As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn

October 26, 2016

The first picture I am sharing was taken during the Cranberry Festival parade in 1966, when the parade started at the west end of Second Street near where Devon's Boutique is now located and lined up along Wall Street, which has long since been closed.

Cranberry Festival parade, 1966
The youngsters are headed east in front of what was then the Ebb Tide, and is now Renee Armstrong's Esscents candle and gift shop. Upstairs, Lisa Rios has her Gypsy Wagon business. The two-story building next to it was the home of Marge and Ivan Cook, and is now Grotto Gifts. Just east of that is Carr's Variety Store, operated for many years by Elsie Hamilton, which is now Chris and Kim Powell's Bandon Baking Co.

I loved it when girls began playing Peewee (Little League) baseball. This picture was taken around 1975 of Sara Giles (now Osborne), left, and Lisa Lindahl (now Murray).

Sara Giles and Lisa Lindahl, 1975
Sara remembers that two of the sponsors were the Rotary Club (RC) and the Booster Club (BC). I remember several other teams, including K&W (Kronenberg & Waldrop), Lions, the VFW, and, I think, the Jaycees.

Not sure when the third picture was taken, but I am pretty sure it was in the '70s. This is Riverside Natural Grocery, home of the Grains & Goods Natural Co-op, and to the left is the entrance to the American Youth Hostel. This is now Alloro Wine Bar & Restaurant. Bandon Coffee Cafe is now in the building at left.

Riverside Natural Grocery, 1970s
*           *           *
I just read that Ray's Food Place in Brookings, where the C&K Markets chain got its start, will close by the end of the year. The two nearest Ray's stores, in Smith River and Crescent City, Calif., closed earlier this year. The Brookings closure will impact 35 employees, who will be offered a chance to work at other Ray's locations. Ray Nidiffer first opened the Brookings store in 1956, but faced financial challenges when Fred Meyer opened in 1994.

Others say that Dollar General, which more recently opened in Brookings, has also impacted their bottom line.

Three years ago, the corporation closed its Bend location, and the building is still empty today.

C&K also operates a store in the Bandon Shopping Center, which has seen a downturn in local shoppers since unpopular employee decisions were made several years ago, which saw the long-time and very popular manager, Art Brewer, leave the store.

Others say they love to shop at Ray's in Bandon because of the quality and selection of its meats, along with a myriad of specialty items. I also love the fact that I can buy the Wall Street Journal there, in spite of the fact that it is now $3 on weekdays and $4 for the weekend edition.

*           *           *
People have been complaining lately about bicyclists riding around Bandon late at night ... without the proper lighting. That is an extremely dangerous practice, not only for the bicyclists but for the unsuspecting driver who hits an unlighted bicycle.

Oregon law requires that during times of limited visibility (and that certainly means the dead of night) a bicycle must be equipped with a white light visible from at least 500 feet on the front of the bicycle, and a red reflector in back, visible from at least 600 feet.

It is a Class D traffic violation to ride a bike at night without the proper lighting and the best way to take care of the problem is for the police to issue warnings .. and then citations. News travels fast.

The reason I decided to research this is because a man asked one of our councilors if we could draft some kind of an ordinance, requiring bikes to be lighted.

As soon as I Googled Oregon law, it became clear there is already a law on the books.

It is even more dangerous now that winter is setting in, which makes it harder to see a bicyclist, particularly if he or she is wearing dark clothing.

*           *           *
It is becoming increasingly clear that people still do not understand the Oregon crosswalk law ... including me.

Several cases occurred in the last week which brought that home to me, and both were at 10th and Highway 101 in front of the video store.

Our new city manager and our public works director were standing on the sidewalk discussing safety measures that are being considered for the crosswalk. And they didn't realize that they were causing cars to stop on the highway until someone pointed it out to them.

It's important to note: you DO NOT have to stop just because someone is standing on the sidewalk. They may well be waiting for traffic to clear before they enter the crosswalk, or like the city officials, they may simply be standing there talking.

You have to stop when a pedestrian "takes possession" of the crosswalk, by putting his foot, part of a bicycle, cane, or anything else into the crosswalk to indicate he or she wants to cross. Then you have to stop. I covered this very well in my column after the fatal accident this summer, but I know that it is still not clear to a lot of drivers. They just think you have to stop anytime you see someone standing on the sidewalk alongside the highway. Not true.

The incident that occurred to me this week showed my confusion.

Two bicyclists were riding on 10th Street and were preparing to pull out onto the highway, just as a vehicle would do. But I stopped in the inside lanes to let them pull onto the highway, which was not necessary and probably not safe since a car came screaming up alongside me (in a school zone, no less) and sped right by.

Oregon law says bicyclists are considered drivers of vehicles. So whether it was a bicycle, a motorcycle or a car stopped at 10th and 101, I did not (and probably should not) stop.

The clear violation here was the car that was probably going 50 miles an hour in the 20 mph school zone. He obviously did not know why I had stopped ... nor did he care. Fortunately there was no one in the crosswalk.

*           *           *
One of the first things I do every morning is to log onto The Oregonian's website. But Friday morning, I was not able to connect, and in spite of repeated tries, I could not log on.

Then, while skimming through AOL News, I saw a story about hackers being responsible for disrupting access to many sites. An article in the Boston Globe Saturday said the hackers hit a target (Dyn. Inc.) in New Hampshire which provides access to many popular websites across the country, including Twitter, Netflix and Spotify.

And, apparently, The Oregonian.

Thankfully, it was back up before noon, but the article said this is just the beginning of this kind of disruption as hackers become ever more brazen.

The group that claimed responsibility for the distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks called themselves New World Hackers.

*           *           *
In last week's column, I mentioned some of the commercial real estate for sale in Bandon, but in some cases, I failed to mention the local real estate firms who are handling the listings.

Dan Cirigliano is the listing agent for the building which houses Second Street Gallery and Coastal Mist. It is owned by Grover Hatcher and is for sale for $795,000. Second Street Gallery, owned by Pete Bauer and Candace Kreitlow, is also for sale, for $150,000. Across Second Street, Lloyd's, owned by Jonathan and Janice Davis, is listed with Chas. Waldrop for $395,000. Waldrop is also the listing agent for Lamplighter Motel, which is for sale for $449,000.

The Bandon Video building, on the corner of 10th and Highway 101, is listed through Fred Gernandt of David L. Davis Real Estate for $495,000.

*           *           *
Speaking of real estate, the Bandon Chamber of Commerce assisted Gina Morelli, broker/owner of Beach Loop Realty, in celebrating her 10-year anniversary with a big open house Thursday night. The great hors' d'oeuvres were catered by Bandon Baking Co. Beach Loop Realty is located in Robin Miller's Bandon Professional Center, above the Coast Community Health Center.

Agents include Rushel Reed, Ruby Berry, Misty Berry, Karen Sinko, Mike Sterling and William Davidson.

*           *           *
I know a lot of people are wondering how to vote on the state measures which they see/or will see on their ballots. I generally look to The Oregonian editors for guidance, and this year they are advocating yes votes on 94, 95, 98 and 100. And no votes on 96, the controversial 97 and 99. Not sure what their reasoning is for not adding to the list of things that are funded by lottery dollars, but considering the original intent, it makes sense not to weaken the pie further.

On a more personal note, I am marking my ballot for Dr. Bud Pierce for Governor, Dennis Richardson for Secretary of State, Megan Simms for Coos County treasurer, and Hillary Clinton for president.

As far as local measures are concerned, I am urging a yes vote on the city's $10 water utility rate increase (Measure 6-156) and yes on Measure 6-153 which would provide funding (10 cents per thousand tax rate) for the county's museums.

*           *           *
Every time I read about another creepy, scary clown incident, I think of Bandon's own clown, Cleone Lyvonne Reed, who is a wonderful example of how much fun clowns can provide.

Cleone has written an e-book called "The Sacred Act of Clowning and Life," published by her husband, Robert D. Reed Publishers.

You may recall the colorfully decorated clown car which Cleone accompanied in the Cranberry Festival parade. She is a delightful person and definitely gives clowns a good reputation.

*           *           *
I watch the 11 o'clock news on Channel 9 (KEZI) every night, and enjoy both the announcer Megan Higgins and the weather gal Marisa Woloszyn. At the end of each weather forecast, Megan will turn to Marisa and thank her for the forecast.

But it appears that she doesn't really listen (or maybe she does not hear) the forecast, because last week when the forecast was for 100 mile an hour winds, Megan turned to Marissa and said "sounds good, Marissa."

Frankly, it did not sound at all good to me . . .

Of course, we all know by now that the forecast did not materialize, for which we are thankful, but I just felt it was odd to say "sounds good" for such a dire forecast.




As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn

October 19, 2016

I love these old pictures of the Bandon waterfront, which is so different today. This picture of the Umpqua Dredge working in the channel was taken Aug. 7, 1969.

Umpqua Dredge 1969
The only building on the south side of First Street that can be seen in the picture is the Port of Bandon office, which is now Tony's Crab Shack. The roof in the foreground is M&L Grocery, and next to it, in the building now housing Olivia's Cottage, was W. H. Johnston's accounting office. At right is Panter Feed Store, which is now Big Wheel. This was taken long before the Arcade Tavern was built on the corner of Alabama and First Street.

The second picture is Buck's Sentry Market, owned for many years by Buck and Nadya Rogers. This picture was taken in 1977.

Buck's Sentry Market 1977
Prior to that it was the home of Bandon Food Center, which was owned by Cliff George and his sons, Don and Dick. Earlier it was Lee Orcutt's market. The building is now owned by Larry Hardin, and serves as a real estate office for Brian Vick.

The third picture I am sharing is not so much for the spilled lumber, which occurred in 1962 at the corner of 101 and 42S when a truck driven by Pete Goodbrod lost its load, but for what has, or has not, been built.

Spilled lumber 1962
This area looks very different now, as I am pretty sure this was before Rumpty's (The Snack Shack and now a Mexican restaurant) was built, as well as the Lamplighter Motel. The houses you see are on North Avenue, a block east of the highway. I shared a picture earlier, which showed the area across the highway, which was pretty much vacant at this time, but is now the home of the Bandon Shopping Center.

*           *           *
For the most part, people are breathing a sigh of relief after the horrific hurricane-force winds failed to materialize on Saturday, as predicted by the National Weather Service.

Several people commented on Facebook that they were disappointed that the storm had not hit this area, but I quickly answered back to remind them of the devastation that occurred on the north Oregon coast Friday morning when a tornado touched down in the small beach town of Manzanita. I also said that my prayers had been answered that we did not bear the brunt of the forecasted storm, as I still vividly remember Oct. 12, 1962, when the Columbus Day storm roared into the state and did millions of dollars worth of damage and resulted in the loss of life.

One friend of mine, who is a climate change denier, mocked me and the media for actually believing that the storm was going to hit. I reminded him that the media had very little to do with it, except to do their job and pass on the extreme weather warnings from the National Weather Service.

The difference between the warnings that we received this week and 54 years ago is that we did not have Facebook or the kind of sophisticated weather detection equipment that is utilized today, and there was almost no warning that the Columbus Day storm was about to hit. The winds were already extremely strong before school was let out at mid-day. Pacific High School had barely sent students home when the winds ripped through the south side of the building, and tore away walls right down to the foundation.

I would certainly prefer that they err on the side of caution so that people could prepare ... as best they could ...rather than forgo warnings . . . in the off-chance (luck) that the storm would not be as bad as predicted.

Having suffered through three very large storms during my 45-year newspaper career at Western World and The Herald, I can only say: Thank God they were wrong.

But then this same man says that the threat of a large Cascadia Subduction earthquake is a hoax and those of us who believe the scientists and seismologists are being scammed.

It's hard to argue with someone like that.

*           *           *
While attending a recent forum of Oregon mayors, I listened to a debate between the "yes" and "no" groups concerning Ballot Measure 97, which would be a tax on gross sales of certain corporations which do business in Oregon.

That day we received a handout from both "camps" as well as a handout from the Oregon Secretary of State's office. While listening to both sides, I began reading through the literature and immediately a big discrepancy jumped out at me. The "vote yes" literature and that of the Secretary of State indicated that the revenue (over $6 billon in a two-year biennium) would be "dedicated' to education, health care and senior citizens. The "vote no" group said the money could be used any way the legislature sees fit.

And they were right.

Unless the drafters of the measure (teachers and public employee groups) had specified that revenues were constitutionally dedicated to those three things, it is simply a statutory measure and it can be changed any way that legislators see fit.

I was shocked when I saw a series of ads from the League of Women Voters urging voters to support Measure 97 because "the revenues were dedicated." I immediately fired off an email to the state league office. The president of the League, Norman Turrill, said: "In a sense, both sides are correct and not being entirely honest by omission." He then proceeded to explain what I already knew, the legislature could change it with its own bill in any way they want to.

He added: "In the League's experience, the legislature is generally respectful of the people's adoption of a ballot measure, at least for a while, and would use the revenue as dedicated in the measure. Furthermore, the legislature could also change the measure for the better, without the otherwise required 3/5 vote of both houses for raising revenue."

"So you were not told the whole story. I hope this clears up the conflicting information that was propagated by the opposite sides at the LOC conference," said the League of Women Voters president.

In spite of admitting that they understand that the money is not truly dedicated, the League of Women Voters continues on with its ad campaign!

I also sent my concerns to Oregonian columnist Steve Duin, who responded: "Thanks, Mary. You're right, or so I've been told, that the Legislature can spend the dough anyway it wants."

I was also given a copy of the measure, which is one sheet of paper, and would be the largest tax increase in the history of this state ... without any kind of oversight from the legislature.

That is just one reason that I am opposing Ballot Measure 97.

If this goes down in flames, which I believe it will, maybe the legislature will work on a measure of its own, which is not as regressive as this one is,. but still addresses the funding shortfall.

The crucial issue that needs to be addressed is the PERS deficit, which is going to burden cities, school districts and other public employees with huge costs to address the unfunded liabilities of the fund, which grew from $18 billion at the end of 2014 to between $21 and $22 billion a year later. Yes, folks, that is billions . . . not millions.

Public employers, like the city of Bandon, can expect maximum increases over the next six years, which will increase their pension fund contribution rates from about 18 percent of the total payroll to nearly 30 percent.

This is a huge crisis in the making ...

*           *           *
I have learned that the building, owned by Grover Hatcher, that houses Second Street Gallery and Coastal Mist, is for sale. I believe the asking price is $795,000. The two tenants have existing leases.

I also learned that Second Street Gallery, owned by Pete Bauer and Candace Kreitlow, is for sale for an asking price of $150,000, which seems like a very fair price for an upscale business like the gallery.

Hopefully, the same person who buys the building will also buy the gallery, since it is also for sale.

The big question, which many continue to ask, is when will Lloyd's sell? The asking price for that business, which has been closed for several years, is $395,000.

While searching for information about Lloyd's on line, I also learned that the Bandon Video Building is for sale for $495,000, and the Lamplighter Motel, at the junction of 42 and 101, is for sale for $449,000. Both of those properties are listed by Willamette Realty Group.

*           *           *
Not sure what she is afraid of, but I know of two big opportunities to appear with Dr. Bud Pierce that Governor Kate Brown has refused to attend. She had earlier been invited to debate Dr. Pierce at the ONPA (Oregon Newspaper Publishers Association) convention, but she said it did not fit her schedule to appear before the state's publishers and editors.

Then she was billed to appear in a governor's forum at a recent League meeting, and because she was going to be there for the noon luncheon, the doors were locked at 12:15 so no one could enter. Also if you left, you could not get back in past the guards that were at each door.

But, with pretty much no explanation by her campaign staff or the LOC, she did not appear.

So far, she has brushed off the state's publishers, editors, councilors, city managers and mayors.

That is just one reason I am casting my vote for Bud Pierce.

And while we are on the subject, I am also voting for Dennis Richardson for Secretary of State, as he was recently endorsed by The Oregonian.

And I am supporting Megan Simms for county treasurer ... NOT Matt Rowe.

*           *           *
I had heard that there was quite a flock of wild turkeys in the Beach Loop area. Last year, councilor Claudine Hundhausen shared a picture of a couple of turkeys that were in her yard. But that flock has grown. A friend of mine, Dave Melrose, said that he and his wife, Brenda, had over 20 wild turkeys in their yard one day last week ... in that same area.

People are beginning to ask what can be done about this ... and frankly, I do not have an answer. But it appears they are multiplying rapidly ...

*           *           *
Not sure what the weather forecast says about Friday, but Oct. 21 is the last of the Alive After Five events for the season. Hopefully, it won't be storming that night. Plus, if you do plan to go, it will be over before the start of the Oregon-California game, which is scheduled to start at 7:30.

I am giving the Ducks one more chance before I change channels ....




As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn

October 12, 2016

The first picture I am sharing this week was taken in June of 1966 as members of the Bandon Fire Department control a fire they set behind The Barn in City Park to control the gorse.

Controlled burn in City Park, 1966
The City Park was very different in those days. It has taken years of hard work by members of the Bandon Lions Club, city employees and volunteers to make it the jewel it is today.

The second photo was taken in September of 1961 as the foundation is laid for the new Shindler's Drug Store, built by John and Eileen Fetterman.

Foundation is laid for Shindler's Drug Store, 1961
Shortly after the fire, O. C. Shindler built his new Rexall Drug Store, along with Bandon Medical Clinic (Dr. E.F. Lucas) on Second Street, in the building now owned by Grover Hatcher, which houses Winter River Books. The uptown business was later sold by the Fettermans to Steve and Judy Wilson, who operated it for many years before closing last year. The building, located on the southeast side of the McKay's Market parking lot, is now empty. In the background, at left, you can see the O.S. Valentine home, which fronts on Baltimore Avenue. Not sure who owned the other house, but that is pretty much the site of Bill Sweet's Farmer's Insurance office, which is on the corner of Baltimore and 10th Street.

I have a treasure trove of old photos from the Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op, including this picture, taken in 1958, of a dairy farmer unloading his milk at the creamery.

Coquille Valley Dairy Co-op, 1958
I recently purchased two $10 Groupons for a site called Photobook America and spent several hours putting together an 8x8 photo book of my cheese factory photos. Unfortunately, when it came time to pay for the book, the site would not accept the coupon. Instead they wanted $63 for a book that would have cost around $40 from Shutterfly (without a coupon). I swore I would not pay for it; instead I contacted both Groupon and Photobook America, but received no satisfaction. I decided I would try again because I had purchased two Groupons for 8x8 books. I used pretty much the same pictures to create the new book. Again, it would not accept the coupons. Determined to see at least one of the books, I went ahead and paid for the $63 book (which actually cost $73 when you consider the coupon I had already purchased). I still hope that they will allow me to use both coupons for the other book, but I seriously doubt if I will ever get any satisfaction from this company. It's such a letdown to spend hours putting together a book, complete with captions for all the pictures, and then to learn that it costs five times what you were expecting.

This had better be one fabulous book!

*           *           *
While everyone else is outside enjoying the beautiful Indian Summer weather, I am sitting at my computer writing this week's column, hoping to get it done before the debate.

But I did enjoy Jason Tree's delicious soup and bread, while sitting in the sun, earlier today. Now it's time to get to work!

*           *           *
I was heartsick to see that someone has posted large signs around town urging people to vote no on the city's ballot measure (6-156), which would raise water rates $10 a month for residential customers and $20 a month for commercial users.

We can only guess who put out these signs, but it's sad that they have not come to the council or a utilities commission meeting to complain about the proposed rate increase so we could share with them how important this measure is to the future of Bandon's water system.

As most of you know, back in 1994, an initiative petition put forth by Francis Stadelman, was approved by the voters, establishing by charter that we could not raise our utility rates without a vote of the people. At that time and for some years later, because of pre-approved agreements with bond holders, the city was allowed to raise its rates enough to pay the debt. Now those bonds have been paid off and this has severely impacted the water department, as a rate increase is genuinely needed, but is not possible without this important vote.

All funds from the proposed rate increase will be used exclusively for water treatment and distribution system operation, maintenance, and capital improvements including seismic protection for the 2 million gallon treated water tank, repairing the water filters and replacing the filter media, replacing the chlorine generator, purchasing spare pumps and building reserves for future projects.

The increase will only impact monthly base rates and will not increase sewer or electric utility rates or bills.

Someone named Betty Daniels wrote a very thoughtful letter to the editor, which appeared in the Sept. 29 issue of Western World. I don't know who she is but I certainly appreciate her support.

She likened our situation to the old country song, "Everybody Wants to Go to Heaven but Nobody Wants to Die."

She said: "Everybody wants clean, abundant water and a reliable water system but nobody wants to pay for it."

She pointed out some of the excuses people use for not wanting to support the measure, adding "let's support this essential city utility. We will truly regret it if we let our water system fall in disrepair and lose control of it. It's time to vote yes on this modest increase in water rates."

I urge the voters of Bandon to understand that this is their water system, and we (the members of the city council) are simply the guardians, and we are trying our best to protect this fragile utility.

Please vote yes on ballot measure 6-156.

*           *           *
I think I dodged the proverbial bullet a few minutes ago when "Mike" sent me an email, with a website to open, and the message, "Can you imagine it?"

I just started to open it when I remembered all the hacking and cloning that has been going on lately, and figured I had better find out which Mike sent me this. Was it Mike Claassen or Mike Jespersen?

Well, it turns out it was neither.

I just got an email which indicated that my reply ... asking hm to identify himself ... had been undelivered because it was not a valid address.

Heaven only knows what would have happened had I opened the site: "World.27the croydon.scouts.or.uk/Mike."

Have any of you heard of this scam?

*           *           *
Speaking of scams, I received two friends requests on my Facebook page, from Forrest Munger and Deanna Hurley-Hockema, this week. I knew that Forrest and I were already friends, but I wasn't sure about Deanna, although I knew we often communicated by email. Turns out both were already friends, and as had happened to me twice in the last few weeks, their accounts had been hacked or cloned.

I still don't know what happens if you do accept a friend request from someone who is already your friend after their page is hacked.

Does anyone know the answer to that?

*           *           *
I know that not many of my readers will remember Forrest Munger, but he was the musically gifted guy that lived here for several years before marrying a Coos Bay woman, Kim Davis, and moving to Coos Bay a couple of years ago.

He told me this week that he and Kim have purchased a home in Vermont, and will be moving there in the spring.

Forrest went through some dark times after his wife, Diane, died several years before he moved to Bandon, but he and Kim are very happy, and it's wonderful to see.

*           *           *
Locals know that Comspan (and apparently other carriers, as well) experienced a problem late Thursday night and early Friday morning, which rendered people's phones, credit card machines and computers useless, depending on their carrier.

Although I did not see the comments, one woman told me that people were very cruel to Comspan, even though it later turned out that it had been a major problem in Seattle, which caused the outage and nothing that Comspan had done.

I think people are still reeling from the firing of Sandy and Jerry and the fact that it is sometimes difficult to get in touch with a representative to find out what is happening when there is an outage. Yes, they have an office in city hall, but it is not manned, with the exception of a phone and a computer which allows you to speak to someone in, I think, Roseburg.

I continue to use Comspan for my Internet, and like others, I have had a few times when it was not available, but for the most part, my Internet is fast and reliable.

I have Dish for TV and will continue with that satellite company as long as they provide the Pac-12 network, which carries lots of sporting events, including Oregon State's dramatic overtime win Saturday night, 47-44, over California. (That game was a stark contract to the Oregon game, which saw the Ducks lose to Washington 70-21 in what can only be described as a shellacking). This was Oregon State's first Pac 12 victory since November of 2014 and it nearly slipped away from them. But it was a great game to watch.

Ironically, the Pac12 network carried some pre-recorded "feel good" segments about the University of Oregon ... several hours after one of their worst losses in many years.

One talked about their slogan which was said to be "win the day."

I might suggest that they change that to "win the game." Or certainly they need to figure out why they cannot play defense.

*           *           *
I went to the Sprague Theater Friday night to the "Hey, Loretta" concert, which featured a top-notch band and a Portland vocalist, Mary Rondthaler, in a musical tribute to country music sensation Loretta Lynn.

Sadly, there were only about 40 people there, and it was a wonderful evening of song. I heard that there were more tickets sold for Saturday night, and hopefully more attended on Sunday, as well.

I guess they handled their own publicity, and I am not sure if people just didn't know about it or had something else to do. I do know there was a great article in Western World, as well as The World's "Go" edition.

But you missed one tremendous concert.

Among those in the audience were Shirley Kintner, who was the star of the popular Patsy Cline show that has been presented several times by the Lions Club at the Sprague in recent years, along with her husband, Coos Bay ophthalmologist Jon Kintner; her daughter, Hannah Kintner, who is with the KVAL news team; and several other members of their family.




As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn

October 05, 2016

Often when I share pictures of old Cranberry parades, it's not so much for the float, but more for the background, and this picture, taken in 1962, is no exception.

Looking north on Chicago Avenue from Second Street, 1962
This is looking north on Chicago Avenue from Second Street, with the Capps Motor Co. (now Harbor Town Center/Washed Ashore) on the right. In the back, at right, is Bob Schultz' Bandon Plumbing and Sheet Metal (now the Wheelhouse), and across First Street is Bandon Seafood.

But it's the other side of the street that is interesting. I had completely forgotten that there was ever a barber shop on the left, which is in the building which now houses Angelo's Italian restaurant. The tall building to the north is the old hotel, which was built before the fire by baker Paul Stephen, and is now Cranberry Sweets (with apartments upstairs).

Standing behind the float is a group of boys, including Billy Burgher and one of the Hopson boys. The float was entered by Fisher's Body Shop ... and I think that would be Arlen Fisher.

The second picture was taken in 1972 and shows the demolition of an old house in the area of 11th and Highway 101 on property where Bank of the Cascades now sits.

Demolition of an old house in the area of 11th and Highway 101, 1972
The 76 station across the highway is about where the parking lot of Banner Bank is now. At one point it was owned by Lanny Boston, but not sure of the years.

I never get tired of looking at photos of the wonderful old grandstand at Dave Miller Field, which sat on the south side of the high school football field.

Old grandstand at Dave Miller Field
Note the old house across 11th, which is about where the softball field and dugouts are now located.

I spent many a night climbing up a ladder on the back of the stadium to get into the press box, until they finally gave us access from inside the stadium. I was heartsick when the district decided to tear it down instead of working to make it structurally safe. It was replaced by an uncomfortable metal stadium across the field, and small risers where this magnificent stadium once sat.

*           *           *
The Bandon Police put out a press release last week about one burglary and an attempted burglary, which occurred on Sept. 29 in the Old Town area. I have also talked with at least one business owner who said that someone also tried to break into several other shops, but was not successful.

Officers responded to a burglary in the 300 block of Highway 101 at 6:25 a.m. on Sept. 29. Upon arrival, the police learned that someone made entry into a business by breaking out a window. Once inside, the suspect(s) took miscellaneous items, leaving the business in disarray and unable to operate. It is not known how long the suspects were in the business.

At approximately 11:24 a.m., officers responded to a report of an attempted burglary in the 100 block of Second Street SE. The suspect(s) damaged items on the building, cut the window screen on one of the windows and broke a lock in an attempt to gain access.

Bandon police are actively investigating both of these reports. "We ask our local businesses and citizens to be extra vigilant in securing doors, windows, etc. We also would like to remind citizens to remove personal items from vehicles and be sure to lock them," said a police department spokesman.

"Please report anything suspicious to our office, either by calling 541-347-2241 during business hours (8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday) or Coos County Dispatch after hours at 541-396-4221."

The owner of a building in Old Town said he called the police several nights later after seeing a tall man in a small space between two buildings, who did not seem to have a reason to be there.

*           *           *
People keep asking what is being built on the northeast corner of the shopping center parking lot, in front of The Dollar Tree. I am pretty sure it is a charging station for Tesla vehicles.

Last year, Tesla contacted the city about putting the charging facility behind Face Rock Creamery, but they expected the city to not only set aside the property, provide security for the charging stations, and keep the area landscaped, but the city would also have had to pay for the electricity.

We declined the "invitation," and suggested they contact the shopping center, which they did.

*           *           *
People may have heard the fire sirens go off in the middle of the night (shortly after 1 a.m. on Sept. 30) and wondered where the truck was headed.

According to Chief Lanny Boston, a woman who lives in an apartment above Cranberry Sweets turned a burner on beneath a hot plate, resulting in a great deal of smoke and a damaged appliance, but no structural damage to the apartment.

The chief said the call came in at 1:12 a.m., and they were on scene just under 10 minutes later at 1:22 a.m.

*           *           *
The big snake appears to be back in the news. Someone posted on Facebook that the snake was spotted at Prosper and Parkersburg on Friday. One woman responded by saying she wants to hear from someone who has actually seen the snake ... not just "trails or snake poop."

The poster then said she had "heard it from a friend."

Stay tuned . . .

*           *           *
I heard from one of the members of the Bandon High School Class of 1966, who recently celebrated their 50th reunion at the ranch of classmate Larry Johnson and his wife, Lynn.

"I just want you to express for us how much we appreciated Larry and Lynn's hospitality for hosting the class on their farm," said Diane Blake Lewis. Friend and classmate Jill Chappell Sumerlin echoed the sentiment.

On the same weekend, Larry's nephew, Brett Johnson, was hosting his class, who graduated 40 years earlier . . . 1976, at his wonderful vacation rental mansion south of Bandon.

My class will be celebrating its 60th reunion next summer . . . with Larry's older brother and Brett's uncle, Jerome Johnson, being a member of our class.

*           *           *
You may have seen a drone flying over Old Town or the beach one day last week. It was videographer Fletcher Murray of Burbank, Calif., (father of Marcy Kranick of Bandon) who was here to put together a new video on the local cranberry industry for Leslie Clarke and the David Kranicks.

*           *           *
I remember that it was not long after Bandon Dunes Golf Resort opened in 1998 that renowned golfer Arnold Palmer flew in to play the courses. And he was not only seen at the resort but also at the old cheese factory. I would have given anything to see the famous golfer, who died recently, having watched him over the years on The Golf Channel.

*           *           *
Speaking of golf, people are already talking about the fact that Bandon Dunes will be hosting the country's largest amateur golf tournament, the U.S. Amateur, in 2020.

This will be the sixth event hosted by Bandon Dunes, which includes the Curtis Cup in 2006.

*           *           *
Two of the three men who drowned at the mouth of the river last week were from Placer County, Calif., including a well-loved doctor, Chandler Richard "Rick" Dann, 59, of the Christian Valley Park neighborhood near Auburn.

His wife, Jeanne, is quoted in the Sacramento Bee as saying that she and her husband left earlier the previous week to work on a home they purchased in Oregon. She said fishing was her husband's favorite hobby.

Another Placer County man, 59-year-old John Douglas Sherman of Newcastle, also died in the accident. Jeanne Dann said her husband and Sherman had met through work before Sherman's retirement roughly two years ago.

"The person he fished most with passed away with him on the boat," she said. She added that Sherman had a boat and a trailer home in Oregon, where he would live while he fished.

The two men, along with a third victim, William Fredrick Lamica, 67, of Reedsport, went out to sea in Sherman's boat. Lamica was Sherman's friend and neighbor.

Before living in Placer County, Dann served as a flight surgeon for the Air Force in Southern California, caring for pilots and their families.

The Coast Guard described the Bandon bar as a "hazardous area where the Pacific Ocean's deep waters and strong currents meet the river's shallow depths."

It's just a shame that, with the Coast Guard having left for the season, there is no way to advise unsuspecting boaters how hazardous the bar can be at this time of the year.


Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn

bandon.tv