As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
May 29, 2019
I may have shared this photo sometime in the past, but it is such a contrast to what exists there now that I am blown away every time I look at it. This was what visitors (and locals, too) saw as they entered town from the south in March of 1966. Just so you will know where you are, the service station at the far right side of the picture is now First Interstate Bank.
Entering Bandon from the south, 1966
This is probably the area of the parking lot just south of the building that now houses Brees, Juul Insurance and Bart Stein's office. Hard to tell what was in the building, which appears to be vacant, but it looks like a lot of wooden boxes stacked under the awning in front. At any rate, it's pretty much of a big mess.
The second photo was taken in November of 1975 during the building of the "new" Bandon Post Office.
Construction of Bandon Post Office, 1975
This photo was featured in the Western World that week, along with a photo of the new liquor store under construction at the corner of 11th and Alabama; a picture of Seafair Ford's new body and paint shop in former Moore Mill service station across from Bob's Shell Service (at the corner of Fillmore and Highway 101); the new Dairy Queen, which was nearing completion on the corner of Highway 101 and Ninth Street; and an addition being added to attorney Myron D. Spady's building on the corner of Alabama and 11th. The photo section was rounded out with a picture of Larry Means' building (on the corner of west 11th and 101). Means had recently purchased the Ken Dennison building, which then underwent extensive addition and remodeling work. Means had opened his office in the west end of the building, while Dick and Pat Kay of Richard's Studio moved their photography business into the middle shop, and Dennison Real Estate remained in the front portion of the building. Today there is a fitness center in the east end of the building, which is owned by Dave Reed.
The third picture was taken in 1978 in City Park during a visit by the popular Pickle Family Circus.
Pickle Family Circus, 1978
We haven't had an event like this in a number of years, and I'm not sure why.
* * *
Bandon made Sunday's Oregonian as veteran guidebook author and travel guide writer Gerry Frank devoted his entire column to Bandon. It was titled "Best of Bandon; golf, seafood," and featured Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, Lord Bennett's and Tony's Crab Shack.
The 95-year-old Frank, who spent years as Chief of Staff for the late Senator Mark O. Hatfield, has visited nearly every city in Oregon and written about most of them. He is a member of the Meier & Frank department store family.
A few quotes from his latest column: "Bandon Dunes Golf Resort offers a first-class golfing experience. It may very well be the closest thing to the spirit of Scotland's ancient links that one can find on the West Coast."
"Lord Bennett's has been owned and operated by Chef Rich Iverson since 1989. The location affords magnificent views of Face Rock, sunsets and the crashing Pacific below the parking lot."
"Tony's Crab Shack where you can eat like a local. Although crab is the main attraction, you can also expect exceptional smoked salmon, Pacific oysters, shrimp and fish tacos."
The all-new fourth edition of "Gerry Frank's Oregon" guidebook is available through Oregonguidebook.com.
* * *
A couple of weeks ago, I talked with my pal Frank Sproul, who lives at Prosper, to see how much rain he'd recorded since Oct. 1. As of May 15, he's recorded over 106 inches. He admits he lives in the "rain belt," which probably accounts for the fact that his rain gauge often records a lot more of the wet stuff than does Gerry Terp, who lives in town. And it's pretty much been raining off and on since I talked to him . . .so I'm sure that figure has increased by now.
The weather was less than desirable for the big crowds of people here for Memorial Day Weekend, not to mention the hundreds who were here for the USGA's U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championship at the Dunes, May 25-29.
* * *
Some of the buildings in Old Town are getting a face lift in preparation for summer, including The Continuum Center and the building which houses Second Street Gallery and Coastal Mist.
The Continuum Center took advantage of a facade grant from the city to renovate the front of the building, and plans to work on the back this fall.
After being power washed, the gallery building is getting a new coat of paint.
Building owners may want to check into the facade program, through city hall, as it's a great way to spruce things up.
* * *
I saw the Memorial Day parade picture from 1942 posted by the Bandon History Museum on their Facebook page this week and decided to look up the event in the pages of Western World.
K.I. Franklin, who owned an auto court on Ocean Drive just past Tupper Rock, was the mayor at the time. He is among those pictured in the parade, which left First Street in front of the Coast Guard Station and made its way down the streets of town. Attorney J.B. Bedingfield of Marshfield was the guest speaker for the program that followed, and among those taking part or pictured were Otto Shindler, Merlin Peterson and Edgar Capps (who graduated form high school that year).
The proclamation was signed by Mayor Franklin and the city recorder Wesley Chappell.
The editor (my grandfather) points out that "with the nation at war, Memorial Day will have added significance to the people of this community."
What stood out to me, in addition to the extreme patriotism that was shown that day, were the stark, denuded hillsides, which apparently had not healed from the ravages of the Bandon Fire six years earlier.
In that same issue of Western World, the headline that caught my eye read: "County Fair to be Held on a Smaller Scale." The article explained that since all the buildings on the fairgrounds in Myrtle Point are being used for military purposes, the fair will be held in downtown Myrtle Point.
* * *
The Bandon Police Department is holding a Meet the Cops event Friday evening, May 31, from 4 to 7 p.m. at the Community Center/Barn. People are invited to join them for a hot dog or a hamburger and meet the officers, some of whom are new to the force. The event is sponsored by Bain Insurance.
* * *
The Gaels Readers Theater is presenting "I Was Really Very Hungry," a portrait of MFK Fisher, with Corrie Gant as Fisher. Also taking part are Amy Moss-Strong, Richard Robinett, Annie McGregor and Donald Zealand.
The program is being held Friday and Saturday, May 31 and June 1, at 7 p.m. and again on Sunday, June 2, at 2, at the Sprague Room of the Bandon Library. Tickets are $5 at the door.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
May 22, 2019
The first picture I am sharing will bring back memories for a lot of us old-timers and will be an interesting story for newcomers. I remember clearly that mother was driving us to school the morning of Nov. 3, 1953, and when we rounded the corner at the end of First Street, headed up Edison Avenue hill, we were shocked to see that a huge ship had run aground at the end of the south jetty.
The S.S. Oliver Olson, a 307-foot lumber carrier that had been operating between Bandon and San Pedro for several years, was hard aground on submerged rocks of the south jetty at the entrance to the Bandon harbor.
S.S. Oliver Olson, 1953
The Western World reported: "Caught in a cross-current while entering the mouth of the river at 8:40 a.m., the vessel could not be straightened out by the man at the wheel and the stern struck the submerged rocks, holding the ship fast. Powerless to move forward, the ship's bow was soon swung in the same direction by the current, leaving the vessel parallel to the jetty."
Preparations for salvage operations finally began in mid-December by a Napa, Calif., company who bought the ship from the insurance company. A suspension bridge was erected between the old piling of the south jetty and the stern of the ship, high enough to be above the break of the surf.
Fred Robertson of Robertson's concrete plant did the grading, and Bandon Rock rocked the road that led from the foot of Edison Avenue to the south jetty. The salvage job was expected to take about four months and employ 20 people.
For weeks after the ship went aground, it was a huge attraction as hundreds streamed to the area to get a closer look.
This is one of the pictures that Bob Fisher has shared with me.
This second photo was taken in 1960, as Mr. Peanut (Mike Anthony) talked with several local youngsters, including Gary Potterf and probably Scott Sutherland (with his back to the camera). They were on Second Street near the intersection of Baltimore Avenue in front of Erdman's City Market (now the Lloyd's Cafe building). In the back I can see Eloise Bowder holding a child, and a short distance away, her daughter, Marilyn Strycker.
Mr. Peanut, 1960
How many of you remember when the kindergarten was on Ninth Street where the district office is now located? This photo was taken in December of 1958.
Kindergarten, 1958
* * *
Let's say, for example, you owned a small grocery store, and one day your customers voted not to allow you to ever raise prices. Your merchandise continued to rise in price and other expenses increased, but you could not raise your prices. You kept going back to your customers, explaining your situation, but still they said "no increases." Eventually, you could no longer remain in business, and you were forced to close your doors.
This is essentially the same situation faced by the City of Bandon, but we cannot stop providing clean water and treated sewage ... just because we are not allowed to raise our rates without a vote of the people. This charter amendment was put in place more than 20 years ago by the voters; in the early years we were allowed to raise rates just enough to pay our pre-existing agreements with the state on sewer and water bonds. Those agreements have now been paid off, and we are facing an emergency in our ability to operate and maintain both the sewer and the water utility.
Not only can we not fund day to day operation and maintenance of our facilities, but the sewage treatment plant is nearing the end of its 20-year life and will require extensive upgrades.
The city council has been entrusted to take care of the health and welfare of the people of Bandon.
The city's utility commission recommended at the May council meeting that the city council declare an emergency, which will require us to raise our water rates 21 percent and our sewer rates 28 percent.
Based on the basic bill, which provides 2,000 gallons of water a month, your bill will go up approximately $11.30 a month.
I looked at my last utility bill. I used 1,000 gallons of water for a water and sewer bill of $46.22. Even if I had used 2,000 gallons of water, my bill would have gone up only $11.30 to $57.52 . In the summer, if I choose to keep a green lawn and water almost daily (whether I need to or not), my bill will increase. If I don't, the increase will continue to be $11.30.
I computed the increase based on someone using 5,000 gallons of water a month, and found that their increase would be $15.27, including $5.75 for water and $9.52 for sewer. Their bill would go from $61.40 to $76.67.
How does that same usage compare with our neighbors? In Myrtle Point your bill would be $70 a month; Powers, $77 a month; Coos Bay, $72; Port Orford, $83 a month; Brookings, $100 a month, and Coquille, $124 a month. And not only that, our electric bills are cheaper than either Coos-Curry Electric or Pacific Power.
As one member of our utilities commission put it so well: if we are not able to prevent raw sewage from spilling out onto the bay and we can no longer provide safe, clean drinking water, the state could well step in, take over our utilities, and charge whatever is necessary to maintain both systems. That is the last thing we want to happen!
We have dedicated people at both our sewer and water plants. All they ask is they have the resources to maintain those systems. That is why the utilities commission is urging that the City Council ... declare an emergency.
Once the increase has been put into effect, we will hold a town hall meeting to explain our short and long-range plans and what led up to the emergency declaration.
Again, we are talking about an increase of less than $12 a month for those of us who use less than 2,000 gallons of water a month.
It is time to bite the bullet and do what we can to preserve our water and sewer systems and keep the state out of our business!
* * *
I was sorry to learn that Diana Fraser Holland died on Mother's Day after losing her battle with pancreatic cancer. Diana, who graduated from BHS with the class of 1968, was here for her 50th class reunion in September, and that's when friends learned of her diagnosis. Her daughter, Tara, posted a beautiful tribute to her on Facebook this week. She is also survived by her husband, Paul (Wayne) Holland, and her siblings, Daniel, Darlene and Russ Fraser.
I also learned that former Bandon postmaster Dave Robinson of Myrtle Point had died on May 17. Pastor Dave was best known for his disaster preparedness columns that he had written for area newspapers for the last few years. He also wrote a book titled "Disaster Prep for the Rest of Us," which was published in 2014. I was editor of The Herald, which was one of the first papers to carry his column. In the copy of the book he gave me, it reads: "Mary, without your support and encouragement, this book would not have been possible. Best to you, Dave Robinson."
Dave was truly one of the good guys, and everyone who knew him, loved and respected him. He served in the Air Force in Viet Nam and had a background in law enforcement.
We also lost long-time Lion Dick O'Grady, who died recently at the age of 97.
* * *
We've had a lot of meetings lately, including five budget meetings and several evaluation sessions, but soon my thoughts will turn to several programs that I have agreed to host at the Bandon Historical Society Museum. The first will be Saturday, July 6, with my first-hand account of the arson fire that destroyed Bandon High School in 1974, highlighted by the photos that I took that night as well as the next day.
The program will be presented twice that day, at 11 a.m. and at 2 p.m., as our space at the museum is not that large.
On Saturday, Aug. 17, Jim Proehl and I will be sharing photos from my Western World collection, taken during the '50s, '60s and probably some of the '70s. We're also planning to have two programs that day, probably at 11 and 2.
If you like the photos that I've been posting in my column, you won't want to miss the August program.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
May 15, 2019
Because we have been hearing so much about the fog horn in recent weeks, I decided to share the history of this aid to navigation, which dates back to 1896. The first picture I am sharing is of the Coquille River Lighthouse, which was built in 1895 on Rackleff Rock.
Coquille River Lighthouse
The black appendage pointed toward the mouth of the river is the fog signal trumpet, which was serviced by a redwood tank holding 5,000 gallons of water. According to a Notice to Mariners, dated 1896, "during thick or foggy weather a Daboll trumpet will sound blasts of 5 seconds' duration separated by silent intervals of 25 seconds."
I saw a recent news item from KCBY-TV explaining that "the fog signal has been a part of Bandon since the early 1970s," which prompted me to search for the earliest mention of the fog horn, which turned out to be the late 1800s.
But the good news is that because of the efforts, primarily of two Bandon women, Tacy Andersen and Susan DeSalvatore, the Coast Guard has suspended, at least temporarily, its original plan to change the continuous sound fog horn to an on-demand, marine radio activated sound signal. The change had been announced for May 10. It's not known when the final decision will be made.
But back to the fog horn.
In Curt Beckham's book about Bandon, he points out that "in 1890 House Bill No. 6455 provided for the establishment of a lighthouse and fog signal near the mouth of the Coquille River. The government engineers took advantage of Rackleff Rock, formerly a peril to shipping. They blasted it level and set the new lighthouse on this firm foundation. Nearby carpenters erected a handsome, two-story duplex (see second photo) for keepers' quarters and a barn for the horses and wagons at the station. The Treasury Department estimated the necessary appropriations for the project at $50,000.
Lighthouse tenders' house
"The station included a steam-powered, fog signal, a massive horn pointed west from the eaves of the lighthouse. The keeper illuminated the light and started operation of the fog signal in 1896."
It's not hard to see that the fog horn, in one form or another, has been a tradition for nearly 125 years.
I've chosen the third picture because I have been wanting to write about one of Bandon's most tragic murders, which occurred just over 100 years ago when City Attorney Graydon Treadgold was murdered in cold blood.
Margaret Dean, Clara Brown, & Claire Treadgold, 1962
His widow, Claire Treadgold, far right, lived here for more than 40 years before moving to be near her son in San Diego in 1963. I knew her well as she was a good friend of my grandmother, Grace Felsheim.
I seldom find mistakes in Curt Beckham's book, but in his story about Graydon's murder, he adds: "Mrs. Treadgold continued to live in Bandon for several years with her two sons attending the local schools." Actually, make that 47, not several, years.
But back to the murder.
"During Bandon's rapid expansion and prosperous years the city also attracted the rougher elements of society. By the time of the 1914 fire the population had increased to about 1,800 people. By 1911 eight saloons catered to the populace and bawdy houses were nearby. The drunkenness and debauchery brought fights and other disturbances.
"A number of incidents involving sales of liquor to youths and revocation of liquor licenses continued until finally, in 1916, a saloon keeper murdered a lawyer and committed suicide. It was a sordid affair involving Joe Coach, the saloon keeper, and G.T. Treadgold, a young lawyer, attorney for the city of Bandon.
"The city council hired G.T. Treadgold as city attorney to rid Bandon of its undesirable element. Treadgold arrested Joe Coach and John Herron for selling liquor to minors. One thing after another caused the council to revoke Coach's license in October of 1914."
Coach, who had inherited part of his family's fortune, began blaming Treadgold for having squandered most of his inheritance. He then began to slander the attorney, which resulted in a defamation trial in Coos County Circuit Court, which was won by Treadgold.
"Coach apparently harbored his hatred of Treadgold over the next several months. On Oct. 19, 1916, he found Treadgold in Alden A. Paul's garage in Coquille. Coach pulled a revolver and shot Treadgold, killing him instantly. He then shot himself in the temple. Coach lived a couple of days."
Oh yes, the other two women in the photograph, taken in March of 1962 in the Masonic Hall, are, at left, Margaret (Mrs. Jack) Dean, a long-time member of the Southern Coos General Hospital board of directors, and Clara Brown, grandmother of Judy Brown Densmore and the great-grandmother of Bryan Longland.
* * *
David and I attended opening night of MarLo Dance Studio's production of Pinocchio, and fabulous is the only way to describe it. Director Maria Merriam celebrated the 20th anniversary of MarLo Dance Studio in a big way.
I don't think I have ever missed one of Maria's shows, and each year I am blown away with the professionalism of her shows and the talent of her dancers, who come in all ages from the tiniest of dancers to those who have performed on stage for many years.
The costumes, backdrops, the sound and the lighting were all spectacular and made for one of the best shows I've ever seen on the stage of the Sprague Theater.
You don't want to miss this show, which will continue this weekend (May 17-19) with Friday and Saturday night shows starting at 7, and the Sunday matinee at 3. For reserve seating visit www.marlodance.com or call 706-550-1416.
* * *
It was a great weekend for Face Rock Creamery's sixth annual celebration, with food, music, games for kids and lots of people on hand. The weather was warm and sunny Saturday, and although it was cloudy Sunday, there was no wind, so both days were pretty great for an outside celebration.
* * *
I was surprised to see a huge cloud of smoke and flames billowing from the Riverside Drive area Sunday evening. I raced down to see where it was coming from, and soon learned, from Fire Chief Lanny Boston, that it was a permitted controlled burn by Moore Mill to get rid of 10 large piles of gorse and debris. Lanny said the windless night was perfect for burning ... and added that the city council had given permission. Actually, it had not specifically come to the council, but the city manager had given permission. Even though they weren't sure when conditions would be ideal to burn, it would have been nice to alert the newspaper and Coffee Break of the possibility so that when people saw smoke and flames, they would understand where it was coming from and that it was a permit fire. But that didn't occur ... and it should have.
Sometimes open communication is the hardest of all skills to learn ....
* * *
I saw a press release that said the campground at Bullards Beach State Park would be closed during the months of January and February, and part of March, for construction on the campground's main sewer line.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
May 08, 2019
The first photo I am sharing this week was taken in 1980, and is such a great view of what the waterfront and vacant lot along Alabama Avenue looked like in those days. There were lots of fishing boats in the basin, and a logging operation is going on in the lot that is now leased by the City from Fred Gernandt and Kirk Day for parking. This photo was taken from the hill behind the Masonic building, which can be seen in the lower right-hand corner of the picture.
Bandon waterfront, 1980
M&L Grocery is already gone, and the W.H. Johnston building (now owned by Ed Landucci and leased to Olivia's Cottage) has been remodeled, and the "new" Arcade Tavern is on the corner of Alabama and First Street across from the boat basin.
I love this second picture, which was probably taken around the turn of the century, in the early 1900s, as the boat Antelope brings a load of salmon to the Timmons Cannery.
The Antelope
There are several references to the Antelope in Curt Beckham's book about the Fire. It was one of 21 steam sternwheelers that became stranded at the mouth of the river between 1896 and 1905. In the 1880s the Panters formed the Myrtle Point Transportation Company with William Russell Panter as president. After the turn of the century the Panters enlarged their fleet of river boats by adding eight sternwheelers, including the Antelope.
The boats hauled milk, other freight and passengers.
It is particularly interesting to see that several of the men in the picture are wearing three-piece suits and ties.
The third picture was taken in October of 1977 as Chamber of Commerce president Mike Lybarger shakes hands with Brendon Reilly, son of Jim and Donna Reilly, who was the local paper boy. Brendon was honored as a representative of National Newsboy Week, which was being observed at that time.
Mike Lybarger & Brendon Reilly, 1977
* * *
I want to tell people how much I appreciate all the positive comments about my column ... it helps make it worthwhile when I sit down at the computer every Sunday evening to pick out the photos and figure out what I will share each week. If I were better organized, and weren't so deep in city business and budget meetings, I would write a little bit each day .... but so far I don't do that and it doesn't seem likely.
* * *
It certainly seems like we have lost a lot of people in our community in recent weeks. I was shocked to learn two weeks ago that builder John Parks, owner of John Parks Construction, has died. It hadn't been that long since I'd waved to him while driving through town. I didn't know him well, but he had a great reputation as a quality builder and a great guy. I do know that he was 69. His survivors include his wife Maddie and two grown daughters.
I also saw an obituary this week for Kristen Johnson, 69, who with her family moved here when she was nine years old after purchasing the Laurel Grove Grocery ... a business Kristen co-owned and operated until 2018.
Her brother Marc Johnson (who served for a number of years as a Bandon Police Officer) is the only one of the four siblings remaining, as brother Nord and sister Linell Jackson (Mrs. Al) died earlier.
They were a close-knit and loving family, who were active at Pacific Community Church, where memorial contributions can be made in her name.
* * *
I got an email from Bob Fisher this week letting me know that a Remembrance for his son, Jim Fisher, will be held at Bullards Beach State Park Saturday, May 11, in the picnic area. It will be a potluck gathering of friends .... "low key as was Jim," said his dad. It will start at 11 a.m.
* * *
During a casual conversation with a friend Friday, he happened to mention that his wife had purchased a brick from the city planning department some years ago, which was supposed to have been engraved and placed in the park.
I had forgotten about it, and I think it was a project spearheaded by Michelle Hampton several years ago. Michelle was here for a few weeks filling in for Megan Lawrence, who was out on maternity leave.
So I called Michelle ... just as she was on her way out of town, to find out what had happened to the brick project and how many we had sold. She thought we had sold five, but the project had never taken off because not enough bricks were sold. I suggested that she might want to give the current planning employees the information so people could get their $35 back. I will talk to someone in the department this week and see if refunds can be made.
If the project is once again on someone's radar, people can be notified and buy another brick.
I do know that there is a pallet of bricks at the engravers in Myrtle Point.
* * *
My rain guy, Gerry Terp, said he recorded 9.13 inches for April, compared to 8.74 for the same period last year. May has started out with no rain so far, so maybe it will be dry like last May, when Gerry recorded less than an inch at 0.20.... a big difference from May of 2005, when we got 8.45 inches of rain.
I wish someone had a wind gauge because I can't help but feel that April and May have been windier than usual for this time of year.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
May 01, 2019
I know the first picture is small, but it is such a good shot of Bandon's first school building, which was on the hill across from what is now the old Coast Guard Station. This picture postcard was stamped in 1915.
Bandon's first school building, on the hill, 1915
The building with the tower was the school which was built in 1893. Next to it is the building which served as the quarters for the men stationed in the life saving service (now Coast Guard). You can see the stairs which led down to First Street and the Life-Saving station on the river side of the street, with the boat ways (ramp) leading down to the water. This photo, of course, was taken from the across the Coquille River. The Breuer building to the right is the only one in that area to survive the Fire of 1936 and today it is a vacation rental between the old Coast Guard building (owned by the Port of Bandon) and Edgewater's Restaurant.
In 1909, a new school housing all 12 grades was built on the site of what is now the Ocean Crest Grade School. It was necessary to build the new school as Bandon's population had increased from 814 in 1900 to 2,126 in 1910 (according to Bandon historian Dow Beckham), which is only about a thousand less than the current population of Bandon. That school also burned in the Fire, and in 1939, Ocean Crest Elementary was built.
The second picture was taken over 40 years ago (in 1977) of the Bandon Dairy Queen, which just recently received new signage.
Bandon Dairy Queen, 1977
Their readerboard advertises a teen dance Saturday night, 8 to 12, at the junior high gym with KYNG's DJ MBroun. Across the highway you can see the sign for the Hilltop Trailer Court.
The third picture was taken in April of 1975 at some kind of a meeting or reception. Pictured are Bill Bradbury and Carm Donohoe.
Bill Bradbury and Carm Donohoe, 1975
In the background, to the left, I can see Elsie Hamilton and George Steddom, who was on the city council and became mayor in 1977.
Bill is holding a pamphlet, which is the table of contents for some kind of a program, linked to a group known as Bandon Artists Cooperative. I searched through all of the April 1975 Western Worlds, but could not find this picture.
* * *
After much thought and discussions with former employees of Southern Coos Hospital, my sister, Maggie Lowery, has decided to withdraw from the hospital board race. With a full-time job and her office in Gold Beach, she does not feel she has the time it will take to effectively address the problems facing the health district.
* * *
Bev Clarno, 83, has been appointed by Governor Kate Brown as Secretary of State to fill the vacancy created by the death of Dennis Richardson. The term will end Jan. 2021. Clarno, a Redmond Republican, is a former state representative and House Speaker. She also has ties to Bandon.
She was the daughter of Howard Boice, who was one of the six brothers of Mary Capps of Bandon, all of whom were raised in Langlois, along with Mary's five sisters. Bev first married one of the Hildebrands, and was later married to Ray Clarno, who lived in Myrtle Point for many years.
She served as House Speaker from 1995 to 1997 and later lost a run for state treasurer. She retired from politics until 2000 when she was elected to the state Senate, where she became the Republican leader in 2003 when the two parties had a 15-15 split. Brown, then a senator, represented the Democrats as minority leader.
Her first act of business was to fire the top three people in the department .... on her first day as the new Secretary of State.
Guess no one will ever accuse her of being a team player. When she had been out of politics for so long, you would have thought she would have waited at least a week before she cleaned house. But apparently not.
I saw an item in the Curry Coastal Pilot quoting Commissioner Court Boice as saying Clarno was his first cousin, so she has cousins in both Coos and Curry counties , including Maude and Bruce Capps of Bandon and Wayne Campbell of Coos Bay.
* * *
In the ongoing saga of the sale of Lloyd's Cafe, I learned recently that the people who originally planned to buy it (who own the Blue Moon in Coos Bay) may be back in the picture. But this isn't the first time we've heard this, and a friend talked to the owners recently who said they had no check in hand. Stay tuned.
* * *
I told people last week that the state has agreed to put up pedestrian flashing lights on both sides of the 9th Street crosswalk, while also installing a short refuge island in the middle turn lane just north of the crosswalk.
The estimated cost is $80,000, with the state to pay half of it. I have agreed to spearhead raising the additional money, and both fellow city councilor Madeline Seymour and I have each pledged $2,000 toward the effort. Lori Osborne has agreed to help me with the fundraising efforts, and Olivia Andor has said we could do a fundraiser in her beautiful Pedway garden.
Others have contacted me wanting to donate, and Harv Schubothe of Greater Bandon Association has offered to set up a bank account at Banner Bank for donations. Since GBA is a 501c(3), donations will be tax deductible if they are sent to him. People can either drop their checks off at Banner Bank or send them to GBA at PO Box 161, Bandon, OR 97411. Just note on the memo line that the money is earmarked for the crosswalk lights.
Hopefully the new flashing lights will be installed by the time school starts in September.
Darrin Nichols of ODOT will attend the May 6 city council meeting where we are planning to rescind the originally approved Road Diet and talk about the new crosswalk configuration, which is the outcome we had hoped for all along.
* * *
I learned this week that Robin Schultz Martin (Mrs. Jim) had retired recently after working in the office for Moore Mill & Lumber Co. for the last 45 years. She started working with Walt Miller and Dave Miller, and most recently with Dave Miller Jr.
She has seen so many changes over the years, including the closing of the Mill in the '80s, and getting to work in their beautiful new office building along First Street, where she has worked for many years.
* * *
Compared to last year, March was relatively dry, with Gerry Terp recording only 3.2 inches for the whole month. The previous year's March rainfall was 13.74 inches. In 2012, March had 19.35 inches, with this year's being the least in 15 years.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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