD to come out. It has a Rotten Tomatoes rating of 93 percent, which is good.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Dec 20, 2017
I am going way back in history for this week's column because I want to share several of my "new" postcards that I mentioned in last week's column. I am choosing the first one because there is quite a story to go with the Shindler Drug Store building at right (now the home of Winter River Books). Although I do not know my cars, they look pretty vintage to me, so I am guessing the picture was taken in the late '40s or early '50s.
Downtown Bandon, late '40s or early '50s
While going through my 1938 Western Worlds, of which I have a full set, I found an unusual article ... written in red on the top margin above the masthead titled "Spectacular Robbery."
Apparently it occurred too late to make the main body of the paper but somehow my grandfather got it into the paper anyway, with a big follow-up story the next week.
Here's what the article said: "Two robbers entered the O.C. Shindler home at 8:30 Wednesday night (Aug. 31, 1938). At gun point they bound and gagged Mr. and Mrs. Shindler and learning there was a son at the show called up to find what time the show would be out. Shortly before 10:00, with an accomplice outside, one took Shindler to his drug store and forced him to open the safe from which they took about $200. From there they drove to the theater and waited for the son. With father and son they drove to a deserted house at 11th and Elmira and put a rifle and a 'Tommy gun' in the car. Returning to the house, where one of the two who first entered the home had remained with Mrs. Shindler, they bound all three and made their escape in the Shindler car. It took nearly a half hour for the victims to release themselves. The robbers had cut the telephone wire leading from the house, so state police could not be reached for nearly an hour after the robbers fled."
That definitely was not the end of the story, but it's too long to reprint here. There ended up being three robbers and the third one must have been the one standing watch outside the Shindler home.
I will say that the robbers tried to go to Myrtle Point over Lampa Mountain, but the road was not open and the car (belonging to Shindlers) got stuck, so they fled on foot. One of the robbers entered the Cecil Hartley home in Pleasant Valley where he bound Hartley, 28, his wife, 25, and their son, 5, after taking only food and cooking utensils. "He displayed the same gentleness shown in the Shindler episode, handing back Hartley's wallet without taking any money, also giving him his car keys. He played 'policeman and robber' with the boy in order to get the lad to consent to be tied up."
Two of them were arrested in separate incidents in the Arago area that weekend. One had been wounded in the foot by an accidental discharge of his own gun shortly before the Bandon robbery. He was found in the Peterson brothers dairy barn between Arago and Myrtle Point.
It was later learned that the three men had escaped from the Pocatello, Idaho, county jail a month earlier.
The second picture is a great one of the U.S. Post Office on Baltimore, where Foley's Irish Pub is now located.
U.S. Post Office
The building was erected in October of 1952 especially for the post office, situated between Croxall & Perry Grocery (now Dave's Radio & TV) and Panter Feed Store (now The Big Wheel). The building was owned by Kronenberg (George) & Waldrop (Eddie) and cost $10,500 to build.
My sisters and I were in Foley's for lunch Sunday, and we could still remember where our post office box (571) was located, along the north wall of the elongated area south of the kitchen and west of the main dining area. It seems like yesterday that Postmaster Jack Wade, assistant postmaster Caroline McDiarmid and later Postmaster Jack Ward, were handing us our mail . . .
The third picture I am sharing is not dated, but the sign shows that the post office was in the Stephan Hotel building (now Cranberry Sweets) before the "new" post office was built in 1952. This is one of the few buildings to survive the Bandon Fire of 1936 because it was a concrete building.
U.S. Post Office
Next door you can see a great picture of what was then, or would become, Bandon Plumbing and later the home of Bandon Fisheries. Since I can't pinpoint the date, I am not sure which business was in the building when this picture was taken. Today it belongs to Sunny and Gary Chang, who own The Wheelhouse and Crow's Nest.
I believe the post office dispensed mail immediately after the fire out of the Bob-Otto Court (where the Shell station is located today) and later at the Coast Lumber Yard, probably before they moved into this building. Dow Beckham's history book remembers it a bit differently, saying that after it was in the Stephan Building, they moved to the Coast Lumber building. I do not think that is correct, but maybe they were in that building on two separate occasions.
I do know that in another part of Beckham's book he lists one of the buildings as having been destroyed in the Fire as the Western World. Since I have many of my grandfather's records and at least a hundred old papers from the '30s, I know for a fact that the Western World was not destroyed, and I believe it was a little over a week and they were back in business. For certain, the building was not destroyed as it still stands today, and is known as the Masonic Building, housing The Cobbler's Bench and Spirit of Oregon on the bottom floor, and the lodge upstairs.
There is no better way to verify "history" than to read the original papers from a certain date. There may be a typo or two ... but the data is accurate. It's the old postcards and photos, without dates, that cause me the most problem.
* * *
I missed visiting with Miss Oregon when she appeared at the Old Town Marketplace Saturday, along with Santa and Mrs. Claus, because I was watching the Oregon Ducks bomb their way through the Las Vegas Bowl. It was a terrible game for the Ducks, and had the defensive unit not stepped up twice, it probably would have been a shut-out for Boise State, who is now 3-0 against Oregon.
The pundits, especially The Oregonian's John Canzano, were anything but kind to the Ducks and their new head coach, and I am sure this is one season that we would all just as soon forget.
I would rather have seen Santa . . . and Miss Oregon.
* * *
My file keeps getting thicker on pit bulls who kill their owners or others. The latest occurred in the state of Virginia when a 22-year-old woman was apparently mauled to death by her own dogs, described as pit bulls. Her body was found in a wooded area of Goochland, Va., with wounds on her hands, arm, throat and face consistent with a mauling ... and when her father found her, the dogs were standing watch over her body.
The Sheriff said that in his 40 years of law enforcement, he had never seen anything quite like it. The sheriff's office will look to euthanize the dogs, according to the article.
* * *
I received an email from one of my former Bandon High School teachers, Lloyd "Gabe" Gabriel, who just celebrated his 96th birthday on Dec. 2. He taught social studies and his wife Ruth taught home economics, after coming to Bandon in 1956. After teaching here for only a couple of years, they moved, and in recent years have been living in Washington state. Lloyd is still Commander of their Ex-POW department but he said their numbers are getting smaller each year.
It's always fun to hear from someone out of the past. He was a great teacher and I always loved his class. I will never forget when he was telling us a story about his prisoner of war days, and he mentioned a "latrine." I was a senior in high school, but I did not know what that meant. Rather than keep my mouth closed and look it up, I blurted out "Mr. Gabriel, what is a latrine?" And the laughter ensued ....
I know John Gamble (Class of 1958) still hears from him, but I am not sure how many others he is still in touch with.
* * *
I was sad to learn that our long-time administrative assistant Bev Lanier died Dec. 11 in St. Louis, Mo. She had not been well for quite some time, and after suffering a stroke last spring, she had not been able to return to her Bandon home to live.
Her husband, Rick, preceded her in death. She had two sons of her own and also helped raise Rick's daughter and her children.
Bev was a great worker, and we really missed her when she retired several years ago.
* * *
I know it's late too mention it, but I still have four great 12x36" panoramic photos of old Bandon, including a dynamite picture of Moore Mill & Lumber Co. Another shows the industrial buildings on the old dock, including the Standard Oil plant, while another is a different view of the mill, and part of the old Moore Mill Truck Shop. The fourth is the Port of Bandon tug at the old dock with the truck shop prominently in the background. They are $100. I still have a couple of my best 16x20 canvas prints of the beach and lighthouse, which are also $100. If anyone wants to look at one of them, I would be glad to show you. And I do still have a few of the books I have published from the old pictures that I have shared in my column. Call me at 541-404-7291 if you're interested or email me at marys@coosnet.com.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Dec 13, 2017
The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in 1972 of the City's Wastewater Treatment plant, built at this location in 1970.
Wastewater treatment plant, 1972
The bare lot across the street is now the site of the second treatment plant. I love the picture of the old Moore Mill Truck Shop in the background. Not sure if it's cut off, but at left you can even see the lighthouse.
The second picture was taken in 1976 of the building that for many years housed Capps Motor Co. But after Edgar L. Capps (son of the original owner Ed Capps) closed the business, the building was occupied by Conrad Klooster of Klooster Auto Parts, and in the back by former city councilor Phelps Elbon, who owned Elbon's Machine Shop.
Klooster Auto Parts, 1976
If you look closely you can see the roof of the Bandon Theater at far right. I believe I was living in the apartment above the theater during those years.
The third picture was taken in 1972 when the Visitors Information Center, operated by the Bandon Chamber of Commerce, was in the art gallery building, which was located about where Coastal Mist now sits.
Visitors Information Center, 1972
The white building across the alley was the Kronenberg & Waldrop insurance office, which is now The Sassy Seagull. You can see the sign for Hazel's Antiques and Bottles (Hazel Colgrove) in the former Carr's Variety building, now the Bandon Baking Co. In the window of the art gallery, you can see a reflection of the Edgewaters Department Store (which followed The Golden Rule) and was owned by Dave and Joan Gradt. It is now the Continuum building.
In coming weeks I will be sharing some pictures of Bandon before the fire, which I have purchased from Brian Vick's collection. Actually in recent weeks, I have spent over $700 in the purchase of old postcards and photos of Bandon and am anxious to share then with you once I get them scanned into my computer.
(Now you know why I drive 20-year-old vehicles.)
* * *
The Lighted Christmas Parade Saturday evening was a huge success. The streets were lined with people who had come to town for the Wine/Nog Walk, to shop and to enjoy the parade. We have had such wonderful weather for the last week and it is expected to continue until this weekend. That just added to the festive night. The town and the beautiful tree put up by the City of Bandon Hydro-electric crew at the visitor center were all lighted up.
A group of carolers sang for 45 minutes in front of Coastal Mist as the wine walk was getting underway. It really is "beginning to feel a lot like Christmas."
I want to express my heartfelt thanks to all the volunteers who made this event possible, and who continue to make this such a blessed place to call home.
* * *
Speaking of shopping locally, my sisters and I and four of Maggie's grandchildren shopped the day after Thanksgiving in Old Town. I let them pick out their presents, most of which came from Dorothy Lynn Saunders' new store, D'Lynn's, in the Continuum Center. Her Native American blankets and shawls are absolutely beautiful. One of the children picked out a neat purse at Nature's Imagination, across the hall, while others browsed in Eric and Brian's Neat Old Stuff shop in the front of the building. Emily Bright will be closing Aunt Em's florist shop in a couple of weeks, and she is having some great sales. Bandon has so many neat shops ... no one needs to go out of town to shop.
* * *
All Bandon Disposal customers received a postcard in the mail this week detailing new recycling guidelines for their small tote bins. Unfortunately, it did not explain what is happening at the recycle center south of town (on 13th) which has a lot of people wondering what its future is.
Let's start with what they are now accepting in the bins: brown corrugated cardboard, newspapers, magazines, tin cans and No. 1 and 2 bottleneck plastics (No lids, yogurt, butter, cottage cheese, etc. containers). No food residue should be remaining in any container. Items that are not acceptable will be left in the bin for people to dispose of on their own. No glass can be recycled in the personal tote bins at this time.
And starting Jan. 1, people will be charged $5 to dispose of their recyclables at the service center south of town, where they will also continue to take glass. The center is being phased out and is scheduled to be closed by June. At that point, Bandon Disposal will have acquired enough totes to provide residents with containers large enough to accommodate glass and other recyclables for curbside pick up. But until then, glass will only be accepted at the service center and not in the individual tote bins.
* * *
Two well-known Bandon men have been battling health problems recently, and it was good news to hear that Rick Howard had arrived home after 12 days in neuro ICU at OHSU in Portland. His wife, long-time speech teacher Ellen Howard, posted a picture of her and Rick with one of their daughters after he was released from the hospital. People were happy to see how good he looked as he came home to recuperate. Ellen posted on Facebook that recovery could be slow ... up to two months ... but everyone is just glad to know that he on the road to recovery.
Bandon city councilor and owner of The Cobbler's Bench Peter Braun suffered a heart attack Thursday, and after several days in Bay Area Hospital where they inserted two stents, he is home recovering. He is very fortunate that he realized something was happening as he drove himself to Southern Coos Hospital, where they determined that he was indeed having a heart attack and immediately sent him by ambulance to Bay Area. During the trip, it was necessary to shock his heart and do CPR. His fellow councilors were very worried about him, and we're happy to know that he is doing well.
Nothing like a wake-up call ...
A lot of people don't get that second chance ....
* * *
I have also learned that Melody Gillard-Juarez' mother, Mary Gillard, died this week in the state of Washington, with three generations of her loving family at her bedside.
* * *
Another Facebook post about a former Bandon man also surfaced on Sunday. It seems that R.C. (Rick) Reichlein is very ill in a hospital in The Philippine Islands, and according to a post by Sharon Ward Moy, he is "captive in the hospital .. until all his medical bills are paid."
A friend of the family posted that his bills have increased to about a million dollars, and that does not include five doctors, who have handled his medications.
"Please pray that the embassy will take care of it," said the friend. She also said that his sister, MaryKay (Reichlein) VanHooser (BHS Class of 1966), had set up a GoFundMe page on his behalf.
* * *
I continue to be confused by the "best time to go fishing and hunting" report that is given each night on KVAL-TV by the weather gal. It is so ridiculous to hear that the best time to go hunting is, for example, 3 'clock in the morning and 3 o'clock in the afternoon. Everyone knows that night hunting is illegal. Period!
The weather gal is beginning to realize that the information she is giving people is ridiculous, and several times lately she has added: "if it is legal to hunt."
But that doesn't keep her from giving the report night after night. I have never heard this on any other weather station. Maybe someone is paying for it. Who knows?
* * *
There was an interesting article on the front page of the Curry Coastal Pilot last week about a man rescuing a young boy from being swept out to sea at Sporthaven Beach at Brookings.
It seems that the guy was sitting in his truck going through his fishing gear when he heard a child scream. Two young boys had been playing at the water's edge when they were hit by a sneaker wave.
He said one kid was in past his knees, and then another wave came and all he could see was a hand, a foot and another hand.
"I'm already running, another wave was coming up and it was going to take him. I would have been swimming for him. It was a close one."
He was able to grab the boy and throw him over his shoulder. The other boy was able to get to safety.
The boys' mother was on the sidewalk above the sand ... not paying attention, according to the Good Samaritan, who recalled that as a child he was tackled by a wave at a San Francisco beach. And he still remembers the fear that he experienced.
These occurrences have become all too commonplace along Oregon's beaches, especially during the winter. But it's hard to keep people off the beach when we are experiencing summer-like weather.
But they need to pay attention ... to their children and their surroundings!!
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Dec 06, 2017
The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in 1978 when the Bandon Historical Society museum was located in the Masonic (old bank) building.
Bandon Historical Society Museum, 1978
Although the negative envelope says that this is the opening of their timber display, this picture was taken alongside the old linotype equipment, which my grandfather used to operate before it became obsolete. I remember him well teaching me to operate the linotype, but compared to setting type with the Justowriter (and now a computer), it was a very slow process.
The second photo was taken in May 1975 when Ray's Pharmacy was located downtown (Old Town) in the building that now houses Winter River Books.
Ray's Pharmacy, 1975
The door at the far left took people into Dr. Lucas' office in the '50s and probably the '60s, although I do not believe he was still there when this picture was taken. The other door was the first entrance into the drug store, owned by Bob and Phyllis Ray. The sign on the door says "Shop our Mother's Day Boutique."
I love the third picture of Trudy and Gerry Fraser and a young Girl Scout, Ramona Smith, who had stopped by Fraser's Restaurant in 1979 probably to sell them cookies.
Trudy and Gerry Fraser and Ramona Smith, 1979
I happened to run into Ramona the other day in town, and she is definitely all grown up (in her early 50s) and has recently returned to live here. She was a passenger aboard her boyfriend's motorcycle when I saw her.
* * *
I received quite a few compliments on my story about the Christmas tree last week, which, as you probably realized, took up most of my column. Well, there is some positive news to share on the "tree front."
The City of Bandon hydro-electric crew has cut down a huge tree from one of the city's rights of way, and hopefully will be putting it up at the Visitor Center Monday, weather permitting and if some other emergency does not come up.
Harv Schubothe said the city crew will help Steve Pounder put up lights, which they have, but he said it is a pretty labor intensive undertaking, so he's not sure when it will be lighted.
Our city manager Robert Mawson, has also been talking with Kevin Shaw, owner of Coastal Mist, who apparently found a tree that could be planted at the Visitor Center. I believe the total cost is around $4,000, and Robert and I agreed that rather than make the merchants share in the cost, it will probably be the city's gift to the community.
Once it is planted, there will be a tree to light and decorate each year so we will not have the logistical problems that were encountered this year.
But, as a result of not having a tree, Olivia Andor and a group of friends were able to obtain a beautiful tree from cranberry grower Richard Schmidt and his family, and Saturday evening (in a light drizzle) a large crowd gathered in the Pedway Garden to listen to carolers, and put an ornament on the tree of memory. Pastor Greg Fodrea gave the blessing and Olivia welcomed the crowd. It was a neat event, and afterwards we gathered in Olivia's Cottage for cookies, cupcakes from The Rolling Pin and hot cider.
I want to extend my special thanks to Olivia for putting together such a wonderful event ... in less than a week. If you haven't stopped by her shop, you've missed a real treat.
This Saturday, more holiday events are planned, with another wine/nog walk from 3:30 to 5:30 p.m. Glasses will be available for purchase at 3:30 for $10 at The Cobbler's Bench.
At 5:30, the third annual Lighted Christmas Parade is scheduled to take place in Old Town. The parade will progress down First and Second streets, and everyone is welcome to take part. It actually looks like the weather may cooperate with lots of sunshine forecast for this week, although it will be chilly.
* * *
Oregon football fans are waiting with bated breath to see if new head coach Willy Taggart (a Florida native) will stay or go. Even though he has been offered a $25 million five-year contract by Oregon, there is speculation that he will head to Florida State, if they offer him the job after Jimbo Fisher left to take a $75 million 10-year contract at Texas A&M. The $7.5 million that Fisher will earn each year makes him the second highest paid college football coach in the nation behind Alabama's Nick Saban (who lost last week to Auburn).
Oregon State's new head coach Jonathan Smith will make $1.9 million a year .... which is considerably less than the $5 million a year Oregon is offering Taggart, who finished with a 7-5 record, "good" enough for fourth in the PAC-12 north standings.
These salaries seem downright ridiculous to me, when you consider that tuition continues to go up at most colleges and universities . . . but it's becoming pretty obvious that college football is "big business."
If Taggart does decide to leave after one year, the one person that many people hoped they would hire last year, Chip Kelly, is now headed to UCLA on a five-year $23.3 million contract.
* * *
I was sorry to learn that Charlie Crew died last week at the age of 95. His wife, Velma Howard Crew, died some years ago, and Charlie had lived for quite a few years at Pacific View. He was a great guy, and among his survivors are his son, Greg, and his daughter, Linda.
The last time I saw him was a few years ago at the 90th birthday party for the late Ray Kelley.
Charlie and Velma bought 10 acres of riverfront property up Sixes from my father many years ago. There is a great swimming hole on the property and Greg has graciously given my sisters and I permission to swim there during the summer.
I also learned of the death of Gene Davidson, who served as the city's water treatment operator for many years before he retired several years ago. My thoughts go out to his wife, Susie, and his family.
Another long-time Bandon resident who died recently was Dorene Hess, 88, who lived in Coos Bay. She and her late husband, Jay, had two sons, Stuart and Jeff, and a daughter, Lindsay. Jay and Dorene were married 66 years before he died in 2015.
* * *
The Bandon Historical Society had considered buying the old jail, located between the museum and Goddard Energy, which had recently come on the market for $69,000. But after looking it over, board members felt it simply would not suit the museum's needs. We have since learned that it did sell and the new owner allegedly plans to open a dog grooming business there.
One board member jokingly said maybe the museum could open a small bed and breakfast in there, so people could tell their friends that "they spent a night in the Bandon jail."
Sounds good, but it was way too small for something like that. It will be fun to see a business open in there again. At one time, the late Tim Belmont sold Italian purses in his small shop there. And for many years, it was a jewelry store.
* * *
I have received several pieces of correspondence recently about the dangerous crosswalk at Highway 101 and Ninth. A friend of mine witnessed two teenage girls nearly get hit as they attempted to cross the highway, with flags in hand, after the basketball game Wednesday night. He said a car had stopped in the turn lane, attempting to turn left onto Ninth, when two cars came roaring up alongside the stopped car and did not see the two girls who were crossing the highway. He said it was only the grace of God that kept them from being struck.
I passed his concerns onto Robert at City Hall, as well as his suggestions for some kind of a flashing light, or some kind of reflective stripes on the roadway.
It is a dangerous crosswalk, and one made even worse by the dark and wet conditions this time of year.
I also heard from another citizen who urged the city to restripe 101 down to two lanes (actually three with the center turn lane) like was done in Port Orford.
He said he was "fed up with being passed on 101 and tailgated on 11th."
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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