As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Nov 29, 2017
I am not sure how well the first picture I am sharing will show up because of the dirt being caused by the U.S. Coast Guard helicopter as it begins to take off from the parking lot at Alabama and First Street.
U.S. Coast Guard helicopter, 1973
This photo was taken in September of 1973 after the copter and its crew landed across from the dock. I remember taking a series of pictures with a telephoto lens (trying to keep away from the dirt), so it makes it look as if the Masonic building is right behind it, but it's actually not that close.
I took the second photo in the early (or maybe mid) '60s in front of what we then called the "new hospital," which at that time was on the bluff overlooking the lighthouse and the river.
Lions members donating washer/dryer to hospital
Members of the Bandon Lions Club, from left, George Kronenberg, Eddie Waldrop, (unidentified hospital employee), Howard Tucker, L.A. "Dutch" Reichlein and Bill Ellis unload a washer and dryer which the Lions are donating to the hospital.
The views from the hospital rooms, most of which faced the river, were spectacular and I am sure they went a long ways toward helping people get well. This building replaced the old Leep Memorial Hospital which was on First Street, between Delaware and Chicago, on what is now a vacant lot behind Bandon Coffee Cafe and east of The Wheelhouse.
I happened across this photo of the charter for the Bandon Lions Club, which was formed in 1951. This photo was taken in November of 1970, so maybe they were preparing for a 20-year celebration. Just not sure about the occasion. I can read (and knew most of) the names of the charter members, although not sure about the spelling of a couple of them.
Charter for Bandon Lions Club
Charter members included Warren Albertson, Charles Barrows, E.R. Bashaw, Melvin Boak, Robert Boak, Edgar Capps, George Chappell, N.W. (?) Chenoweth, Bernard Clark, Paul Detert, Art Dobney, George Dow, Walker Dunn, Leonard Ensele, Bud Garoutte, Keith Goldhammer, Dr. Ben Grant, Raleigh Greene, U.S. Harrington, Max Howe, W.H. Johnston, Howard Kehl, George Kronenberg, Carl Lorenz, Harris Martindale, Fred Moore Jr., Jack Morgenson, Bob Norton, Leonard Pike, Ron Riley, Chuck Ritchey, Myron Spady, Jesse Tucker, Howard Tucker, E.C. Van Eaton, Lloyd Waggoner, Eddie Waldrop, W.R. Ward, Ernie Wehner and Lester Wold.
To my knowledge, the only charter member still living is long-time Bandon (and City) attorney Myron Spady, who recently moved to Pacific View Assisted Living Facility, but still attends Lions meetings on a regular basis.
The Lions have done so much for Bandon that it would be impossible to enumerate everything they have been involved in, but I think it's safe to say that they cared for The Barn for many years and were responsible for building the Sprague Community Theater.
* * *
Facebook has been alight with concerns by locals, who were upset when they discovered that there was no big tree to light during the Festival of 10,000 Lights Saturday night, which was sponsored by the Greater Bandon Association.
There was some finger pointing, but out of fairness, I will say that most people just wanted to know what happened and what could be done to make sure there was a large tree at the visitor center next year.
I read a post from chamber executive Julie Miller and received an email from GBA director Harv Schubothe, which should help clear up what happened.
Julie said she was out of town celebrating her step-mother's 80th birthday.
"In the past the Chamber has gotten a tree donated. I can tell you there is a lot more involved besides the tree. And a tree the size we have had in the past seven years poses extra cutting and transportation challenges. I know GBA did their best. From what I understand it was a very successful evening with a great wine walk, 800 donated cookies, awesome lights and fun photos with Mr. and Mrs. Claus.
"If you love this event stop by GBA and volunteer. Four business people work really hard to bring people to town for this event," said Miller. In response to an earlier post, which simply said "fail," Miller said "I don't consider it a fail. I consider it an opportunity to improve it if the community can pitch in. Great job GBA."
One local posted: "What an embarrassment. Especially considering posters went up last Tuesday announcing the tree lighting."
That appears to be part of the problem as right up to the day of the event, the posters and other publicity mentioned the tree lighting. But when the GBA was unable to procure a tree, volunteers lighted the bushes and trees around the visitor center, with the lights turned on at the appointed time. But it wasn't the big tree that everyone had hoped for. Harv had advised people on Facebook, and I mentioned it in my column, that they might not be able to get a tree. But they tried right up to the last minute.
Part of the confusion is that the holiday event is basically broken into two parts: one was Small Business Saturday, which was Nov. 25, and included a wine walk, Santa and kicking off the shopping season.
On Saturday, Dec. 9, Schubothe said that Santa will come on a fire truck for the Christmas Light Parade. He comes by boat (or fire truck if the seas don't cooperate) for the Port of Bandon the following Saturday and goes to the Old Town Marketplace, Dec. 16, at 2 p.m.
He said the "two-event idea came about separately. The first event, Night of 10,000 Lights has always been scheduled for Small Business Saturday, which is the Saturday after Thanksgiving. The second event, the Christmas Light Parade, came about a couple of years later driven by the downtown merchants wanting another event to bring in the local shoppers. It was run initially by Kim Jonas of Kimberly's Book Nook, but was taken over last year by Dana Nichols as Kimberly's daughter was expecting." Nichols has been associated with GBA since arriving in Bandon and she is now a planner with the City of Bandon.
He explained that the Night of 10,000 Lights has been a joint effort over the last four years with four major partners and local volunteers stepping up to help. The four: GBA who purchases the lights with their Alive After Five proceeds and does the wine walk; the Chamber, which provides the site and helped with the tree initially (actually Bandon Supply led the first year with Peter Braun finding the tree): the City of Bandon electric department who helped put lights on the tree, and the Port of Bandon, who does the other lights.
"This year, no one started the committee, so Margaret Pounder, Tara Shaw and myself stepped forward with Dana's help to try to save the event," he explained.
"Dave Miller (Julie's husband) let us know two years ago that it was the last time they would do it (obtain the tree). Anthony Zunino stepped forward last year and made it happen as a Chamber board member. Even then the Chamber and for that matter GBA began advocating for GBA purchasing a live tree and transplanting it on the site. Dana pitched that to the City last winter but was told they did not want to go there," Schubothe said.
"But we have been living on borrowed time. This time the Pounders thought they had a tree in their yard that would work, but after one major wind event concluded that it would be too frail to handle all the lights. Anthony Zunino found a tree. Dana arranged for the city crew to help with the lights. But this tree was larger than the past ones and he could not find a way to transport it. We posted the transportation issue but got only one offer to help Anthony's search, and that vehicle could not handle the tree. The day arrived for the city crew but there was still no tree.
"The crew and port inmates and Steve Pounder decorated the visitor center the best they could featuring a live tree, the shore pine, on the lot.
"But for those who want a tree lighting, a smaller tree has been volunteered by the Schmidt family, who will also build a platform for it."
I also talked with Olivia Andor, who has arranged for the tree that Harv refers to which will be in the Pedway Garden adjacent to Olivia's Cottage, known as the Lasting Memory Garden. People are urged to bring an ornament for the tree or memorabilia to remember a loved one. Each year Olivia will put it on the tree.
"The true spirit of Bandon will live forever in this special place of reflection," said Susan DeSalvatore, who is assisting Olivia with the tree lighting, to be held at 5 p.m. this Saturday, Dec. 2.
For more information people can call 541-329-1019.
I think the idea of a tree being planted at the visitor center site is a great one, and I will certainly find out who at the city did not "want to go there." Certainly no one asked the council, or I am pretty sure we would have supported the idea.
I think the important thing here is to remember that most of the work that goes into putting on the events that we love ... is done by volunteers. They work tirelessly to make Bandon a better place, but sometimes even "the best of plans go astray," and that is what happened with the tree.
We need to say thank you to the volunteers who have done so much work over the years and pledge to lend a hand next year. They just need to ask ....
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Nov 22, 2017
The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in 1976 during the paving of Second Street in front of the new McNair True Value Hardware building.
Paving Second Street, 1976
McNair Hardware burned in 1974 when a blow torch used by a burglar to open the safe caused a fire, which pretty much gutted the interior of the store. To make sure that didn't happen again, the owners (Ray McNair and Mel Boak) constructed a block building.
It definitely looks different today as Jon Hawkins and his wife, Dr. Nicole Rush, have purchased the building from the McNair family, and turned it into a thriving business, Bandon Brewing Co., and the future optometry office for Nicole's Bandon Vision Center.
Most of us know Francis Stadelman as a Bandon businessman and builder, but I remember well all the years that he taught science and homebuilding at Bandon High School.
This picture was taken in 1962 as Francis, at right, and student David Metcalfe prepare for the annual science fair.
Science Fair, 1962
At least I am pretty sure that is David, although on the outside of the envelope I wrote that it could possibly be Glen Willis, but I don't think so. David died at the age of 26 in a tragic automobile accident. His mother, Joanne Metcalfe, owned Metcalfe Insurance Agency (formerly Kronenberg & Waldrop) for many years in the same building that how houses Joseph Bain's office for Bain Insurance.
For the third picture, I went way back in my collection to find this picture of the wreck of the Steamer Fifield, after seeing a picture on Facebook last week posted by historian Ann Koppy in Forgotten Oregon.
Wreck of the Steamer Fifield, 1916
In her narrative, Koppy explains that the first twin-screw Fifield, owned by A.F. Estabrook of San Francisco, was built at J.H. Price's Bandon shipyard and lost to a 1907 fire at that facility. Kruse and Banks' North Bend shipyard launched a $100,000 second version in 1908, designed to carry 30 passengers, 700,000 feet of lumber and miscellaneous freight between Bandon and San Francisco every 10 days.
Staterooms were equipped with hot/cold running water, electricity and all the modern conveniences for the reasonable one-way fare of $10 ($225 in 2017). Heavy seas brought the Fifield to her final resting place on the south side of Bandon's South Jetty on Feb. 29, 1916. Inbound on a rising tide with passengers and hay/grain the 185-foot vessel was carried by a strong northwest current to the jetty, lifted off the rocks, then smashed again on the jetty. The Bandon Coast Guard rescued passengers and crew; no lives were lost. Mindful of the rampant looting of the steamship Santa Clara on Coos Bay's jetty in November 1915, guards were immediately stationed nearby. Salvage efforts for the following two months failed. Newspapers reported in April 1916, "she has gone to the boneyard."
You can see parts of the Fifield at left, as a beautifully gowned woman and her two children walk by. Other pieces of the vessel lie along the sand.
I decided to see what Dow Beckham had to say about the wreck of the Fifield in his "Bandon By-The-Sea" book, and in it he explains that on the day it wrecked, it had a crew of 21 people and only three passengers.
"No one aboard was injured. Captain Johnson of the U.S. Lifesaving Service had his crew shoot a line aboard. They brought the crew and passengers safely to the beach in a breeches buoy. The only injury occurred when a sightseer, W.M. Kay, broke his leg. A log rolled on him on the beach while he was seeking a better view of the activity."
William Kay was the father of Mary (Mrs. Ray) Bates and the grandfather of Bill Bates and his sister.
* * *
I heard from a friend that long-time Bandon resident Hazel Lester, who turned 94 in August, always looks forward to reading my column, so I am dedicating this edition to Hazel.
* * *
Thanksgiving comes early this year. Yes, I realize it's always the fourth Thursday of November, but when the first Thursday falls on the 2nd, it really is earlier than usual.
Saturday afternoon, Greater Bandon Association sponsors its Night of 10,000 Lights celebration, with Santa and Mrs. Claus and a wine/nog walk between 3:30 and 5 p.m., and at 5:30 the "lights go on at the Visitor Center parking lot."
I can find nowhere that it specifically says that the tree will be lighted at 5:30 because I have also read that they are still trying to find a way to get the tree to the parking lot, At any rate, stay tuned. There will be some kind of lighting ceremony at 5:30 next to the visitor center, so it should be a fun event.
It's also Small Business Saturday, so I urge you to remember our local merchants when you make out your Christmas list.
* * *
It was bad enough that a traffic accident last Tuesday night virtually took out the traffic light at 11th and 101, but it also damaged the phone lines and, I believe, access to the Internet.
At any rate, First Interstate Bank, at the corner of 11th and 101, was still without service as late as Friday afternoon.
I also know that people living along 11th were without telephone service, but I don't know how extensive that was.
I have not heard who was driving the pickup that crashed into the pole, but I understand that he suffered from some kind of medical emergency. Fortunately no one was injured.
* * *
Several weeks ago I shared a photo of Boston Red Sox baseball legend Bobby Doerr, which I had taken in the '80s of him feeding deer on the porch of his Agness home on the Rogue River.
Doerr, who was the oldest living major league baseball player and the only one still living to have played in the '30s, died Nov. 13 at the age of 99 at his home in Junction City. He was the Sox second baseman for 14 years and was a nine-time All Star.
* * *
Dan and Lynn Barnett are busy preparing for their annual Christmas party for the less fortunate, which will be held at their restaurant, Billy Smoothboars, on Wednesday, Dec. 20, from 4 to 7 p.m.
This is really a special gift from the Barnetts, who provide Christmas stockings and gifts for each child up to the age of 12.
There will be games, carolers, Santa and Mrs. Claus and Santa's Helpers, as well as an opportunity to decorate Christmas cookies.
This is something that the Barnetts have been doing for several years, and it's a big event.
And if you haven't seen their fabulous holiday decorations, you are missing a real treat. They go all out for the holidays and to make sure that less fortunate kids in our community have a great Christmas.
Thanks, Lynn and Dan.
* * *
I get so much positive feedback from people who love the old pictures I share each week with my column. It's important to point out that I have shared most of them with the Bandon Historical Society museum, and if you want to see more just like them, visit the museum.
We have received so many compliments about our museum. It's a treasure for anyone wanting to learn more about Bandon and our history. This time of year, the museum is open six days a week and closed on Sunday. There is a small admission charge, but it is well worth it.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Nov 15, 2017
I'll admit that as I get older, the days seem to fly by even more swiftly, but for some reason, it always seems like it's Sunday evening ... and time to write my column. So here goes.
The first picture I am sharing was taken in October of 1979 when Suzanne Van Burger (top left) and her first grade students from Ocean Crest School got a ride on a fire truck.
First grade students from Ocean Crest School, 1979
I don't recognize any of the children, but hopefully some of my readers will let me know if they are on the truck, or know some of the kids.
As you can see, this was a City of Bandon fire truck. The city no longer has its own fire department, but contracts with the well-funded and very well-equipped Bandon Rural Fire Department at a cost way below what it would take to fund our own fire department.
The one constant through the years, in addition to the department's well-deserved outstanding reputation, is the fact that Lanny Boston has continued to be fire chief. He assumed the role in 1974, not long after the arson fire that destroyed Bandon High School, when it was a city fire department, and has remained chief for more than four decades.
Lanny and I go way back, as I originally joined the City Council in August of 1977 and we have had a mutual friendship and respect for each other all these years.
There is irony in the second picture as both of these men ended up serving in the Oregon House of Representatives after they left police work.
I remember taking this picture in the office of Bandon Police Rick Lewis, left, but the envelope wasn't dated, so it was probably in the late '80s or early '90s. Rick became the mayor of Silverton after leaving police work and was later appointed House District 18 representative.
Former Sheriff Veral Tarno served as an Oregon state senator, after being elected in 1992 when he still had two years remaining on his term as Coos County Sheriff. At that time, Mike Cook, a 1965 graduate of Bandon High School, was named sheriff. Mike was elected to a four-year term in 1994 and retired in 1999. Cook died last November.
For a long time, I was confused when I read and still read about Springfield Police Chief Rick Lewis, thinking maybe "our" Rick had returned to police work, but that is not the case. He's on to bigger and better things.
The third picture was taken in February of 1970. City Manager Bill Donahue is pointing to a large pile of dirt, which is now the location of the sewage treatment office, across from the treatment plant itself. In the background you can get a good look at the old Moore Mill Truck Shop before it began to deteriorate.
City Manager Bill Donahue, 1970
* * *
I continue to receive scam calls on my cell phone from a variety of 404 phone numbers. I know I shouldn't, but I generally answer them since it always looks like a local number. Yes, I know I should not answer an unknown number until they have left a message. But that's not me.
At any rate, I received a call from 541-404-2290 last week, which if I remember correctly, had to do with mortgage rates, or maybe I had won a trip to somewhere.
But just for fun, I decided to call the number back. And when I did, a recording said "This number has been changed, disconnected or is no longer in service."
Interesting that it was a valid number a few minutes earlier.
But I guess they don't want to be bothered with return calls. Maybe I really did want to hear their mortgage pitch, who knows??
But that's nothing compared to a call I made recently after seeing a strange number on my phone (which I had not answered) only to have the guy on the other end of the line assure me that he had placed no call to me. So now they are using other people's numbers for their scam calls. Clever!! Or maybe "deceptive" would be a better word.
* * *
Although I had only met him a couple of times, it was a real shock to learn that Bandon resident and Coos Bay dentist Sixto Contreras Jr. had taken his own life on Oct. 11. I believe he was in his mid-50s. He and his ex-wife, Dr. Sharen Strong, had practiced locally before he opened his practice in Coos Bay at 1835 Ocean Boulevard, and she maintained her practice in Bandon.
I have seen no obituary, so I do not know the names of his survivors.
I did see a post from White Bird Dental Clinic in Eugene, which indicated that their dentist, Dr. Contreras, died on Oct. 11. He graduated from OHSU in 1994.
"He was a native Spanish speaker who believed in supporting public health," said a spokesman for White Bird.
"At one time in the clinic history we were struggling to hire a dentist. Dr. Contreras arranged his schedule so that he could work several days in a row to keep our grants and provide excellent service for patients. Since 2012, Dr. Contreras made the drive from Coos Bay on Fridays for our 7 a.m. walk-in clinic. He never missed a day, including the morning an accident disabled his car. He called a tow truck and made it to the office in time to see the first patient.
"On Saturdays he worked at Lane Community College's Clock Tower Clinic. Spanish speaking patients at both clinics were relieved to have a native speaker," said the spokesman.
* * *
I have also learned that Bandon Dairy Queen owner Earl Landon died several weeks ago. He and his late wife, Barbara, who died in 2011, opened the Dairy Queen in Bandon many years ago, and both were very popular with their employees and their customers.
Barbara and Earl were married in 1956 and opened their first Dairy Queen in 1968. They had five children, Monica, Michelle, Marlon, Mark and Monte. Mark and Monte preceded them in death.
* * *
With five people testifying against what the planning commission had recommended for the city's recreational marijuana ordinance and one person testifying in support of their recommendations, the city council made a unanimous decision at its last meeting to go back to its original medical marijuana ordinance: to expand the boundaries around each school to 1500 feet and to include Head Start, on Fillmore Avenue, in the designation of a school.
Even though, at the August council meeting, I had recommended that the planning commission stick with our approved medical marijuana ordinance to craft the recreational ordinance, which would limit places where facilities could be sited because of the 1500 foot perimeter, the planning commission on a 6-1 vote (with Daniel Graham voting no) reduced the perimeter to 1,000 feet and eliminated the Head Start school. That would have opened up a number of areas in the Fillmore/Elmira area, as well as in other parts of town, to marijuana dispensaries.
Testifying against what the planning commission recommended were Roger Straus, George Davis, Gail Swan, Anne Sabbota and a dispensary owner from North Bend, who said that the council's original medical ordinance provided all the sites that would be needed. Speaking in support of the planning commission's recommendations was Rob Taylor, who reminded the council that the people had spoken when they approved the sale of marijuana in Oregon.
The council then discussed the issue and voted unanimously to return to the medical marijuana ordinance and insert the word "recreational" alongside the word "medical' so the two ordinances would have the same restrictions: 1500 feet and the inclusion of Head Start.
Anyone who would like to watch the council meeting or the planning commission meeting of Sept. 28, where their decision was made, can stream them live on their computer or other devices by logging onto coosmediacenter.viebit.com.
In other marijuana news, last Tuesday the people of Creswell, a city of over 5,000 people in Lane County, voted 85 percent to 15 percent to exclude dispensaries from locating inside their city limits.
* * *
I attended the chamber ribbon cutting for the new pharmacy at Coast Community Health Center last Wednesday night. I continue to be impressed with the quality of health care, and the availability of services, offered by the clinic, under the management of Linda Maxon.
The new pharmacy allows their patients, many of whom may not have prescription drug coverage, to purchase their needed drugs at a much reduced cost.
Amy had a great article in Western World last week about the new pharmacy and the services it offers.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Nov 08, 2017
It was neat to see Bob Elliott and his daughter, Gayla, at the recent museum program on the Bandon Fire. I still remember when he ran the Shell Station a short distance from my house, when it was at the site now occupied by The Station Restaurant.
A few days earlier I had found this wonderful picture of Bob, taken in 1973 near one of the gas pumps at his station.
Bob Elliott, 1973
I didn't realize that Bob had a special reason for attending the Bandon Fire program. His family moved to Bandon in July of 1936 from South Dakota, and several months later, the town burned.
Bob graduated from Bandon High School in 1951, and after graduation he worked in a tie mill and his late wife, Ruth, worked at Sadye's Confectionary after they married a month out of high school.
Bob began working at the Shell station as station manager for Jack Paulsen. After seven years, Howard Tucker (Carol Acklin's father) took over the station and Bob ran it two years for him. Bob then took it over. Shell said if he would double his gas sales, they would build a new station. "We did, and Shell bought the Bob Schultz Plumbing shop and built the new station," Bob told me. His wife did the daily bookkeeping, his late son, Roger, worked at the station after school and on weekends, and Gayla became the first girl to work at the station.
"Then we had the gas shortage. What a mess. People got mad at us for no gas. We had to do, even and uneven license plate days, for people to get gas. It was cash only for 10 gallons and later they could only get eight gallons. Two years later, Shell closed seven stations on the coast. We were third in line, so we closed Dec. 31, 1976."
The next year Bob went to work for the school district as bus mechanic and driver for 16 and a half years.
The second photo I am sharing dovetails with Bob's story. It was taken in 1973 during the gas shortage, and you can see people backed all the way up the highway hill trying to get to the Chevron and Shell stations, which were side by side on the north side of the highway.
Gas shortage, 1973
I remember this vividly because my house was just east of the Chevron station and it was often hard to get in and out of my driveway because of the long lines of people waiting to get their share of limited gas.
The third picture is of the McKay's Market sign, which blew down during a big wind storm in December of 1970. It was located about where it is now, in the southeast corner of the parking lot, across from Gerry's (now Asian Garden) and next to The Style Shop (now Bandon Video).
McKay's Market sign, 1970
* * *
In the many years that I worked at Western World as a reporter and several times editor, sports was always my love. Not only did I keep the official scorebook for the football and baseball teams, but I was also the "official" scorer for the Tiger basketball team several years.
I will admit that I don't keep up on what is happening in the local sports world since I left the paper, but I always love to read articles about how our kids are doing.
Sailor Hutton was featured in an article in Sunday's Register-Guard for her many accomplishments as a runner during her four-year career at Bandon High. Sailor and her twin brother Hunter both placed in the 3A/2A/1A cross country championships Saturday at Lane Community College.
Sailor finished second for the third straight year, after winning the race as a freshman. Her finishing time was 18 minutes, 53 seconds on the 5,000-meter course. The girl who won the race, Maya Rayle from Catlin Gable, won the state title with a time of 18:33.
Hunter was part of a team of Bandon High School boys who entered the championships, with Hunter placing third with a time of 16:10, to lead the Tiger team to a second place finish behind Union, who had the top two finishers.
Other Tigers and where they finished were Josh Snyder, seventh, with a time of 16:49; Isaac Cutler, 13th, with a time of 17:15; Aero Franklin, 49th, 18:26; Skylar Hammons, 75th, 19:15; Jared Duval, 80th, 19:25, and Marino Santoro, 86th, 19:31.
Sailor and Hunter's parents are Trish and Brent Hutton. Brent coaches the team. I am sure their grandfather, Tom Hutton, a very accomplished photographer, took lots of photos.
* * *
Bandon's football team also qualified for the playoffs, and although they lost to a strong Knappa team, 62-32, they were very much in the game at halftime. They are a young team and are sure to be even better next year under their new coach Aaron Freitag.
In other local area action, Oakland beat Gold Beach, and Reedsport lost to Santiam. In 3A action, Coquille/Pacific beat Dayton 40-35 and in Class 4A, Marshfield beat Estacada 58-14.
* * *
I wasn't really surprised to learn that Truffles, a boutique clothing and gift store, is closing its doors in downtown Coos Bay. Truffles first opened in Coquille 10 years ago, and was really a special one-of-a-kind store for both Coquille and Myrtle Point. Later they moved to Bandon and were next door to the Station Restaurant.
More than a year ago, or maybe it was two, they left Bandon and moved to downtown Coos Bay in the bottom level of the Hall building (near Jenny's Shoes) and alongside the popular Wednesday farmer's market on Central Avenue, but certainly off the beaten track for visitors.
They announced that they were having a sale of 25 percent off the whole store, and I did pick up a few nice items. I'm not sure how long it will be before they close their doors permanently, but it is sad to see another clothing store go out of business in the Coos Bay area (think Macy's and JC Penney).
* * *
Colleen Wiesel and Linda Frick were busy putting up posters around town Saturday reminding people of the Holiday Meals annual Thanksgiving Dinner on Thursday, Nov. 23, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. at The Barn in City Park.
If you want to volunteer, you can call Ginny Hall at 541-404-4702, or if you want to donate a dessert, call Linda at 541-347-8347.
People who are homebound or without transportation can call Colleen at 916-221-0318 to pre-order a meal for delivery.
Colleen and Eric Wiesel have taken over the duties of head chefs after Bob and Rose Anne Gates relinquished the job several years ago.
* * *
I learned recently that Jack Potterf, a former long-time resident of Bandon, died Sept. 30 in Myrtle Creek one day before his 93rd birthday after being ill for several months.
In the '50s the Potterf family moved to the Coos Bay/Bandon area and Jack worked for Weyerhaeuser and the City of Bandon. He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Adelma; a son, Gary Potterf of Independence, and locally, his step-son, Thor Christensen of Bandon. Among his survivors are his four nieces, all of whom attended school in Bandon, Donna of Mill City, Dixie of Texas, Doneen of Washington and Doreen of California (who were the daughters of Don Potterf). He was preceded in death by his brothers, Edmund, Kenneth and Donald.
* * *
It appears that the City of Bandon is not the only agency having a hard time hiring new officers, but maybe not for the same reason.
While the City has the funding to hire two officers to replace Derick Smith and Steven Lombardo, it's been hard to find just the right people.
But for the Oregon State Police, it's not that they can't find qualified workers, but they can't afford to hire because of a bill passed by the state known as the "unfunded liabilities."
And it's not what you're thinking, although I am sure PERS plays a role.
According to a recent article in The World, instead of using its budget to hire troopers, money is being reallocated to keep these new and unfunded responsibilities going and it has caused a steady decrease in the number of state troopers.
For example, back in the '80s, OSP had over 600 trooper across the state. Today it has almost 300.
Some of the unfunded liabilities that keep OSP from hiring the officers they need include the Office of the State Fire Marshal, the Supportive Athletic Commission, and the sex offender registration program. The basic coroner's office is another example of an unfunded liability.
Between 1980 and 1990 the Coos Bay command office had 26 troopers and right now there are only 13, which the article said has become the new norm.
I was married to an Oregon State Police officer in the mid to late '60s, but I don't remember how many troopers there were in those days. I do remember that he took home about $400 a month, which seemed like a lot of money in those days.
That wouldn't even pay for their insurance today.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Nov 01, 2017
I recently read something about Bobby Doerr, who was the second baseman and later coach for 14 years with the Boston Red Sox. And I remembered the summer back in the mid-80s that former North Bend baseball coach Rich Armstrong and I had visited Bobby at his summer home in Agness. We had fed the deer from his front deck and enjoyed a short visit with him. And taking pictures. Today I am sharing a picture I took of Doerr, who will celebrate his 100th birthday on April 7.
Bobby Doerr
A member of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Doerr has lived in Oregon since the late 30s. He moved to Junction City, where he still lives today, in the 50s, but maintained his home in Agness for many years. He is the oldest living major league baseball player to have played in the '30s, and the only one still alive who played against Lou Gehrig.
I have been thinking more about him this week as I enjoy watching the World Series and rooting for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He had what was characterized as a minor stroke on Aug,. 11, 2011, but was able to attend the Fenway Park 100th anniversary celebration on April 20, 2012.
The second picture I am sharing is also timely since the Bandon Playhouse held its annual election of officers recently, with Paul Hay to continue on as president. Several new board members also joined the board.
Gail Sprague, 1976
I took this picture of Gail Sprague in front of Western World in August of 1976 just as the Playhouse was getting underway. The sign reads: "The Bandon Playhouse A Theatrical Collection of Contemporary Bards."
What a wonderful four decades it's been. I have been to most everything the Playhouse has put on over the years and am looking forward to what they have in store for us in coming years. It's interesting that Gail's last name is (or was) Sprague, and that many years later the theater where they perform was named the Sprague Community Theater. I am sure there is no relationship between the two, but I thought it was interesting.
The reason I am sharing the third photo, which was taken in 1959 during an evacuation safety drill, is to show the relationship between Harbor Lights Middle School, at left, and the high school, at right, before an arsonist burned the high school to the ground in 1974. The fire department was able to save the junior high and the gymnasium.
The only boy I can recognize for sure is Dick Sharp, who is the first one out of the building.
Evacuation safety drill, 1959
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While going through the darkroom of my late uncle, Lou Felsheim, I found an old Imperial Interest Tables book, date stamped Jan. 5, 1948, which belonged to Bank of Bandon. Lou's father-in-law, W.J. Sweet, was long time president of the Bank of Bandon. The copyright in the book was 1897. It's not like anything I'd ever seen before and certainly nothing like the amortization tables I am used to. Even though I didn't try very hard, I could not figure out how to read it.
I'll stick with the modern day version, but it was a neat find.
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People are reminded that Daylight Saving Time ends at 2 a.m. Sunday, Nov. 5, and they should remember to turn their clocks back an hour before they go to bed Saturday night. Of course, that means that it will get dark much quicker than it does now, but we shouldn't complain with the wonderful Indian Summer weather we've been having this month. Not sure why we were "blessed" with the fog over the weekend, when it was warm and sunny inland, but the sun is supposed to return for a few days before the rains set in again.
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I was saddened to learn of the death of Catie Shindler Cooper, who was a lifetime resident of Bandon and a member of the BHS class of 1968. Catie, who died Oct. 25, leaves a large extended family and many friends. She and her husband, Jon, lived in the family home along Riverside Drive. I saw that arrangements were under the direction of Nelson's Bay Area Mortuary, but there was no other information.
Her grandfather, Otto Shindler, was a pillar of the community for many years, having owned and operated Shindler's Drug Store before and after the Fire of 1936. She was the daughter of Franz and Pat Shindler, and is survived by siblings, Bo, Sarah, Mary, Willie and Rachel, A brother, Mickey, died many years ago.
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I also learned that services for Russ Crabtree of North Bend, who died recently at the age of 63 after a three-year battle with cancer, will be held Saturday, Nov. 4, at 1 p.m. at the IOOF Hall on Highway 42S in Bandon, with Dan Thibault officiating. A reception will follow at 612 Exchange in North Bend. He was the son of Josh and Betty Crabtree, who lived in Bandon for many years, and he is survived by his wife, Synde.
He retired in 2016 after many years as CEO of the Tolowa Nation in Smith River, Calif.
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The news that a vehicle had crashed through the front of the Verizon store in the Bandon Shopping Center, and ended up in a store room on the opposite side of the building, made me wonder if it is not time that some kind of barriers be placed in the parking lot to keep accidents like this from happening.
Some months ago a similar accident occurred when a car drove through the wall and into the front area of nearby Rite Aid.
Fortunately, no one on the sidewalk or inside the store was injured, but this could have had a much different ending because of the speed with which the vehicle, driven by an elderly man, roared into the building.
So far the name of the driver has not been released, but reports did say that his female passenger suffered minor injuries.
The report indicated that as he was attempting to pull out, he hit a vehicle (owned by the manager of the Verizon store), which apparently caused him to panic, and he must have hit the gas (pretty hard) instead of the brake.
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Earlier on Oct. 22, I received a State Police report of a freak accident on Highway 42 just west of Camas Valley. It appears that a 61-year-old North Bend man, Don Dickinson, had stopped along the highway to take pictures of the fall colors, when a vehicle driven by a 77-year-old Langlois man, Paul Arnoldi, left the roadway and struck and killed Mr. Dickinson whose wife witnessed the accident from the Dickinson vehicle.
An earlier report indicated that he did not stop immediately, but continued a bit further down the highway before crashing through the guardrail and ending up below the highway near the Umpqua River. Mr. Arnoldi, who was driving a black 2008 Ford Edge SUV, was transported to Mercy Medical in Roseburg with serious injuries and later transported by air to Sacred Heart of Springfield.
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I learned last week that crabbing in Bandon and south to the California border is now closed due to domoic acid. This means all recreational crabbing from the north jetty of the Coquille River to the California border is closed (affecting harvest in all of the Coquille estuary, Port Orford, the Rogue, Gold Beach, Brookings, etc.) This closure includes all forms of harvest in bays and estuaries such as boat, beaches, docks, piers and jetties.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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