As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Sep 30, 2020
The first picture I am sharing is of the S.S. Alvarado, a ship owned by Moore Mill and Lumber Co., which went aground north of Coos Bay in a storm in March of 1945.
S.S. Alvarado
In this photo, probably taken in the 1930s, the ship is being guided into port by the tug Klihyam. This is also a good view of the lighthouse and the lighthouse keepers' home. The captain and his crew of 31 men were rescued by the U.S. Coast Guard, but not without difficulty.
The ship was valued at a quarter of a million dollars, and carried cargo worth about $45,000.
An article in Western World reads: "The Coast Guard had difficulty in removing the crew. Several attempts were made to shoot a line aboard for the purpose of using a breeches buoy but the wind was so strong the line wouldn't hold. One life boat filled with crew members capsized in leaving the ship and the men crawled aboard a life raft and were brought to shore. The Bandon Coast Guard, under command of Arthur Dobney, participated with crews of the Coos Bay station in effecting the rescue."
Art Dobney was the father of Portland attorney Claudia Dobney Powers and her brother, Mike Dobney, both of whom have moved back to Bandon with their spouses.
According to Ernie Osborne's book Wooden Ships and Master Craftsmen, The tug Klihyam was built by J.H. Price of Bandon in 1908 as a replacement for the tug Triumph. In 1938, the Klihyam, under Captain Grant Evans, and the Port of Bandon, under Captain Martin Guchee, were taken over by the Federal government for use in the Aleutian Islands during World War II. The two Bandon tugs were instrumental in saving a large merchant ship loaded with supplies. The two captains were the first civilians cited for meritorious service in the Aleutians.
On Sept. 28, 1958, under the ownership of Sause Brothers, the tug Klihyam was towing a barge out of the Siuslaw River it struck a rock near the entrance, was rammed by a tug which was trying to assist her, and sank.
The second photo was taken in June of 1975 of the readerboard sign on the Western Auto store (now Bandon Ace Hardware). I believe Don Arvold owned it at the time, but I am not positive. The other side of the sign said "No street parking from here to city limits."
Readerboard sign at the Western Auto store, 1975
When the city council prohibited parking along the highway, Arvold and several other merchants in the area protested the loss of parking, but those who weighed in on the side of safety eventually prevailed and the "no parking" signs were put up. At the same time that the highway was widened and the parking removed, a flashing light and stop sign were installed at the intersection of Highways 101 and 42 by state high department crews, which gave Highway 101 traffic the right-of-way and called for Highway 42 traffic to stop as they approached town.
The third picture was taken in August of 1965 as members of the K&W Peewee baseball team present their retiring coach Tom Gant with a golf shirt as a gift.
K&W Peewee baseball team, 1965
Although the boys were not identified in the paper, I know that Bruce Capps is the tall one in the back, and Jack Haga is standing to the left of the coach, and I believe Gary Neal is next to Jack. My guess is that the boy to the right of the coach is his son, Gary. Other members of the team were Rocky Miner, Mike and Kerry Mooso, Joe Minor, Tony Bork, Loren Stevens, Russ Fraser, John Prahar, Scott Sutherland and Loren Leach.
This picture was taken over 55 years ago ... and today Tom Gant, who is 91, continues to play a lot of golf.
* * *
A long-time member of the Southern Coos Hospital District board of directors, Carol Acklin has resigned. Acklin recounted what had occurred with the board some months ago when three of the five members voted to fire the CEO Amy Fine. Neither Acklin nor former board member Tom Bedell (who resigned after the firing) knew about the motion to fire Fine until the night of the meeting. As a result three complaints were filed through the Oregon Ethics Commission against the three board members. The Commission took up the issue and handed down their decision as of last week.
"As it turned out, the entire board was included by the Ethics Commission and we were all sanctioned and will be given a 'letter of education,' Since I was not involved in any way and I told the State that, they said it didn't matter as I was in attendance at the meeting where this occurred," Acklin said.
"I decided that I did not want to continue serving with a board that I no longer trusted nor respected, so submitted by resignation effective immediately," said Acklin.
"I thank all the readers of the reports that I have been sending since 2011 and I will just encapsulate this meeting. Things are basically the same; we have admitted no Covid-19 cases yet, the hospital is hiring a few new Medicare providers and our days cash on hand has improved to 54.6 days," she said.
The board minutes indicated that Dr. Noel Pense, DO, will be returning to Southern Coos effective Nov. 1 as Hospitalist, and will be available eight days a month in the clinic.
* * *
The latest update from the City's planning department indicated they remain busy with construction applications and general inquiries from the public.
Year to date the Planning Department has received 98 applications, including 25 for single-family dwellings, which is on trend for the last four years.
In order to devote more time to processing applications for property inside the city limits, the city has temporarily suspended activity on most applications from outside the city limits, many of which are in the Sunset City Addition, where some owners are attempting to divide their property into smaller lots, but are unable to do that without the guarantee of city water.
The council discussed the issue recently and felt that applications within the city must take precedence over those outside the city.
Dana Nichols, planning manager, said "As the construction season fades with the approaching rainy weather, the Planning Department will ramp up work on improvements to our permitting process through a series of code updates, procedural changes, and increased community engagement. We will also be working with state and county partners to clarify and enhance our development process for properties within the Urban Growth Boundary, but outside the city limits," said Nichols, referring primarily to properties in the Sunset City south of the city limits along Beach Loop.
* * *
Athough plans are still progressing for the pedestrian light at Ninth Street, after talking with the state, we agreed that the work be postponed until spring because ODOT has to obtain easements for an ADA ramp project, and the city needs to obtain easements for the pedestrian light, so we felt it best to let the state obtain both easements.
* * *
On his weekly radio talk shop, Bandon resident Rob Taylor indicated that a peaceful protest would be held on the Coos Bay Boardwalk Saturday, Oct. 3, with Patriot Prayer spokesman Joey Gibson as the main speaker. Following that they plan to have what he described as a Trump Train at 2 p.m., and added that "no butt heads need show up."
* * *
I have been advised by a reader that Oregon offers online voter registration. People can register by mail in Oregon by printing a voter registration form, filling it out, and mailing it to your local elections officer. You can also register to vote in person if you prefer. Election date is Nov. 3, and the deadline to register online, postmarked or in person is Oct. 13.
The deadline for ballots to reach the elections officer is Nov. 3 at 8 p.m. Oct. 28 is the last day ballots can be mailed.
Oregonians vote by mail. Ballot drop box sites are open 18 to 20 days before Election Day.
A county elections department spokesman said they would begin mailing the Nov. 3 ballots around Oct. 15.
* * *
Seven candidates have filed for city offices: Mary Schamehorn and Nancy Evans, for mayor; and Patrick Salandro, Robin Boyan, Geoff Smith, Brian Vick and Geri Procetto for three open council seats. Vick and Procetto are incumbents, and Salandro is a member of the Bandon Planning Commission and the Parks and Recreation Commission. I do know that Geoff Smith owns By-The-Sea Gardens, but I am sorry I have not met Robin Boyan.
Amy Moss Strong has asked each of us for a comprehensive statement about our background and why we are running for office, which is due Oct. 1, so be watching for that to appear in a Saturday issue of Western World, which is part of The World each week, both in print and on line.
Or, I am sure that most of the candidates have a personal Facebook page and that is always a good place to learn more about them.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Sep 23, 2020
The first photo I am sharing this week was taken in September of 1979 and was part of a full-page photo feature on Bandon Fisheries, which had moved from the old seafood building (across from the Wheelhouse and now the site of The Loft) to this building, which for years we called the "blue building." Today it is the home of the Old Town Marketplace and is painted green.
Bandon Fisheries, 1979
The caption beneath the photo explains that expansion and relocation of Bandon Fisheries' plant was completed early the previous year. "The plant now has some 10,000 square feet of usable floor space .... three to four times the old plant's size. The building and refrigeration equipment carried a price tag of around $200,000, while additional processing equipment cost another $150,000."
Graydon Stinnett was president of Bandon Fisheries and his son, Steve, was assistant superintendent.
In an interview by then Western World reporter Steve McCasland, Stinnett said, "Our production is up and job opportunities have increased considerably, creating a far more stable work environment."
Bob Fellows, plant superintendent, explained that with the increase size of the operation, more people could count on steady work. "Bandon Fisheries employs about 100 persons now, and might average 65. But that will increase with the year-round black cod operation which requires 40 workers," he said.
With the exception of black cod, Bandon Fisheries processed the same products (shrimp, crab, tuna and salmon) that it did prior to the expansion.
He said they had taken in about 1.5 million pounds of unprocessed shrimp that year, as compared to the previous year's peak harvest which doubled that.
Today, the thriving local seafood industry and the jobs it provided is but a memory.
The second photo was taken around 1946 or 1947, and it is one of the best pictures I have of the old Bob-Otto Court at far right, which was torn down in the late '50s to make way for a service station. Today that is the site of the Chevron station.
Bob-Otto Court, 1940s
The Bob-Otto Court survived the Fire of 1936, and five months later they announced that they would be providing more hotel rooms, which were being built in the second story of the central building (next to the Greyhound bus), and they were expected to be finished by the end of March 1937. Vern Brown, father of Bandon's only other female mayor Judy Brown Densmore, was doing the work.
"The rooms will each be approximately nine by twelve feet and will be equipped with baths and with modern hotel furniture. The office on the main floor will be enlarged and rebuilt to serve the tourist camp, the hotel section and as a bus depot," said an article in the Western World.
You can imagine the critical need for housing, as almost all homes, except a few in East Bandon, were destroyed in the fire.
At left is Bandon Market. The street alongside the market, which is Delaware, crossed First Street and went out to the industrial complex on the water, including what used to be part of the Nestle's Food Company complex. You can see Moore Mill in the background, and behind the auto court was Ernie Panter's warehouse.
The third picture featured the three Bandon High School wrestlers who qualified for the state wrestling tournament in March of 1973.
Bandon High School wrestlers, 1973
The three were, from left, Keith Ward, 115 lbs., Dave Reimer, 106 lbs. and Gordon Kranick, 178 lbs. I covered the state tournament in Corvallis that year, and had a full page of pictures in Western World, featuring the wrestlers and their coach, Mickey Hurley.
Reimer and Kranick placed fourth in their weight classes at state, while Ward finished fifth, which was the best finish ever for a Tiger wrestling team.
* * *
I received an anonymous letter this week in my box at city hall, which had a date stamp from Portland, but was clearly from a local constituent as the question was written on the City's Q&A about the ballot measures. I am not sure why they were afraid to sign their name, but since I felt their question needed to be answered, I chose my column as the venue.
Here is what it said: "I'm wondering... does Bandon Dunes pay into our tax base? Seems to me you let them have a 'pass' a number of years ago. WHY?? Maybe time to have them taxed to help out the town!"
Here is the answer(s): Sixteen years ago, in 2004, The cities of Bandon, Coquille, Myrtle Point and Coos County voted to allow Bandon Dunes into an expanded Enterprise Zone, which gave them a tax break on just their new development for at least three years. The City of Bandon was not impacted in any way as Bandon Dunes is not inside the city limits. Some local districts, in which Bandon Dunes lies, were impacted, which included the Bandon Rural Fire Protection District, the Port of Bandon and the Southern Coos Health District.
None of the districts lost revenue; it just meant they would lose the property tax value on what was developed out there for at least three years.
Today, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort is believed to be the largest single taxpayer in the county. In addition to the revenue that they pay to Coos County and the entities that I just mentioned, they voluntarily assess a 6 percent fee on all their lodging facilities, with 70 percent of the money going to public safety for Coos County (primarily to the sheriff's office) and 30 percent for tourism.
Again, no part of the resort is in the city limits, so we derive no property tax benefit, but we have been receiving TOT (transient occupancy tax) from the motel at Coquille Point, which is owned by the Dunes. And once the new motel is built, our TOT receipts will increase. Because we have such a low general property tax rate of 46 cents a thousand, we annually receive more in TOT revenues than we do in property taxes, so the increase in TOT from the new motel will be a decided benefit to the City.
Also, the publicity that the resort brings to our community is immeasurable, not to mention the hundreds of well-paying jobs that they provide. We benefit in many ways; unfortunately, property tax revenue is not one of them.
* * *
By now most of you know that the City of Bandon's two ballot measures, which increased the basic water and sewer rates by a total of $15 a month, passed overwhelmingly, with sewer passing 909-395, while the water measure was approved 897-407.
I had read many positive comments on Facebook leading up to the election, and I had gotten my hopes up that it might pass, but I had no idea that it would be approved by a margin of more than two to one.
This really was a community effort with people from all walks of life helping to educate their friends and neighbors about the importance of passing those measures. And to everyone, I say thank you!!!
* * *
The Bandon Tigers lost one of their most ardent boosters Sept. 8 with the death of 95-year-old Barbara Murray, who came to Bandon in the l970s with her husband, Otis K. Murray, and their family. Otis was superintendent of the Bandon schools at the time of the 1974 arson fire, which destroyed our high school. A little more than a year later, he died of a heart attack at the age of 51.
Barbara is survived by one daughter, Genevieve Chrismon, and three sons, Michael, Kevin and Kenny and their families.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Sep 16, 2020
I have chosen to share the first photo since there essentially isn't much of a Cranberry Festival this year, but it doesn't hurt to remember all the great festivals of past years.
Cranberry Festival parade, 1962
This picture was taken in 1962, the year the late Carole Cameron was crowned queen. This is the float of Careen Pierce's first grade, and it is titled "Bandon's Paradise Kittens Love Cranberries." It is headed east down Second Street in front of what was then Capps Motor Co. (about where Broken Anchor is now), and you can see the Bandon Theater next to it.
I chose the second picture because it is so frighteningly similar to what we are seeing daily in the local papers and on the news as fires spread across Oregon and California, resulting in a loss of life, and the destruction of thousands of homes and businesses.
Queen Anne Cottages after the Bandon Fire of 1936
This picture is what remained of Queen Anne Cottages on Beach Loop after the Bandon Fire of 1936. The small sign at the bottom points south to Natureland, which was one miles down the road. Built by the John Dornath family, Natureland survived the Fire, and the large home, which once was surrounded by smaller cottages, still stands today.
The third photo was taken in February of 1975 of the Bandon School District teachers basketball team.
Bandon School District teachers basketball team, 1975
In the back row, from left, are Tom Lasswell, Lyle Wolle, Dick Handley, Will McCreery, Chris Gorchels, Dennis Lindahl and Jim Cowan; in front, from left, are Mike McArthur, Mickey Hurley, Keith Yager, Jeff Richards and Dan Moody. I do know that Dennis and Jeff both live in the Coos Bay-North Bend area, while Mickey, Jim and Dick are still in Bandon.
Not sure how many games they won, but I know they had a lot of fun.
* * *
The story about the resignation of State Fire Marshal Jim Walker had new meaning for me Sunday afternoon when I learned that it was the same Jim Walker who was a star athlete at Gold Beach High School when I was covering sports for the local paper. He is a member of the pioneer Walker family from Pistol River and got his start in the fire service here in Bandon with the Coos Forest Protective Association.
Jim had been the State Fire Marshal since 2014, and apparently in an effort to save money, the governor's office had put his department under the auspices of the Oregon State Police.
After his sudden resignation Saturday, he explained what happened in a lengthy article in the Salem paper Sunday. He said that one of his employees was worried about a relative who lived in the Santiam Canyon where four people have died since the Beachie Creek Fire roared through last Monday night.
Walker said his deputies often have to search for people who have been burned or killed by fire, and he said it is hard on them. Friday, he volunteered to conduct the search himself. That night he was placed on paid leave by OSP Supt. Travis Hampton. In his resignation the next day, Walker said: "I can't in good faith work in a system that's non-supportive to what I see as needing to be provided to our firefighters on the ground."
Fire Chief Lanny Boston was extremely upset about the chain of events, and said Walker was well respected in fire department circles around the state. "I do not think this is over yet; I hope the h... not. The two offices should be separate. I hope that when things calm down a lot of my brothers and sisters will stand up for what is right. Politics, money, power and friends tend to make things go sideways, so in these times I will not venture a guess on the outcome," said Boston.
* * *
The big news last week was the 350-acre fire that burned along North Bank Road Tuesday, eight miles northeast of Bandon, destroying a yurt on the property of Candace Kreitlow and Pete Bauer, threatening homes and causing a number of people to evacuate.
The conditions that day were reminiscent of the Bandon Fire of 1936: hot (reached 95 in town), strong east winds and low humidity.
As the fire was in the county, it was under the direction of the Coos Forest Protective Association, with assistance from a crew of Bandon firefighters, and trucks and crews from most fire departments in the county, large and small.
Bandon Fire Chief Lanny Boston said it was a humbling experience, and he learned a lot about wildland fires that morning. "It blew up, and in four hours, it had grown to 300 acres," Boston told me. "It was a good learning experience for everyone .... including me. I've never quite seen what I saw out there that morning."
He said it was even harder to fight than gorse would have been, because most gorse is on flat terrain, but this fire burned up the hill and into the canyons, which made it much harder to battle, even though gorse burns hotter.
He said the outcome could have been much different had it not been for the helicopters who arrived on scene. "They were able to see from the air where the fire was spreading and could drop water where it was needed. If we had not had the air support, it could have gone clear to the sea," said Boston, explaining that it could have traveled down the river and out to the ocean in the vicinity of Bandon Dunes and Bullards Beach State Park.
He credited the homeowners as part of the reason that no homes burned. "They had done a good job of maintaining that defensible space around their homes, keeping brush away, and they did not have cedar shakes for siding or cedar roofs," said Boston, who has been chief of the local department for 45 years.
I do understand that people were concerned about the lack of factual information that was coming out of the fire on that day.
Our city manager routinely posted on the City's Facebook page with whatever information he could glean from our police chief, who was helping to direct traffic, or from a CB radio operator out of Gold Beach.
In situations like this, the Coos County Sheriff needs to appoint a Public Information Officer, who would be on site and provide other agencies and the public with the latest information about possible evacuations, etc., every hour or so. If that information had been forthcoming, it would have immediately been posted to our Facebook page. As it was our city manager posted right up to 3 a.m. with the information that he was able to obtain.
At least one local resident pointed out the number of elderly people who do not have smart phones nor do they have access to Facebook or use a computer. She felt that it might have been good for the city to let people know what was happening with the tsunami warning siren. Others have told me that they cannot hear what is being said, so I am not sure that it wouldn't have generated more concern if people saw the smoke and did not know what was being said. But we all need to do better, and this is a good opportunity for the city and the county to work together to prepare for the next emergency.
It really shouldn't matter whether this was inside or outside the city limits. As we so often hear: we are all in this together. And that was certainly the case Tuesday. We are all Bandonians, and we need to do everything possible to make sure that we provide as much assistance and up-do-date information as humanly possible.
* * *
Former resident Jerry Calame posted on Facebook one day last week: "Tonight my daughter Sonja Calame Herbold, my son Steve Calame, myself and my ex-wife and the kids' mother, Marie Berry Calame, lost our houses to a massive fire in Phoenix, Oregon. Reports are saying 1,000 houses and lots of businesses are gone. Most got out with almost nothing, particularly those like Sonja who were caught up helping others," said Calame.
* * *
The chairmen of the annual holiday meals, Eric and Colleen Wiesel, let me know this week that they won't be having the Holidays Meals on either Thanksgiving or Christmas this year.
"Holiday Meals has lovingly provided meals to the Bandon community every Thanksgiving and Christmas for over 25 years. These meals are produced by volunteers, many of whom are elderly, to promote the fellowship, health and well-being of our community. We are facing an unprecedented time with COVID-19, and we have concluded with great sadness that there is no safe and effective way to produce our meal and still ensure the protection and health of our volunteers and community. We will miss serving each of you, but your health and our community's strength is what matters most."
Certainly sad to hear this, but I completely understand ....
* * *
Also don't forget, if you haven't sent your ballot in, please take it to City Hall as it is too late to mail it as the election is over at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 15. I urge you to support ballot measures 6-179 and 6-180.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Sep 09, 2020
The first picture I am sharing is an addition to the Big Wheel, built in March of 1979, to house hay and fertilizer.
Addition to the Big Wheel, 1979
A caption in that week's Western World explains that "a 3200 square foot addition to Big Wheel is presently under construction and the owners, Charles and Lillian Hettich, expect it be completed in about a week. The 40 x 80 addition will provide a covered loading area for their customers as well as extra storage for hay and fertilizer. Stadelman Enterprises Inc. is the general contractor for the project."
The original building, which still stands on the corner of Baltimore and First, was constructed not long after the Fire of 1936 by Ernie Panter, and was known as the Panter Feed Store until 1973 when then owners, Sterling and Norma Welch and their daughter and son-in-law, Rick and Rosalie Smith, held a store-naming contest. The winner came up with the name Big Wheel and the wheel logo, and for nearly 50 years, the name has stood the test of time.
In the background you can see the Port of Bandon office, which today is part of Tony's Crab Shack.
The second picture shows the new Safeway building, not long after it opened.
It was announced in the July 20, 1939, Western World that construction of a new store building for Safeway would be started within a few days.
Safeway, 1939
"A ground lease has been taken on land owned by Mrs. E.A. Hartman of Estacada at the corner of Delaware Avenue and Second Street (Highway 101), which is the corner east of the New Bandon Theatre. The lot was recently vacated by the removal of the Electric Shoe Rebuilders shop and the Legion Hall.
"A contract is to be let to a Bandon contractor, the item says, for a frame building 35 feet wide and 80 feet deep. Safeway operated a store in Bandon before the fire of 1936, and after the fire until their ground lease ran out about three months ago."
The store went out of business in the early '40s and the building was purchased by the McNair Hardware Co. and served as McNair Hardware until the building was destroyed in an arson fire in 1975.
Today it is the site of Bandon Brewing Co. and Bandon Vision Center.
The third picture was taken in the summer of 1973, although I could not find the article in the paper. The negative envelope says "Babe Ruth" on it, and I know that the three baseball players are, from left, Googer Kiefer, David Borgard and Scott Vierck.
Googer Kiefer, David Borgard and Scott Vierck, 1973
I did find a number of articles about the Babe Ruth A team, of which Kiefer and Vierck were members, but it never mentioned Borgard, so I am not sure if he planned to play, and didn't, or what the story is, but I certainly know it's him.
Others that played on the A team that year were Kevin Kent, Tom Swenson, Bill Caldwell, Rick Strycker, Dee Staten, Jim Pruitt, Randy Hall, Perry Vaughn and Wayne Everest.
* * *
On the same page in 1939 that contained the Safeway article, I found an interesting headline that read "City Has Oil Project."
"A combination of fortunate circumstances has made it possible for the City of Bandon to put at least one street oiling project into effect, supplementing a project just completed by Coos County on the Bandon Beach road.
"The county oiled from the city limits at Queen Anne south to Windermere, covering a section of the road that is receiving much travel. This left an unsurfaced section between the end of the pavement on First Street at the Coast Guard station and the pavement on Fourth St. and Ocean Drive and from Jackson Avenue on Ocean Drive to Queen Anne.
"Through the efforts of Mayor K.I. Franklin, Public Utility Manager J.H. Fasnacht and others the city obtained use of the county equipment and crew for oiling the unsurfaced area.
"The oil is heated with steam from the local creamery. The actual oiling cost is about $30 a day."
* * *
This has been a fairly dry summer, with less than two inches of rain having fallen since June 1 (1.53 inches in June, 0.04 in July and 0.40 in August), and the fact that we are headed for a heat wave certainly could increase the fire danger.
The weather forecast for Labor Day (Monday) was a temperature of 64 degrees, followed by 82 on both Tuesday and Wednesday.
Over the weekend, as an historic heat wave broiled Southern California, Woodland Hills in Los Angeles County recorded an all-time high of 121 degrees, which the National Weather Service said was the hottest temperature recorded at an official weather station in LA County. And state power officials warned rolling blackouts were possible ....."
We are so fortunate to be living where we do, with the cool ocean breezes never that far away, even on those days when warmer temperatures are forecast.
* * *
Although I did not know the young man, Alexander Lee Jones, 26, who died last week, his mother was Kelley Erdman, daughter of Ferne and Melvin Erdman, who graduated from Bandon High School in 1981 and was Cranberry Queen in 1980. She and her husband, Rick Jones, live in the Coos Bay area. The obituary they wrote for their son, Alex, brought tears to my eyes, as it was such a touching tribute to the young man, who had suffered from mental health battles for years and ended up taking his own life in spite of numerous efforts by his family to provide mental health counseling for him. They described Alex as having lived life to the fullest.
* * *
As most of you know by now, there will be no traditional Cranberry Festival this year, but the Chamber has scheduled a number of virtual events, as well as encouraging businesses to decorate in all forms of cranberry as part of the "Paint the Town Cranberry" business decorating contest. Businesses need to call or email the Chamber to let them know you want to be judged.
The Cranberry Court consists of BHS seniors Hannah Bristow, Kayla LaPlante and Elli Schulz. The judging of the court's talent and platforms will be a closed event but videotaped for all to enjoy, as will the Queen's coronation, according to the Chamber.
This weekend, Sept. 12 and 13, there will be free admission to the Bandon Historical Society museum, sponsored by Doug and Sharon Ward Moy. Sharon was the Cranberry Queen in 1965. The museum will present a virtual Cranberry's Past celebration on their Facebook page.
The hospital and the foundation will hold a Cranberry Harvest Celebration Beach Walk Saturday, Sept. 12, beginning at 10 a.m. The starting point for the walk is at the South Jetty entrance to the beach, and will end at Coquille Point. The hospital will provide masks for anyone who would like one, along with hand sanitizer, bags and education about COVID-19 and other healthcare topics of interest. Participants are free to walk alone, with their families and with their dogs. Donations will be accepted at the hospital table position at the start of the beach walk. All donations will go toward the hospital's commitment to COVID preparations.
For complete details about what is planned visit www.bandon.com/events or contact the Chamber office at 541-347-9616.
* * *
There has been what seems to be an epidemic of fatal motorcycle crashes in Oregon in the last couple of months, with 12 or 13 deaths involving both riders and their passengers. This weekend, three people died in motorcycle wrecks, including two in Douglas County. And the average age is probably about 50.
* * *
City of Bandon voters received their ballots in the mail last week for the water and sewer rate increases, which will be $8 a month for water and $7 a month for sewer, on the base rate.
I urge voters to support Measures 6-179 and 6-180. The city cannot continue to subsidize the water and sewer funds out of the general fund, 40 percent of which goes to fund the police department.
If you haven't already done so, please read the Q&A that came with your utility bill this month; it may answer a lot of your questions.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
Sep 02, 2020
The three photos that I am sharing thus week all have one theme: hospitals in Bandon, and that doesn't include the present hospital, which we old-timers still refer to as the "new" hospital.
The designation of old and new took on new meaning recently when I asked my pal Jim Proehl to research some information about the "old" hospital. I was thinking of the Leep Memorial Hospital downtown and he was searching for information about the hospital on top of the hill overlooking the Coquille River and the lighthouse.
The first picture I am sharing this week, courtesy of the museum, is the only one that I can find of the Emergency Hospital, but you have to look hard to see the sign behind the Racket Store sign on the right side of the photo. This building was located on the corner of Alabama and Wall Street, which today is the landscaped parking lot across from the Masonic building. This picture was taken in 1913.
Emergency Hospital, 1913
I came across a large "For Sale" ad in the March 20, 1919, Western World for the Emergency Hospital, "Bandon, fully equipped, seven patient rooms, operating room, kitchen, etc. A Good opening. $500 will take it. Want to sell before April 1. Address: K.E. McKenzie, Bandon, Ore."
An article in the same issue of the paper confirms what I thought: she was related to the McKenzie family, who owned a large farm at the mouth of Elk river in Curry County.
It pointed out that Miss McKenzie intended to leave shortly after the first of the month for Alberta, Canada, where she planned on becoming interested in farming.
"Miss McKenzie before taking over the hospital here conducted a large hospital in San Francisco. She is a trained nurse of many years experience and her services here have been invaluable in medical circles."
At one time, Bandon had at least two hospitals, as I have also seen reference to a Bandon Hospital in the Fahy-Morrison building, and there was also a hospital on Garfield before the Fire.
The second photo, taken in March of 1980, shows what remains of the old Leep Memorial Hospital, which was just east of what is now the Wheelhouse Restaurant.
Leep Memorial Hospital, 1980
At the right you can see the Bandon Fisheries building, which had been Bandon Seafood for many years. It was on the waterfront about where the Loft building is today.
At the time it was being torn down, the old hospital building was owned by Lee Roberts, who was living in a trailer on the property, along First Street, which remains vacant today.
An item in the Jan. 7, 1937, Western World tells the story of the remodeling of the former Red Cross headquarters building to serve as the first home of the R.V. Leep Memorial hospital, which was started by a crew of WPA workers. This was less than four months after the Fire had destroyed most of Bandon.
The building consisted of a 30x40 main section and a 16x16 lean-to, which included two three-bed wards and an operating room.
A public meeting would be held the following Friday where permanent officers were to be elected and plans made for opening the hospital. Each civic, patriotic and lodge organization in Bandon was asked to send a delegate to this meeting.
The old hospital had been replaced by the "new" hospital on the hill overlooking the river, which opened in 1960. In the next 20 years the old building was used as office space and housing before it was condemned by the city council and torn down.
I was born in the old Leep Memorial Hospital a little over two years after it opened, and ironically was a member of the city council which condemned it some 40 years later.
The third photo features George Barnes, left, administrator of the Southern Coos General Hospital (on the hill), and Melvin Boak, chairman of the board, as they celebrate making the last payment on the $203,000 bond which helped finance the construction of the hospital.
George Barnes and Melvin Boak
The district was organized July 27, 1955, for the purpose of providing modern hospital facilities for residents of the area. The first Board of Directors consisted of Carl Lorenz, Nyna Miller, James C. "Chet" Raines, Theresa Devereux and John Fetterman. In February 1956 the bond issue was approved by voters 571 yes, 330 no. Objections by a group of citizens of the newly formed district delayed sale of the bonds until 1958.
Bids were let in 1958, and Starr Builders was the low bidder in the amount of $275,369 to build the new hospital, which served the community for many years before being replaced by the present hospital at the end of 11th Street. I am not sure of the date when the new hospital opened nor the exact date when this hospital on the hill was torn down. I believe the vacant property is now in private, out-of-state ownership.
Total cost of building and equipping the hospital was $383,447, which included $50,000 in local donations.
I was elected to the board of directors of the district in November of 1962.
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I heard from the daughter of a former Bandon woman, Betty Fedje, last week letting me know that Betty had undergone cancer surgery, but after 10 days in the hospital she is now in a skilled nursing facility working on walking and eating again. Her daughter, Bettyrae, is hopeful that she will soon be home.
Anyone wishing to send her a card can do so in care of Bettyrae Easley, 77925 Cherokee Road, Indian Wells, Ca 92210.
A talented musician, Betty was active in the Bandon Rotary Club during her years in Bandon, and she has many friends in the community.
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In-city residents received their ballots last week for the City of Bandon measures, which will raise utility rates a total of $15 a month ($8 for water and $7 for sewer) and the deadline to vote is Sept. 15.
I am encouraging people to support these measures, which are important to other city services, including the police department.
There is a drop box at city hall where people can drop off their signed ballots.
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I just saw a notice for the Bandon Library Friends & Foundation, Inc. Itty Bitty Book sale this Saturday, Sept. 5, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. in the courtyard outside the library's Sprague Room. Face masks will be required, and the sale will be canceled if it rains.
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Bandon lost two residents recently, including 24-year-old Daniel Undell, son of Kerry and Keri Undell, who had appeared on the Sprague theater stage with both New Artists Productions and Bandon Playhouse. Daniel, who worked in Coos Bay as a surveyor, was diagnosed with T-cell Lymphoblastic lymphoma last fall. He was a member of Pacific Community Church, where he had also gone to school.
I remember taking a lot of pictures of him when he was in New Artists Productions and sharing them with his parents, who were such a loving and supportive family.
I also learned that Trish Spencer, who taught school here and was the wife of the late Harry Spencer, died last week at the age of 87. Trish taught school many years, including the last nine in Bandon. I got to know her as a tireless volunteer at the EAT (Everyone At Table) program. She will be missed.
Previous columns by Mary Schamehorn
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