As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 28, 2012
I saw an item titled "disorderly conduct" in Thursday's press log and was amazed that the guy was arrested and transported to jail. It was a landlord-tenant dispute on Dement Creek Road outside of Myrtle Point, and it was clear what had happened because the police had also been called to that address earlier in the day. The tenant apparently had not paid his rent and the landlord was upset. Believe me, I can identify with that feeling, but I just didn't have the nerve to do what that landlord did.
He was arrested because he sat outside the home shortly after midnight revving up his engine and yelling.
For that, Klaas Denheyer, 63, was arrested for second-degree disorderly conduct and resisting arrest and taken to the county jail.
I guess there are better ways to collect your rent, but my guess is that the guy was at the end of his proverbial rope.
* * *
I'm used to seeing all sorts of names on the sports pages, particularly in the ranks of professional basketball. But I couldn't believe one that I saw in Wednesday's Register-Guard belonging to a Los Angeles Lakers player.
His name is Metta World Peace. And judging from the name on the back of his jersey, his last name is World Peace. Not sure what "metta" means, but I am sure there is some significance to the name.
Shabazz Muhammad, Bevo, Jahil, Pau . . . yes. But Metta World Peace.
That should go down in the world book of names . . . if there is such a thing.
* * *
As most of you have probably heard by now, someone(s) called in 28 bomb threats to courthouses around Oregon on Monday. That included 28 courthouses out of 36 (and Coos County wasn't one of them), along with the Oregon Public Service Building in Salem.
Officials (make that law enforcement) are "reviewing the calls to determine whether they are connected," according to an article in the R-G.
That's pretty scary. If law enforcement can't figure out that 29 bomb threats ... all made on the same day at virtually the same time . . . aren't connected, we've got a problem.
Or more accurately, they do.
* * *
I was hoping that by the time you read this, the race for Coos County Commissioner would be decided. But I guess it may not happen until the end of the week, because it's necessary to count by hand more than 25,000 ballots.
I'm sure I've left no doubt in anyone's mind who I am supporting (Fred Messerle), but even if he loses I am sure he can be a real asset to John Sweet (who graduated from Bandon High in 1957) and Melissa Cribbins, an attorney with the Coquille Indian Tribe, as they venture into county politics.
I surely hope that the kind of disruptions that have become commonplace at commissioner meetings will cease.
Having run Bandon City Council meetings for the last eight years, I can only say that we would never allow the kind of grandstanding and rude behavior as has been demonstrated by a small group of people at the county meetings.
True, we have at least one man who addresses the council on a regular basis, but I, for one, don't mind. We don't always agree, of course, but he has a right to his opinion.
But sitting in the audience and making rude comments, gestures and wearing white sheets is not my idea of a setting for a productive meeting.
We have a uniformed police officer at every meeting, but, so far, our meetings have been conducted pretty much according to Roberts Rules of Order, and he doesn't have to "maintain order."
I'm sure he is glad he doesn't have the same responsibility at the county commission meetings.
With the serious issues facing Coos County, it would be nice if the audience allowed the elected officials to govern. But maybe that's too much to ask.
A "three-ring circus" belongs in a tent . . .
* * *
I am so proud of Ray's Food Place. To my knowledge it's the only place where one can wire money through Western Union at night. They've had a policy for quite a while that they won't wire money to Nigeria, as that is where many of the original scams originated. Now they've gone one step further. They won't wire money after 8 p.m. A spokesman said people would be surprised by the number of people who are taken in by the grandparents' scam. After receiving a call from someone purporting to be their grandson or granddaughter, the elderly person races down to Ray's to wire money to their loved one .... which, in almost 100 percent of the cases, turns out to be a scammer.
Ray's is doing its part to see that Bandon people don't get taken, and employees have gone to great length to talk people out of wiring money before they've talked to their son or daughter to find out if their grandchild really has been in an accident, is in jail . . . .etc.
This is a highly successful scam and if more establishments like Ray's did their part, and made it harder for unsuspecting and vulnerable seniors to wire money, it might help put a stop to it.
Of course, they would just find another way to scam people, but this one is so sad because it targets older people who simply aren't wise to the ways of criminals.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 21, 2012
We hear a lot of pros and cons about Vacation Rental Dwellings, which pay TOT (transient occupancy tax) along with motels, but when I saw a report recently from ONE dwelling, I was blown away by the amount of rent it had generated in the three-month period from July 1 through Sept. 30.
The owner Jim Deatherage had come into City Hall to pay his tax on SeaBreeze, a home which sits directly across from Sunset Motel, and has one of the most gorgeous views of Face Rock that you will find anywhere.
That one house had generated $32,581 in rent for that quarter, and he willingly paid his tax of $1,857.50. That would be the equivalent of a monthly rent of over $10,000.
Some people say they don't want VRDs in their neighborhood, but when you consider that they are governed by some pretty strict rules (unlike monthly rentals), I'd say they are a pretty good neighbor. The landscaping is maintained, the garbage is hauled away, there are no barking dogs or pooping cats, etc. You get the point.
* * *
I learned that the long-time thrift store operated by the Bandon Kiwanis Club will be closing after the first of the year. The store is located just east of the site of the new cheese factory, and after seven or eight months of losing money, coupled with the condition of the road near the building, Kiwanians have made the difficult decision to close the store.
Thrift stores are having problems for several reasons, most of which are due to the economy. Not only are people not donating as many items, but they also aren't purchasing as many.
But one of the "big killers" for the thrift store was the cost of hauling to the dump unwanted items, like mattresses, etc., that people dumped at night alongside their building.
The club is now selling candy as a fundraiser, and they can be found at the Old Town Market in the green building at the Port of Bandon for the next few weeks (probably until the close of the market on Dec. 8).
The candy is also being carried by several Bandon merchants.
* * *
I knew it was coming, but I was sad to learn that Kim and Troy Russell will be leaving Old Bandon Golf Links at the end of the year.
In an email sent to people on their list, Kim and Troy thanked members and regular customers for their patronage over the past four seasons. "Our goal has been to help the owners transition this golf course for possible sale. We would like to introduce you to the new operators of Face Rock Golf Course, who will begin operations Jan. 1." The course is owned by Jerry Brown and Margaret Miller, and I have no idea who the new operators are, but I certainly hope they maintain the course like Troy did. It had improved so much over the four years that the Russells leased it, and it's just a shame they will be leaving.
They did announce that former Dunes chef (and brother of Amy Moss Strong) Paul Moss and J. Scott Cellars would be serving a wine dinner on Saturday night, Dec. 8. I went to the last dinner that Paul catered . . . and it was wonderful. I won't miss this one either.
* * *
I don't think I've read this in any other paper (except the Myrtle Point Herald), but maybe I just missed it. A letter has been sent to landowners with water rights, which includes many area cranberry growers and other ranchers, dairymen, etc.
Dawn Weekly, director of the Coos Soil and Water Conservation District, is alerting people that effective Nov. 1, the Oregon Water Resources Department (OWRD) is enforcing the mandate to install measuring or metering devices on significant water diversion points.
Weekly points out that according to recent conversations with the local watermaster, Mitch Lewis, the letters that are being received by landowners "are real and should not be ignored."
Coos SWCD has offered to work with the ORWD, Lewis and affected landowners to help provide technical assistance and look into financial support for these installations.
"Important!!! If you have received a letter and you are not working with Mitch Lewis or Coos SWCD on a plan you may lose your rights to any funding options, which require compliance with State laws; loss of your Water Rights and potential for penalties.
"The letters appear to be going out in random order over the next couple of years," said Weekly, who urges people with water rights not to ignore these letters.
People with questions can contact Weekly at 541-396-6879.
* * *
The final votes have been counted and certified, except for the race between Fred Messerle and Bob Main, which has to now be counted by hand because only 12 votes separate the candidates in over 25,000 votes cast. Main continues to be in the lead. The law says that if the difference between two candidates is less than 1/5th of one percent, a recount is mandated. And that would be approximately 50 votes; hence the recount, which probably won't take place until after Thanksgiving.
The final count in my race shows a difference of 311 votes. I received 882 votes compared to Mr. Claassen's 571. I can't say enough for the people who have continued to support me all these years. I really do appreciate it.
* * *
By now I'm hoping that friends of the late Bobby Sutherland have read the wonderful tribute written by a sports writer for the Roseburg News Review. I've forwarded it to many of his friends, and I think the family is paying to have reprinted in Western World, but I'm not sure of that. At any rate, if you want to see it, send me an email at marys@coosnet.com and I will send it to you.
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 14, 2012
I am sure most of you are terribly glad the election is over, but none no more so than us candidates. Election Day was a particularly emotional day for me. I had picked up the list of people who hadn't yet voted, and with the assistance of my friend Ginny Hall (who was calling from her house), we began calling people at least those we knew. I had paid $38 for the list and, like in year's past, some of the phone numbers were listed alongside the voters' name. Unfortunately, as is so prevalent in this computer age, when the list was printed, it omitted almost all the seventh numbers. It's real hard to call someone if you don't know their full phone number, and most of them weren't in the book. It was pretty much a waste of $38, and most of those we did call had either voted the previous night (the list was generated at 2 p.m. on Monday) or they had voted that morning . . . or they were on their way to City Hall with their ballot.
But I was worried. My opponent had spent a ton on advertising (every day in Coffee Break), he had a ton of signs, professional-looking brochures and he mailed out letters to most of the voters. And he had spent many nights standing at the entrance to the two markets handing out his brochures. My campaign had pretty much included 50 signs and some well-timed (and often hard-hitting ads) and, something that I had never thought of before, 8.5x11 signs in car windows saying they supported me for mayor.
It wasn't bad enough that I had just purchased a brand new cell phone (the day before the election after my old one had self-destructed), but when I got it home I discovered the battery wouldn't hold a charge. Since I had to work Tuesday and it was election day, I couldn't get back to North Bend to discuss the problem, so I was forced to live with it. I began making phone calls from my landline while my cell was plugged in (again) to the charger. But, without warning, the landline went dead, and I was forced to use my cell . . . while it was still charging. This added to my anxiety about the election.
I had gone to a friend's house to watch the election results, and although we went onto the Coos County website, apparently we clicked on the wrong thing, because as late as 9 o'clock, all we saw were zeroes after each candidate's name. And my cell phone was charging at his house, but only a short distance away from where we were watching the nationwide returns.
So you can imagine my surprise when I looked at my phone at about 9 o'clock to see that I had seven "missed calls." And the second one was from my opponent congratulating me on my big win. That's the first I knew I had won; Amy had also tried to call me for a statement, and Matt had called to congratulate me, along with several calls from my sisters. So much for a new phone, which didn't bother to ring when it was plugged in.
Then we found the results on the county's website and I began calling people back.
I can certainly say I was surprised by my margin of victory, which was just under 300 votes.
I am definitely grateful for all those who supported me, and certainly am glad that I mounted a campaign.
I am only sorry that my friend Fred Messerle was not leading Bob Main in the Coos County commissioners race, but at this writing, I think there are only about 13 votes separating the two (out of nearly 25,000 votes cast). That's just another example of how important every vote is ... at least at the local level. My long-time friend John Sweet (whose aunt and my uncle have been married for 65 years) won big as did attorney Melissa Cribbins, so even if Mr. Main does prevail, he will be "odd man out."
It was interesting that one of Mr. Claassen's supporters was Sentinel publisher Jean Ivey. There is absolutely no love lost between her and me. Rob Taylor, who writes for the Sentinel, had endorsed me for mayor, and in the next issue, Ivey said she disagreed with Rob; she said Mr. Claassen was definitely the best candidate for mayor and she listed a lot of reasons why: including that he would govern without drama. Mike even had one of his campaign signs in a Sentinel newspaper box at the Bandon Shopping Center.
The Sentinel is one of the worst newspapers I have ever seen, bar none, and all I can say is "thank you Jean Ivey for NOT endorsing me."
* * *
This is the second time I have written this column. I have had problems with my new computer and several times it would not start in the morning, and when it did it said I might lose some of my documents. Well, it wasn't kidding. The column that I had written for this week was gone, along with a lot of other things, including last week's column. I was led to believe that when I bought this new, much faster, computer, things would improve. Well, they haven't. Three days in a row it wouldn't start without me having to run the "startup repair." I'm about ready to leave it on 24/7 so that won't continue to happen.
But I'm not sure that's going to solve my problems.
* * *
The service for Bob Sutherland, 63, affectionately known as "Bandon Bob" by his many friends in Roseburg where he taught for 25 years, will be held at 3 p.m. at Harbortown Events Center in Old Town the day after Thanksgiving, Friday, Nov. 23. People will begin gathering around 2 at McFarlin's Bar and Grill (in the same building), and after the service young and old alike will meet at Lloyd's, in either the restaurant or the bar, one of Bob's favorite hangouts, for food and a no-host bar (for those old enough to drink).
* * *
I have learned that the developers of the Face Rock Creamery have temporarily rented space from the Rogue Valley Creamery in Central Point (near Medford) and the new cheesemaker Brad Sinko is already busy making cheese. Brad has made quite a name for himself as the head cheesemaker for Beecher's, located at Pike Place Market in Seattle. He got his start under his father, Joe Sinko, at the Bandon cheese factory, but was out of a job when Tillamook purchased the business. I know he's glad to be coming home and I know his parents, Joe and Karen, are thrilled that the family is returning to Bandon.
In the meantime, Face Rock Creamery owner Greg Drobot is assuring that there will be local cheese on the shelves when the new creamery opens in the spring.
I know some people in the community doubted that this was really going to happen. Believe me, it's happening and this is just further proof (as if you need any when you see the construction that is going on at the site).
As I See It
by Mary Schamehorn
November 07, 2012
Bandon High School graduates are still reeling from the death of two graduates in the last two weeks: Bobby Sutherland and Valerie Arnett. Valerie was raised in Bandon where her father was pastor of the Assembly of God Church.
Bob Sutherland was the son of the much loved football coach Dick Sutherland, and was a star athlete himself. He had recently retired after teaching many years at JoLane Middle School in Roseburg and had planned to move back to Bandon. He also wrote sports for Western World when he was going to high school and I was the reporter/and sometimes editor. On an even sadder note, during my career at Western World, three young men wrote sports for us: Steve Neal (who went on to work for the Chicago Tribune), Bob Sutherland and John Conrad (who was sports editor of the Eugene Register-Guard at the time of his death). All three died way too young.
A memorial service for Bob has been set for the day after Thanksgiving (Friday, Nov. 23) at Harbortown Events Center. I would guess that the place will be packed as we gather to say goodbye to one of Bandon's most popular guys.
* * *
I wondered what was going on recently (during the Oregon-Colorado game) when I went over to a friend's house and saw her crouched over the radio ... listening to the Duck game with her big screen TV set turned off in the living room.
I'd been watching the game on my big screen TV when I left at halftime, so I knew it was on TV.
But it wasn't on Direct TV, Charter or Comspan. In this area, apparently the Pac 12 network is only available to Dish TV customers. And that's where I watched the last part of the Oregon State game that night.
I've been relatively happy with Dish since I moved into my new house, but was still upset that I couldn't hook up to Charter, which I'd had for years at my other house.
I will never complain about Dish again.
If I were a customer of Direct TV or Charter I would be finding out why they can't negotiate with the network to carry those games.
Update: It's only a few of the Oregon or Oregon State games that are carried on the Pac12 network, but when that's the only place you can find the game you want to watch ... it's a bummer.
* * *
I nearly fell off the couch when I read the letter in last week's Western World from my opponent, Mike Claassen, titled "Beg to Differ."
He says he has communicated with the district manager of ODOT and feels that his signs were and are all in legal locations.
That statement came from a man who just a few days earlier (during the candidates' forum at Brewed Awakenings) admitted that he had gotten the email from the state advising us not to put signs in the right of way, but he liked the locations, and he had plenty of signs, and since there was no "fine or penalty" he planned to put them back. Which he did. Everyone that was there, or who listened to it on the computer at coosmediacenter.pegcentral.com heard him.
My question would be: if they were legal (which ODOT told me they weren't when I asked if I could put up signs in those same locations) then why in the WORLD would they have removed the signs two and three times from those same locations.
Doesn't make sense to me ....
* * *
I saw an item on the sheriff's log Sunday that made me sad. Shortly after 9 p.m. someone called from Lakeside to say that a woman was walking down the street crying. She told the officer that they had no electricity and had not had any food for three days, and that her male friend (could have been her husband) had left several hours earlier and had not returned. The officer (or whoever was identified as the NCCP) took her to her trailer and the man was there. It was logged for information. That was it.
But earlier someone had called about people removing items from a foreclosed property in the Lakeside area, and the same officer (or responder) went to great lengths to determine if the people had permission to be there.
It seemed like there was a far greater effort made concerning two people moving items from a garage than there was about two people without electricity who hadn't eaten for three days.
* * *
It hasn't been very long since a man reported losing his wallet at Bandon Dunes, and when he got it back, his money was missing. Saturday morning Hank Hickox called the police to report the theft of $5,000.
I am not sure who would be carrying that kind of cash on him (or her), but most certainly they should either keep it on their person or in a safe. Actually the log wasn't clear whether the money was stolen from a golfer or from the resort. But at any rate, someone got away with $5,000.
* * *
I received a post from Sharon Ward Moy of Lake Oswego this week. She wanted to remind people that their annual Bandon Breakfast Brunch will be held in Portland on Saturday, Dec. 8, from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. at Francis Xavier's Restaurant, 1933 NE 181st St. in Portland, off I-84 at Exit 13.
She is hoping that a group of Bandon grads will carpool to Portland and join them for the event. Each person is asked to bring a fun gift, suitable for the gift exchange; but don't spend over $15.
Harv Longanecker will be saying the blessing and prayers for Bobby Sutherland and family, especially for those who cannot make it to Bandon for the service. "And we'll be sharing memories," said Sharon, who can be reached at moy_seaglass@msn.com.
Sharon also advised me that Stewart Cameron, Class of 1965, is in South Africa, just out of Johannesburg, working for a corporation for a couple of years . . .and the area is not too safe. He cannot access Facebook and he is alone and lonely, living in a secure compound, but advises that it is a dangerous area for Caucasian/American people. He would love to hear from old friends, especially from the classes of 1964-66. People who want Stu's email can email Sharon (at her address above) and she will send it to you.
previous columns by mary schamehorn