As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 25, 2015
I am sharing three more pictures from the March 1966 negatives which I found recently because they so graphically show what Bandon looked like 50 years ago.
The first was shot from about where city hall is now, looking toward town.
South entrance to town 1966
Below the hill on the left is where Fred Carleton's office building and his commercial building are now located, and on the hill is where Bandon Inn sits. In the background you can see both Moore Mill and the old truck shop, as well as Capps Motor Co. and the Capps service station.
The second picture is about where the Carleton buildings are now. Not sure why the hillside had been cleared, but you can get your bearings if you look at the top right part of the picture where Western Auto (now Ace Hardware) and the Richfield service station (now Chevron) signs are visible.
Where Fred Carleton's office building is now located, 1966
The third picture is more complicated, and it wasn't until I finally noticed the house where I grew up did I realize where this was taken.
The homes in the middle of the photo are now gone, 1966
All of the little houses in the middle of the picture are now gone. The house at the top far right is the former Chappell/later stamp gallery house, just up the hill from Face Rock Creamery. My old house is next to it. But the little shack at left, and the white house on the other side of the brush were on what was Creek Street, which ran parallel to Fillmore between 101 and Carolina Avenue. It was later closed and the houses torn down to make way for the sewage treatment plant. The east driveway into the Station Restaurant is all that remains of Creek Street, which crossed Ferry Creek. Out of this picture, which was taken from Fillmore, is the Shell Service Station, and somewhere in that vicinity was the Bandon Plumbing Shop (or maybe that is what has been torn down. Just not sure). You can barely see the back side of Chappell's Service Station on the far right.
* * *
The defeat of the county lodging tax (transient occupancy tax) was a big blow to the Coos County commissioners, who planned to use the 30 percent for public safety ... primarily the jail.
At a recent city council meeting, attended by both Commissioner Bob Main and Sheriff Craig Zanni, we were told that the reduction in jail beds from 98 down to 48 was temporary, and as soon as the necessary personnel could be hired, the second pod would reopen.
But that is no longer the case.
Commissioner John Sweet said that until the county's budget situation improves, they would continue with just one operating unit of 48 beds and cells.
"Our hopes were to reopen the closed unit by the end of the year. This year's budget has sufficient money in it to do that. However, finding jailers has proven to be very difficult. Out of the 100 applicants for the five positions needed, only two were qualified. We are still trying to find the additional three. In the meantime there has been additional attrition of the jail staff to the point we now need this five just to keep the one remaining 48-bed unit operating without incurring unsustainable overtime costs," said Sweet.
"Keeping in mind that newly hired jailers have to go through a four-month training regimen, and assuming, unrealistically, that we miraculously find them by the first of the year, we would not have them available to work in the jail until next May. We would only have them available for May and June to staff the jail before next fiscal year's projected $2.4 million shortfall is on us.
"With the sheriff's department requiring about half of our general fund dollars, it is likely that he would have to reduce staffing at that time. That would mean that the new hires would have to be laid off after just two months in the jail, even though we would have paid them for six. And then we would have to pay their unemployment, which would further complicate our budget problems.
"We had hoped for budget relief from two different sources: renewal of SRS (Secure Rural Schools Act) or a similar program and passage of the TLT. You know the fate of the latter, and according to input from Washington, D.C., the former source isn't looking too likely either," said Sweet.
* * *
I may have mentioned this before, but a few weeks ago, my sister discovered a debit card left in the ATM machine at Umpqua Bank, and since the bank was closed, she didn't know what to do with it. And we didn't recognize the name on the card: James McConnell (or something like that). First I left a note on the machine to let him know that I had his card. Then after getting home and thinking about it, I drove back to the bank, tore up that note and wrote another one to tell him that I had dropped it through the night deposit and he could pick it up inside the bank in the morning.
Well, one day recently, someone posted on Facebook asking if anyone recognized the name Shirley Beavers, because her debit card had been found on the floor just inside the front doors of the bank by a person cleaning the bank. She figured someone had found it in the ATM machine and stuck it through the door.
It would appear that this may be happening regularly to people who forget to remove their card before they grab their cash and head out the door. It's true that without the pin number, probably someone can't use it, but just the anxiety which occurs when you lose a card makes it unsettling.
I am sure there are machines that require you to remove your card from the machine before you take your cash. And if there aren't, there should be ...
* * *
I have a large birdfeeder in my yard, but the birds seem to prefer the smaller feeders hanging in a nearby tree. Which is probably just as well because during the height of the storm last Saturday afternoon, I looked outside to see my neighbor's beautiful cat comfortably dry inside the feeder ... as she watched the birds feed nearby. I have never seen her go after the birds and it was pretty obvious that she wasn't planning to leap out of the feeder ... she just wanted a dry place to observe.
It made a cute picture . . .
P. S. I wrote this last week before I went out on my deck and saw little black bird feathers floating around ... and the cat in the bushes behind the feeder. Apparently she is more aggressive than I thought, and now I have to scare her off my property every time I see her or I won't have any birds left.
* * *
In regards to the Second Amendment measure, and the Transient Lodging Tax, although the first was approved and the second was defeated in Coos County, voters in Bandon (precinct 16) voted the opposite way on both measures ... but not by much.
Bandon city voters voted 497-425 against the Second Amendment measure and 474 to 456 in favor of the lodging tax. But we represent only a small percentage of the voters ... An estimated 45 percent of the registered voters in Coos County cast their ballots.
* * *
I have long been opposed to high-speed chases, unless there is a very compelling reason to do so. Last week, in another part of the state, an officer turned around on a vehicle for some kind of a traffic violation ... and the guy sped away. By the time the officer decided to back off, it was too late. The speeding driver had lost control and smashed head-on into a vehicle carrying a husband and wife. All three were killed.
Need I say more ...
* * *
An obituary appeared in the Register-Guard last week for a former Bandon resident, Ted Miller, 69, who died Nov. 13 of Parkinson's and Lewy Body Dementia, in the Eugene area.
When they lived here, Ted's wife, Jo Miller, was the priest at St. John's Episcopal Church. Before moving to Bandon, Ted and Jo lived in Reedsport, where he taught school for many years.
* * *
One of my readers, Richard Hancock, said he had received word that his cousin, Master Chief (retired) Jack Jorgensen, USCG, had passed away in Seattle at the age of 93. Jack was in the Bandon High School Class of 1940, and enlisted in the Coast Guard that year and served over 30 years.
His grandfather was captain of the Port of Bandon tug Triumph for many years and died after being washed overboard crossing the Bandon bar.
* * *
Several things are going on later in the week, including the annual Community Thanksgiving Dinner at The Barn on Thanksgiving Day from 11 to 2.
This year, because I have the largest house of us three (local) sisters, I will be hosting 10 people for Thanksgiving dinner, but since Molly and Maggie both work, and I really don't cook, we've decided to purchase our dinners from Ray's. But there is still work to be done to host 10 people for a sit-down dinner ... at least for someone like me, who has never been known for her "Martha Stewart" skills ...
The Bandon Playhouse production of "Bethlehem Road" opens Saturday (Nov. 28) and will perform Fridays and Saturdays at 7 and Sundays at 2 p.m. during its three-week run, ending Sunday, Dec. 13, at the Sprague Theater. It is directed by Mike Dempsey, one of my all-time favorite guys, so I know it will be great. Tickets can be purchased at Bandon Mercantile, Bandon Ace Hardware or at the door.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 18, 2015
Scanning old negatives into your computer can become tedious after many hours, but Friday night I found a treasure trove of negatives taken in March of 1966 by my late uncle. The envelope reads: "Babc possibilities," which means absolutely nothing to me. There was even a long-faded proof sheet attached to the outside of the envelope, and I could vaguely see what he had marked for printing. But I couldn't really see what they represented until I downloaded them. And I will be sharing some of those with this week's column. There are four more, but I will save them for future weeks. I plan to research the pages of Western World from March 1966 to see what he actually did with those pictures (certainly not a series on the beautification of Bandon).
Since I was already working for the Western World in those days, I am amazed that I do not really remember either of these ugly, run-down buildings. But I guess in those days, there were a lot of them around, so maybe these did not stand out in my mind.
The first picture shows the entrance to town coming from the south on Highway 101.
South entrance to town 1966
To get a feel for where you are, you can see the Ocean Crest School one block over from the highway. The house at the far right edge of the picture was actually on 11th street and was about where the former laundromat/later Tea Cozy and now pet store is located.
The second picture is just a close-up of the first to more dramatically show the mess that greeted people. But it's taken from a slightly different angle and the service station at the far right is where Bank of America is now.
South entrance to town 1966
And you can see that the house is behind the bank. My guess is that this house is probably about where the parking lot is now that sits just south of the complex that houses the Edward Jones office and Bree's.
The third picture, taken on the same day, shows the east entrance to town as you come down the highway to the cheese factory (below left). But take a look at that old house with its boarded up windows that was on the corner of Highway 101 and Harlem Avenue, where the two-story office building that houses Dr. McClave's office, as well as others, including First American Title Company and Chas. Waldrop's office, is now.
East entrance to town 1966
* * *
I am sure we will remember for years when someone asks us where we were when we first head about the terrorist attacks in France on Friday. The magnitude of this continues to horrify most parts of the world as pundits try to figure out the why? and the what's next?
Ironically, I was talking with Roger Straus about 1 p.m. Friday at the Port of Bandon's picnic shelter when he began showing me pictures of Paris, taken on the trip from which he and Anita had only recently returned. And they loved France ... and were eager to return.
But by the time 4 o'clock had arrived, and I went to Pacific Blues to meet friends, we all knew what had happened. But none of us were as aware of the horrors as was cafe owner Jason Tree, who was communicating with his two younger sisters, both of whom live in Paris. They were basically under "martial law" and had been told they should (or could) not leave their homes. They were intimately familiar with the locations where the carnage had been carried out.
* * *
I was saddened to learn last week that Marie Douglass, a resident of Pacific View, died on Nov. 12. Marie, who was such a beautiful, full of life gal, would have celebrated her 106th birthday on March 24. I hadn't seen her since we all celebrated her 105th, but she was definitely in good health ... and good spirits at that time. I will share a picture that was taken when I presented her with a proclamation from the city.
Marie Douglass
In a period of just over a week, we lost Trudy Fraser, Nadine Borgard, Shorty Dow, John Batson and Marie.
Another of my friends who is getting up in years, but still feisty as can be, is my neighbor Edna Cramer, who recently returned to her home after spending the past year in the Portland area. She will be 99 years old on Nov. 19, and posts regularly to Facebook. She's hard of hearing so she prefers texts and posts, but she definitely keeps up on what's happening in the world.
* * *
Some weeks ago, I received an email from County Commissioner John Sweet, who has been, and continues to be, one of our biggest allies in the fight against mosquitoes.
He points out that, as some have already told us, another mosquito problem had cropped up. "It does not appear to be as large as the USFW issue, but appears to have the potential to grow," said Sweet, referring to the problem created by the marsh two summers ago.
"We are finding that private property owners, largely of low lying pasture land along the lower Coquille River, are experiencing dike breaches and tide gate failures that allow tidal flooding of their properties with subsequent mosquito breeding habitat. Although new tide gate design requirements to do with fish passage make replacement of tide gates very expensive, sometimes prohibitively so, there are dike breaches that can be fixed relatively inexpensively if repairs are made while the breaches are small.
"Unfortunately, permitting requirements for such work are complicated, time consuming and somewhat expensive. Often times engineering work is also required with the permits. This adds to the cost."
John explains that sometimes the fix is more costly than the value of the property.
"At first blush, I thought this to be an issue between the regulatory agencies and the private land owners. But if the land owners simply cannot get through the permitting process or decide the bother and cost is greater than the value of the land, this issue can become a public one, particularly if mosquito habitat is created."
He said a recent work group to talk about the issue was attended by representatives from the Coquille Watershed, Port of Bandon, Wild Rivers Coast Alliance, USDA, several land owners, and Don Chance and Rob Taylor.
The outcome of the meeting was to take two parallel courses of action: 1) to address the immediate problem by coming up with a way to assist with permitting; and 2) try to create a coalition to push back against overzealous laws and regulations.
To provide the funding, the county commissioners voted to establish a pilot program for the lower Coquille River with $15,000 funding from the county's economic development fund, for a program spearheaded by the Coquille Watershed group. Funding to a maximum of $2500 per project would be used to covering engineering and permitting costs. The landowner would have to arrange to pay for the actual work.
There would be a requirement that a public interest (most generally elimination of mosquito habitat) be shown, Sweet said.
I can tell you up front that Bandon people are appreciative of anything that can be done to make sure the problem that surfaced two years ago does not happen again. I am glad to see that so many different agencies and people are involved . . .
* * *
Last week, the Dept. of Agriculture advised that because of high levels of domoic acid, crabs caught recreationally between Cape Arago and the California border should be gutted before being eaten.
But now we've learned that recreational and commercial bay crabbing has been closed from Hecata Head south to the border. Crabbing does remain open from Hecata Head north, but crabbers are advised to remove and discard the internal organs and gills before cooking. Crab sold in retail markets and restaurants remains safe for consumers, according to the press release.
The closure comes after reports that California has delayed its start of the commercial crab season after finding dangerous levels of the toxin in crabs.
This is not good news for commercial crabbers.
* * *
It has been reported that one of two men (Drew Davis) accused of robbing a man at gunpoint last Thursday in Coos Bay was arrested Saturday morning by the Bandon police in the 1600 block of Oregon Avenue.
Ronnie Beaver, 33, still has a warrant out for his arrest in connection with the robbery.
* * *
It appears that Coos County is not the only county that is having a hard time hiring jailers.
Jackson County announced that it was closing the basement of its jail, which houses 62 inmates . . . due to a staff shortage.
The Medford newspaper reported that $2.7 million was spent to remodel the basement last year to house the additional inmates.
But like Coos County, they can't find the people to staff the jails . . . as many who apply simply can't pass the tests (background, drug, etc.) necessary for the job.
* * *
People seem to be confused as to whether the Old Town Marketplace (in the port's green building) is still open, and the answer is yes. The market is open Fridays and Saturdays from 10 to 4 through Saturday, Dec. 19.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 11, 2015
The first picture I am sharing this week is Robertson's Inc. (the long-time sand and gravel business) which later became a restaurant, and is now the popular Edgewater's Restaurant at the west end of First Street.
Robertson's Inc., 1970
This picture was probably taken around 1970. To the east, you can see the small shop which housed Mike Breuer's shoe repair shop, and is now part of the Riverhouse.
The second picture was taken in 1977, and shows employees of Robertson's pouring concrete to the south side of Gerry's Restaurant (now Asian Gardens) for the Gerry Fraser family's new lounge, the Quarterdeck.
Pouring concrete, 1977
The third picture is the Sentry Market, owned by Buck and Nadya Rogers for many years just south of Bandon in the building now owned by Larry Hardin where Brian Vick sells antiques and real estate.
Sentry Market
Buck purchased the business from the George family, who operated Bandon Food Center back in the early '60s. Before that it was Orcutt's market.
* * *
Was so sorry to hear that one of my all-time favorite people, Trudy Fraser, died last week in Coquille where she had lived with her sister, Martha Dunn, since Gerry died eight or nine years ago. Trudy had just turned 88 in September. She was such a favorite of those of us who loved Gerry's (later Frasers) and the Quarterdeck. They bought Ralph's in about 1960, and later added on the dining room, and then the beautiful lounge with the sunken fireplace. It was a special place ...
There will be a service for her this Saturday, Nov. 14, at 1 p.m. at Holy Trinity Catholic Church. Burial will follow at the Catholic Cemetery. She is survived by her four children, Greg, Pat, Tom and Jerene (Shaffar), all of whom live in this area, as well as a number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
For years, I ate there pretty much every night, and people still remember my staple: a hamburger patty and a scoop of cottage cheese. One of the reasons I ate there so often was for the social life it provided ... and Trudy and Gerry were a big part of that.
The picture I am sharing was taken many years ago at the counter in the coffee shop. It's one of my favorites and is in one of my Bandon books.
Trudy Fraser
Here is what Stan Goodell had to say about Trudy: "She was one of a kind and heaven has gained a beautiful angel."
* * *
Not only were we just getting used to Rite Aid after Shindler's closed in early October, but now we hear that Walgreens is in the process of buying Rite Aid in a $17.2 billion deal that would result in two massive chains: CVS and Walgreens.
This was an industry that was served for many years by small mom and pop drug stores like Shindler's, Ray's, Tiffany's, and Bandon Pharmacy. Unfortunately those days are gone forever ...
That was last week's news. This week we learned that the Bend-based parent of Bank of the Cascades is buying 15 Bank of America branches, including the one in Bandon where I bank.
Others in the area that will become Bank of the Cascades branches include North Bend and Reedsport.
An article said pending regulatory approval, the deal closing and the conversion of these branches to Bank of the Cascade offices will occur by next April. Cascade plans on retaining current employees working at the branches.
At least that is good news ...
Maybe they will re-open the drive-through window. Winter is coming and it's tough getting out of your vehicle on the south side of the building to get into the bank to make a deposit.
* * *
A headline in the Register-Guard last week piqued my interest. It said: "Oregon utilities: Marijuana grows straining grid."
It appears that indoor grow operations for legal marijuana businesses are causing problems for Oregon's electrical grid.
And since we have our own hydro-electric department, I emailed the article to our city manager, Chris Good.
It appears that we are not immune from a similar situation.
Chris said the city does have two grow operations within our service territory.
"As a matter of fact, we had a power outage Monday off 101. We had to replace three transformers and will charge the grower for the upgrade," Good said.
He added that this is not the first time it's happened, but thus far it's been non-confrontational, which is good.
Growers who are new to the business may not realize that just one or two in-house growing operations on a circuit could overload the local grid and cause an outage.
A spokesman for Pacific Power said that "even a small operation with four plants and standard lights is like hooking up 29 refrigerators that run 24/7."
The spokesman added that grow operations have taken grids above capacity, blowing out seven transformers since July and causing outages and equipment damage.
Guess you could call this an unintended consequence . . .
* * *
Last week I mentioned that the boys cross country team had finished third in the state meet, and that Sailor Hutton, a standout on the girls team, had finished second.
But the article that I was quoting from did not go far enough. The Bandon girls finished fourth in state as a team.
Bandon was one of only five teams in all classifications to bring home two trophies.
Pretty impressive. . .
* * *
Bandon's Museum will be hosting a special Veterans Day program Saturday, with Rick Hinojosa, a military historian, serving as moderator. The program begins at 11 a.m. at the museum, and will continue until 3.
I know Rick has a great program planned, which should be of interest to the community.
* * *
Back to Rite Aid. Carol Acklin sent me an email last week to share with my readers. She said Rite Aid is not a preferred pharmacy for any plan. "But it is important for anyone who wishes to change pharmacies to Coquille or Coos Bay to check to see if the pharmacy they choose is now and will remain a preferred pharmacy for their plan.
"For example: My Rx plan currently does not contract with Fred Meyer as a preferred pharmacy, but will do so next year. Insurance companies can also DROP a pharmacy that is preferred this year and not contract with them next year. It is important that Medicare Plan D users check each year if they use more than a few drugs.
"Another thing to check: Will your current plan continue to cover your meds at the current price? Insurance companies change their formularies every year, moving expensive drugs ever higher in the tiers, which will cost the patient more. They will also drop coverage of some meds altogether, leaving the patients to pay the full price for the entire year before searching for a new plan during open enrollment.
"Every year, I would see Medicare patients in shock when they picked up meds, only to find that something cost a lot more."
Carol provided the link to the Part D plans that Oregon will allow for next year: "Find a 2016 OR Medicare Part D Plan."
Since I take no drugs, I am glad that Carol has done this research and is willing to share her findings.
* * *
A press release from the Oregon Dept. of Agriculture says that crabs along the Oregon coast have high levels of domoic acid, a toxin that can be fatal.
Any crab caught recreationally between Cape Arago, south of Coos Bay, and the California border should be gutted before eaten.
Unusually warm waters along the Pacific Northwest coast have caused crabs to join 36 marine mammals and three seabirds testing positive for domoic acid this year.
Other restrictions pertaining to our area include:
* Mussel harvesting is closed from the mouth of Yachats River in Lincoln County to the California border on all beaches, rocks, jetties and bay entrances.
* Razor clamming is closed along the entire Oregon coast.
* Coastal scallops may be harvested but only the adductor muscle, not the whole scallop, should be eaten.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 04, 2015
The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in March of 1975 of Nancy Evans and Jane McQueen scoping out the landscape for Nancy's first-ever Saturday Street Sale.
Bandon Shoe Repair 1975
But it's the buildings that interest me. They are standing in front of the Bandon Theater, which has long since been torn down. Next to the theater (now pretty much a vacant lot) was Bandon Shoe Repair, which was the old Tuttle's Counter (magazines and sodas) when I was growing up. The small building next to that had housed the liquor store, operated by Alda Mars and her sister, Reta Gartin, before 1962 when they moved the liquor store down the street next to Western World in the old bank building (which now houses Spirit of Oregon and The Cobbler's Bench). I remember it well because I was working at Western World when the liquor store moved in next door.
The second picture, also taken in the '70s, is Patricia Lines' House of Lines (now Bandon Coffee Cafe), and next to it the Riverside Natural Grocery (now Alloro).
House of Lines 1970s
The third picture shows the Saturday Street Sale, held during the mid-'70s in the street in front of what is now Bandon Coffee Cafe and Alloro.
Saturday Street Sale 1970s
In this picture you can see the theater (where I was living at that time) and next to it Bandon Shoe Repair. Across the street, you can see Tom McGinty's Bandon Bookkeeping office (now the home of Nancy Evans' Hickory Museum), and next to it the little white building which housed Paul Detert's jewelry shop (where I worked while in high school). The Saturday Street Sale was organized by Nancy, who can be seen under the white tent in the center of the picture, at right.
* * *
I hadn't realized just how tight (and expensive) the rental market had become in Bandon until my sister moved back to town recently and ended up renting a small three-bedroom home for $1200 a month. Another friend (single) has been trying to find a rental in the $750 to $800 a month category, and they pretty much don't exist or aren't something she wants to live in.
Caddies and other employees of Bandon Dunes grab up many of the rentals, particularly during the summer months, and a lot of houses are vacation rental dwellings ... and not long-term rentals, which further complicates the market.
Portland has become the poster child for expensive rentals as developers buy up properties and turn them into high-end units that the average guy simply cannot afford. Today's Oregonian said rents are increasing an average of 14 percent a year, and more and more people are forced to move out of town in order to find someplace they can afford. Many of the people being impacted by these conversions are senior citizens, who have limited options.
At the Gorse Action Group meeting the other night, I spoke with a man who is planning to build affordable housing/apartments in property he owns in the Donut Hole. Since the 225-acre Donut Hole is outside the city limits (but is pretty much ringed by the city), he was hoping to annex into the city, but learned that his property is not contiguous to a city boundary, so that is not possible. He's hoping to convince the owners of properties between him and the city to also petition to be annexed. Or better yet, annex the whole area so city services would be available and the property would be a lot more valuable.
In most areas of the state, it would be more expensive from a property-tax standpoint to be inside the city limits, but that is not the case here. People who live outside the city pay a tax to the Rural Fire Protection District of about $1.25 a thousand; the city of Bandon tax is 46 cents a thousand so there is a savings of about 79 cents a thousand.
The big issue in the Donut Hole, of course, is the fact that most of the land is covered by thick gorse, and that is one of the areas that GAG is looking at.
But the man who wants to develop affordable housing understands the gorse problem, and the cost of controlling it, but he's ready to make that investment.
And I say more power to him . . . .
* * *
The state cross-country championships were held over the weekend. In the 3A/2A/1A category, the Bandon boys finished in third place. While not placing as a team, the girls also did well. Sailor Hutton finished second with a time of 18:58, behind Marissa Dobry of St. Mary's of Medford, whose time was 18:39.
That's all the information I could find in Sunday's Oregonian, but I am sure the World and Bandon Western World will have the complete story in next week's paper.
And my guess is that Sailor's grandfather, Pastor Tom Hutton, who is an accomplished photographer, will have plenty of pictures from the event.
* * *
I keep touting the benefits of satellite over Comspan/charter for TV, but I am beginning to question that as lately, every time it rains hard, I lose my Dish signal.
Tonight, I just turned on the TV at 5 o'clock to watch what I hope will be the final game of the World Series, but seconds into the national anthem, a big rain cloud went over, and now it's off the air.
If this continues to happen, I will have to look at getting Charter, even though Dish is the only carrier that offers the Pac 12 networks, which I enjoy.
Oops, as I write this, the game has come back on ... at least until the next rain squall.
* * *
I just got home from the last of the nine "Always ... Patsy Cline" shows, sponsored by the Bandon Lions Club and produced and directed by Jeff Norris. This is the third time the show has come to the Sprague theater, and over the years, I've seen it five times. It is a wonderful show and the capacity crowd definitely loved it.
* * *
This may seem like a little thing, but I get so tired of Macy's false advertising when it comes to "free" shipping, which is touted in large type. But below it adds: "with a $75 purchase." The latest is "free" shipping with a $50 purchase.
I wonder if they will ever offer real free shipping, like a lot of companies do.
Another good reason to shop at home . . .
* * *
In a recent column, I talked about problems with ComSpan's TV service. Carol Acklin told me this week that she did make contact with them. "According to the guy I talked to, ComSpan is changing their provider, as the one they used for years is providing poor (slow) service. I called about the TV service, with ABC going dark and some channels pixelating. He didn't know when that would be accomplished, but at least the TV seems to be better. Huffington Post still is very slow loading on line. I watch movies from Amazon to my TV and they are fine," Carol said.
I've heard a lot of bad reports about the TV service, but my Internet is generally fast (49 Mbps download and 45 Mpbs upload) so I'm not sure why they would change that provider.
* * *
I'd been hearing for months about an employee embezzling from Wilson Dunn Glass, and I wondered if an arrest was going to be made.
Last week I saw the story. Coos County sheriff's deputies arrested Aleigh Jean Harris, 30, Bandon, after a four-month investigation.
The investigation revealed a pattern of theft over a four-year period. "While much of the theft was alleged, the investigation found evidence that Harris had unlawfully obtained more than $114,000 through her position of authority at the business since February 2011.
"It was further determined that Harris had transferred $600 from Wilson and Dunn glass owner Mark Crawford's personal account," according to the article.
She has been charged with 11 counts of first-degree aggravated theft, a Class A felony; four counts of first-degree theft, a Class C felony; and two counts of second-degree theft, a Class A misdemeanor.
* * *
Update: the game hasn't even gotten through the first inning ... and I've lost the signal again. Time to look for a new carrier!!!! Well, it was out for a few batters, but now it's back. Surely can't depend on it . . .
previous columns by Mary Schamehorn