В Бандоне арестовали троих подозреваемых в ограблении и похищении, а также анонсировали программу 80-го фестиваля клюквы

The first picture I am sharing was taken in January of 1958 as a site on the north side of the Coquille River was prepared to unload rock to help build the new highway to Coos Bay. The new stretch of Highway 101 finally opened in 1960. The house in the picture was owned by Warren Bullard, a member of the family who sold property to the state which eventually became Bullards Beach State Park. The second photo, taken in June of 1982, shows the Cobbler’s Bench next to the Bandon Theater in what today is known as Old Town. The business was owned by Wolf Daniel Braun, who later relocated to the present location after fire destroyed this building. Today the business is owned by his son, Peter Braun. The theater building, at left was torn down in the late 1980s and today the property is a vacant lot between Bandon Coffee Cafe and Pacific Properties. The third picture was taken sometime in the 1940s featuring three businesses on the north side of Highway 101 between Elmira Avenue and Fillmore Avenue. Ed Gallier Plumbing is now the home of Gina Morelli’s Beach Loop Realty, the Southwestern Motors showroom later became The Laurel, and a city-owned parking lot occupies the space where Coast Lumber Yard stood for decades. At the far right, you can see the old Coates house, which was on the grounds where the sewage treatment plant is today. The City of Bandon electric department has lost thousands of dollars of copper wire from its utility system in a series of thefts in recent weeks. As a result, the Bandon Police Department has issued a statement warning residents “about a recent rash of power line thefts in the greater Bandon area, including Coos and Curry counties, involving illegal cutting and removing of wire from utility infrastructure. “These incidents are extremely dangerous. Cutting power lines can result in serious injury or death, not only to the person attempting to remove the wire but also to nearby residents, utility workers and members of the public. Damaged power lines and utility equipment can also create an extreme risk of fire, particularly in dry conditions. Residents are asked to remain alert and report suspicious activity around utility poles and power infrastructure. If you see someone near a utility pole or power line who does not appear to be a legitimate utility worker, please contact law enforcement immediately. Do not approach or confront the person. Note the location, description of the person and vehicle, direction of travel if you can, but done safely.  “Cutting or tampering with power lines is a serious felony criminal offense and may result in felony charges which may include domestic terrorism in the first degree. Depending on the circumstances and applicable law, other serious charges may be considered. “The safety of our community depends on everyone remaining vigilant,” said the press release. There were several reports of small fires in the Bandon area on the scanner in the last couple of weeks. On Aug. 16, at 2 a.m., Bandon Fire was called to Franklin Avenue SW and 14th Street for an odor investigation. The smell was said to be making the reporting party sick. Bandon fire was on scene and made contact with the property owner. It was a smoldering fire in a burn barrel, and he was working on extinguishing it. I am assuming this is outside the city limits since it is illegal to use a burn barrel inside the city.  On Aug. 20, shortly before 10 p.m., Bandon Fire was called to investigate a fire underneath the play structure at Ocean Crest Elementary School. They found a small 1 x 1 fire, which was extinguished. On Aug. 22, Bandon Fire was called shortly before 9 p.m. about a burn complaint in the area of Grand Avenue and 5th Street for a transient fire. Dispatch requested law enforcement to respond.  Bandon City Recorder June Hinojosa has released the names of the candidates running for election in the November General Election. Council president Josh Adamson and incumbent Mary Schamehorn are running for mayor. Qualifying for the city council election are incumbents Madeline Seymour and Chris Powell, budget committee member Renee Taylor, former city manager Dan Chandler, businessman David Zaragoza and Ray’s meat manager Raymond Ahumada. The south end of Seven Devils Road, just off Highway 101, has been closed since flooding caused a sink hole that caused the road to collapse in March of 2025. But Friday, a contract is expected to be awarded by Coos County to Knife River, as the low bidder on the nearly $300,000 project, which will be paid with federal pass-through dollars. County Commissioner John Sweet acknowledged it had been a long time coming, but said the scope of work is huge, with the failed culvert being 26 feet below the road.  A Coos County Timber Deputy was dispatched to a report of an assault at the Secret Hole Campground near Powers on Aug. 15. The deputy conducted an extensive investigation over several days. On Aug. 22, the suspects and their vehicle were located in Bandon. As a result, Christopher D. Hernandez, 46; Jeffery D. Pike, 37; and McKayla L. Christian-Brotton, 34, were all arrested on charges of second-degree robbery, third-degree assault, second-degree kidnapping and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. The trio was transported to the Coos County Jail where they were booked on the respective charges and remained in custody when the report was issued Aug. 22. The 80th annual Bandon Cranberry Festival will be held Thursday through Sunday, Sept. 10-13, opening with the coronation where one of the three princesses, Giada Moore, Jessica Burg or Katelyn Clark, will be crowned by last year’s queen Brooklin Butts. The coronation will be held at the Sprague Theater. Friday’s events will include the Queen of the Kitchen contest at the VFW and the Cranberry Bowl football game Friday evening. The main events are Saturday and Sunday in Old Town, with the grand festival parade to begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, with vendors, a car show and an evening street dance. Vendors will also be in Old Town on Sunday. When I find information about other events and the times for the events, I will print them. A memorial service will be held Aug. 29 in Harrisburg for a Bandon native, John David Loshbaugh who was born Nov. 20, 1949, to Ennis Loshbaugh and Viola Prewett Loshbaugh. He attended school in Langlois and graduated from Pacific High. He later worked on his mother’s family farm south of town. He lived a life of service volunteering on Harrisburg city committees and the Fire Department, serving a total of 27 years.  He was preceded in death by three siblings, Violet Stevenson, W “Bud” Loshbaugh and Betty Lunan. A standout athlete at Bandon High School, Caitlyn Michalek, daughter of Christine and Dustin Michalek, is headed to Grand Canyon University in Phoenix, Az., where she will become a member of the track and field team as a javelin thrower. Old-timers are familiar with Grand Canyon University, which is the college that 6-9 Tiger basketball standout Bayard Forrest attended in the early 1970s, in spite of being sought after by Oregon coach Dick Harter. Forrest, who went on to play a season of professional ball for Phoenix after guiding Grand Canyon to the 1975 NAIA Division 1 championship, is married to the former Peggy Ward, sister of Sharon Ward Moy of Bandon. Lately people have been asking me about my As I See It column, so I did a little research, and found that I began writing it 50 years ago... in August of 1976. It was as the name implied... how I saw things. It was filled with my take on many issues, some political, some not. I started sharing three history photos about 15 years ago. Then, when the Western World closed and I realized there was no place for people to get their “hard news,” I added that to my personal observations. I know that people now turn to it for the real news, but I hate that I can no longer share my take on other things, some with “tongue in cheek,” without worrying about offending someone. The news part of my column has become more of a full-time job which means every Sunday night I have to devote to writing what I have learned during the week, and it is not easy. I do appreciate it when people share news with me. I hope this helps people understand more about my column and how it originated.... as a side note to the hard news which I often penned on the front pages of the Western World... where I worked off and on for over 40 years. My column has now become more of a community responsibility and I understand that. Stillwater Natives Nursery is looking for Fall semester interns, who will work 4 to 6 hours a week with plants in the greenhouse. They will receive a work experience credit and an $800 stipend from Friends of Bandon Parks & Recreation. For more information or to apply, contact Darcy Grahek at [email protected]. “We will connect students to a whole world of people who work with plants,” said Grahek. I learned recently that Bandon has the second oldest demographics, behind Lakeside, of all communities in the county. Last week I wrote about the St. John’s Medical Loan Closet, a great service provided by a relatively small congregation of Episcopalians who really care! But an incident that occurred recently in the parking lot of the podiatrists’ office called my attention to another pressing need: a wheelchair accessible van, much like an ambulance, that could transport people to and from medical appointments.  Maybe Adapt has something like this, or could provide this kind of assistance, but I plan to look into it because I know it’s a need that may not be met, or if it is, the public doesn’t know about it. Coming events: Design a pollinator patch, Sept. 19, 10:30 a.m. to noon, Library Sprague room. Registration required at [email protected].  Bandon City Council, Tuesday, Sept. 8, city hall council chambers.