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Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 1

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Reasons to

The World

Pages 4 & 5: When it rains, it pours. When you’re wet it’s cold. That’s why folks love to cozy up near a fire. Here are a few suggestions for taking cover.

Look for these helpful labels: Page 7: Stand-up paddleboarding is catching on locally. Find out how you can give it a try.

Interesting bits of information

Page 10: One of the wonderful things about living on the Southern Oregon Coast is that dining with a view of the Pacific Ocean is an option in coastal communities.

Page 11: The Oregon Coast is unique for more than its beautiful shoreline. The myrtle tree as we know it grows only here and in the Middle East.

Page 14: Port Orford’s Battle Rock Beach is a surfer’s destination. The beach is an easy access pull-out for travelers who need a stretch.

is a publication of The World www.OregonDrift.com Designer/Coordinator: Beth Burback Publisher & Editor: Clark Walworth Advertising Director: Ron Thayer Executive Editor: George Spohr Online: Forrest Leslie Cover Photo: Benjamin Brayfield Map Graphics: Jeff Trionfante Photos: Lou Sennick, Benjamin Brayfield, Beth Burback, Amy Moss-Strong & Gail Elber Articles by: Gail Elber, Ron Jackimowicz & Rennie Guyer

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Coastaiel s t Curiosi

Drift: For consideration on the inside: Content focus is on the coastal communities of Southern Oregon and the activities and events in those communities.

Events: Submit details one month prior to the actual event. Include event name, time, date, cost & contact information. Email to events@theworldlink.com or send to The World, attn. Special Content, PO Box 1840, Coos Bay, OR 97420.

Articles: Articles may be considered for publication if they are related to local activities or events on the Southern Oregon Coast.

Articles should be approximately 400 words.

Editing and repurposing is at the discretion of Southwestern Oregon Publishing Company.

Photos: Submit print quality images, 300 dpi to specialcontent@theworldlink.com.

Include subject or event information and the photographers name for credit.

Advertising: Contact the advertising by calling 541-269-1222, ext. 278 or by emailing rthayer@theworldlink.com.

Southwestern Oregon Publishing Company Publication of The World, 350 Commercial Ave., Coos Bay, OR 97420; 541-269-1222 or 800-437-NEWS www.theworldlink.com theworldnews@theworldlink.com © Southwestern Oregon Publishing Co., 2012

www.theworldlink.com

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Get a fish-eye view

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Experience West Coast Game Park...

The original “Walk Thru Safari” where visitors meet, pet, film and walk among hundreds of free roaming wild life!

Pet a cub, a pup or a kit today!

America’s Largest Wild Animal Petting Park!

Find us on Facebook!

By Benjamin Brayfield, The World

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here are few places you can make eye contact with fish still in the water outside of an aquarium.

Eel Lake at Tugman State Park is one location that allows safe fish passage with a window.

It’s part of the local STEP The Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program.

46914 4 6 9 1 4 Hwy. H w y. 101 1 0 1 S., S . , Bandon, B a n d o n , Oregon Oregon 5541-347-3106 4 1 - 3 4 7 - 3 1 0 6 • www.gameparksafari.com w w w. g a m e p a r k s a f a r i . c o m Open Daily 9:30 am - 4:30 pm (Thru May 21) Open til’ 5 pm (May 22 - June 10)

Mid-Coast STEP The Mid-Coast STEP district includes all of the central Oregon Coast basins from Salmon River south to Siltcoos and Tahkenitch Lakes near Reedsport. Major stream basins include the Salmon, Siletz, Yaquina, Alsea and Siuslaw Rivers.

Umpqua STEP The Umpqua STEP district covers the entire Umpqua Basin and extends from Diamond Lake in the Cascades west to the coast at Reedsport. Major stream basins include Cow and Calapooya Creek, and the North Fork, South Fork and mainstream Umpqua River.

We stock the largest selection of fine wines on the Oregon Coast

OVER 1,000 WINES!

Featuring Featur ing

Tenmile, Coos & Coquille STEP

Tugman State Park 72549 U.S. Highway 101 Lakeside 541-759-3604 www.oregonstateparks.org

The Tenmile, Coos and Coquille STEP district covers the Oregon Coast basins from the Eel/Tenmile Lake area south to Bandon. Major stream basins include the Tenmile Lake area, and the Millicoma, Coos and Coquille Rivers.

Lower Rogue STEP The Lower Rogue STEP district covers the southern Oregon Coast from Four Mile Creek near Bandon south to the California boarder. Major stream basins include the Sixes, Elk, Pistol and Chetco Rivers, the lower Illinois River and the lower mainstream of the Rogue River from the mouth upstream to Mule Creek.

The Oregon Coast’s Destination Wine Shop!

Open 9 am-9 pm 7 Days A Week Bandon Shopping Center (541) 347-4438 • Pharmacy: (541) 347-9457 www.tiffanywineshop.com

Come see for yourself!

Opus One Ken Wright Silver Oak International Specialty Evesham Wood Vineyard & Winery Pacific Northwest Brick House Domaine Serene Lemelson Vineyards Beaux Freres Torii Mor C M Y

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Warm up

Charleston

The High Tide 91124 Cape Arago Highway Closed Mondays and Tuesdays.

541-888-3664

&

get cozy on the coast

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f you visit Oregon’s South Coast in April, you’re likely to find yourself watching the storms or hiking in the rain.

Finding cozy places to warm up in between your adventures is essential.

Unless you’re lucky enough to live here already, you’ll need a cozy vacation house. The coziest way to find one is, of course, word of mouth — ask someone who’s been to our area recently. But if you don’t have a local connection, try

Vacation Rentals by Owner (www.vrbo.com). There you can browse vacation homes of all sizes, from tiny cabins to sprawling venues suitable for group retreats.

The search function is flawed — searching for “fireplace” doesn’t return any results on the south coast, even though several houses on the south coast mention fireplaces in their descriptions. But there are few enough listings that it’s fun to scroll through them all and

dream of your perfect vacation.

Reviews help you assess whether a place is right for you, and you can check availability right on the website and call the owner directly to reserve.

(And if you do happen to be lucky enough to live here, you can search their worldwide database of vacation homes and plan a vacation somewhere else.)

Now that you’ve got your house lined up, consider some notably cozy restaurants.

The capital of cozy

The perfect place to get warm after a day at the beaches past Charleston. If it’s raining, cozy up to the big rock fireplace in the dining room. If it’s just windy, you can get cozy on the back deck, which is many degrees warmer than anyplace else in Charleston because it’s sheltered from the wind. Chess, checkers, puzzles for indoors, and croquet and golf on the lawn, are among the attractions. Live music by the Dale Inskeep Band on Thursdays.

Bandon

The Wheelhouse Restaurant & Crows Nest Lounge 125 Chicago St. 541-347-9331

Steak eaters and vegetarians can sit down together in peace here, and bond over a bottle of Oregon wine.

The same menu is available upstairs near the fire where you can look out over the marina or play a board game.

North Bend

Yeong’s Place 1120 Virginia Ave. North Bend 541-756- 1914

This family friendly establishment has breakfast, burgers, shakes and fish ‘n chips. Many locals drop in for the at home feel.

Gold Beach

Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge 96550 North Bank Rogue Gold Beach 541-247-6664

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or a splurge, treat yourself to the ultimate coziness at Tu Tu’ Tun Lodge up the Rogue River from Gold Beach. April is the off season, a perfect time to experience Tu Tu’ Tun’s renowned service and peaceful location at a reasonable price. Meal service is limited in the off-season, but the coziness is still intact, with fireplaces, wood stoves and hot tubs in abundance.

Contributed photo

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Irish session warms up a rainy Thursday evening

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n a rainy evening, a motel room, or even your house, can get awfully small. Head out to Roger’s Zoo in North Bend to hear the Irish session from 6-9 p.m. every Thursday. Order one of Roger’s “North Bend Style” thick-crust pizzas, a steak or a pint and listen as local fiddlers, whistlers and other musicians informally trade Irish tunes. Bring an instrument and sit in on the circle.

Minors are welcome in the restaurant half of Roger’s where the session takes place. Info: Session organized by South Coast Folk Society, southcoastfolksociety.wordpress.com.

Options abound for adults looking for entertainment. Be it dancing, listening to live music, karaoke, comedy or a jam session, details are available in Scene, The World’s entertainment section, which runs Thursdays.

Other music

By Gail Elber, The World

Roger’s Zoo 2037 Sherman Ave. North Bend 541-756-2550

Blue Moon Friday & Saturdays, DJ or live music, 9 p.m.

The Broiler Saturdays, karaoke, 9 p.m.

Captain’s Cabin Tuesdays, blues jam, 7 p.m.

Rainy-day kid stuff in the Bay Area

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very year, the Nobel Prize committee seeks out people who contribute to the world’s peace and well-being.

Why haven’t they yet honored the owners of three establishments in the Coos Bay area that offer rainy-day recreation for families?

Outdoor-In 305 S 4th St., Coos Bay 541-266-8111 Monday-Saturday 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

By Lou Sennick, The World

Joey’s Arcade 158 Central Ave., Coos Bay www.joeysarcade.net Monday-Saturday 10 a.m. to 2 a.m. & Sunday 1-9 p.m.

Bay Be 91122 Cape Arago Highway Charleston www.facebook.com/pages/Bay-Be/300469153303932 541-888-3265 Hours vary

By Gail Elber, The World

DV8 Nightclub & Lounge Wednesdays & Thursdays, open mic, 8 p.m.

Saturdays & Sundays, DJ or live music, times vary Halfway Tavern Saturdays, karaoke, 6-10 p.m.

Lloyd’s Old Town Tavern Friday & Saturday, DJ or live music, 9 p.m.

Orcoast Music Annex Fridays, open mic, 6-9 p.m.

All ages.

The Mill Casino-Hotel, Warehouse 101 Fridays & Saturdays, live music, 9 p.m.

Spruce Street Bar & Grill Fridays, karaoke, 9 p.m.

• Outdoor-In is a good choice for the family with both toddlers and older kids.

Those under 5 will enjoy the play structures and wheeled toys in the play area.

Older siblings can play video games and air hockey in the arcade. And everyone can enjoy pizza, salad, ice cream, awardwinning chowder and other food. Owners Mark and Gina Daily also own Coast Karate in the same building.

• Just a few blocks away from Outdoor-In is Joey’s Arcade, a paradise for older kids — say, ages 5 to 95. Joey and Sarah Harper’s no-frills space is crammed with vintage pinball machines and arcade games. Play is 25 to 50 cents and, and on Sundays from 1 to 9 p.m., unlimited play costs $5. X-Box tournaments start on Fridays at 8 p.m. and pool tournaments start on Saturdays at 1 p.m.

A snack bar serves not just Pepsi and Coke but also 19 flavors of glass-bottle sodas such as Jones, Stewart’s and Henry Weinhards, plus Italian sodas, popcorn, candy, chips, energy drinks and locally roasted coffee.

Among the vintage arcade cabinet games are X-Men, Mortal Kombat, Star Wars, Asteroids, Frogger, Space Invaders

and Centipede. Game champions can document their high scores on a board. Classic pinball games include Batman, Twilight Zone and Back to the Future. Joey’s also has two big-screen TVs equipped with XBox and Wii. Pool tables and soft darts are available. A party room accommodates private events. “We’re trying to bring back the social aspect of gaming,” Sarah Harper said. “We want to appeal to all ages.”

• Hard to find on Facebook but easy to find on the main drag in Charleston, Bay Be offers drop-in childcare for kids over 3, rentals of recreational gear and a place for after-school fun. Owner Heather Lester rents canoes, bikes, sand sleds, sand and skim boards, wax, leashes and fins. Recreational equipment can be delivered to where you’re going to use it. Bay Be also offers workshops with a focus on bay science and art projects. Looking for one-on-one instruction in clamming or a guided nature hike? Check out Bay Be’s front window, where opportunities for instruction are posted. On Friday afternoons, art teacher Bittin Duggan offers art classes for kids of all ages in various media, and a yoga class Saturday mornings at 11 serves the community.

Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 6

Aquaria Interpretive Center opens April 21 CHARLESTON — The covered entry into the South Slough’s Interpretive Center soon will become a model of the slough itself, complete with plants and animals. The grand opening for Aquaria is Saturday, April 21.

Local artist Peggy O’Neal painted moss onto a model tree trunk near the entrance for the South Slough National Estuarine Research Reserve.

O’Neal and her husband, Larry Watson, owners of Kokwow Arts in North Bend, designed and built a mural and diorama of the slough. At the base of the mural are specially designed aquarium tanks that will house native plants and animals.

The mural behind the three tanks is painted in three sections, strategically separated by trees, rather than hard lines.

Near the building’s entrance is

By Lou Sennick, The World

an area of the slough few see: the tidal channels where native oysters live. Below this part of the painting is a tank with those oysters and other native plants.

A few steps forward and visitors are in the intertidal zone, abundant in eel grass and sculpin fish, which will swim in another tank.

The last mural section shows a forestry area with birds and frogs and deeper waters.

The display is full of small details — a squirrel in a tree, an eagle in the sky, small fossils embedded on the tank platform.

The conceptual design for the slough diorama came from students in the Aquarium Science program at Oregon Coast Community College as a class project. They didn’t know the slough would turn their project into a real exhibit.

Explore it

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ooden walkways travel through the marsh at the South Slough Interpretive Center where skunk cabbage grows year round in ideal conditions. There are many photo opportunities on this hike down to the water’s edge southeast of Charleston. Once past Charleston, take a left onto Seven Devils Road and go 5 miles until you spot the sign. Plan to be gone a couple of hours to give yourself time to explore the tidal channels and the dense coastal forest.

The World

South Slough Interpretive Center 61907 Seven Devils Road Charleston 541-888-5558 www.friendsofsouthsloughreserve.org

The 4,800-acre reserve encompasses a mixture of open water channels, tidal and freshwater wetlands, riparian areas, and forested uplands.

Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 7

Paddle in the Bay Board sports aren't new to these parts, it just takes a hearty soul to brave the cooler waters of the Southern Oregon Coast.

BY GAIL ELBER The World

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tand-up paddleboarding? “It looks kind of silly, kind of like riding a scooter, but it is super fun,” said Brian Menten, owner of Waxer’s Surf & Skate in Coos Bay. Menten and his wife and co-owner Lia Menten have helped make the sport popular on the waters around Coos Bay. “(Lia) knows the best spots,” said Jason Yoshinaga, a 30-year-old North Bend surfer and kayaker who started paddleboarding last year. “I just follow her around.”

Unlike surfing, Yoshinaga called paddleboarding “instant satisfaction.”

And he praised the upright stance of paddleboarding compared with kayaking. “You’re standing on a board and you have a little bit more freedom.”

Lauri Mauer, owner of Get Wet Scuba & Aquasports in North Bend, said, “It’s a good sport for beginners.

Anyone can do it.”

Get Wet rents boards that Mauer described as “really good beginner boards,” which are molded plastic boards that are wide and relatively stable in the

water.

“A person’s body weight is the biggest factor in the size of the board they are going to ride,” said Brian Menten. The width, bottom shape, and shape of the rails, or sides of the board, are also factors that determine the best board for a rider’s skill level.

Around here, most people wear wet suits to paddleboard in Sunset Bay or South Slough. Lake waters, such as Eel Lake, Tenmile Lake or Hall Lake, are warmer, but a lightweight wetsuit can make the sport more comfortable. A wetsuit for paddleboarding needs to be thinner than a diving wetsuit to allow freedom of movement.

Paddling is best when the wind isn’t blowing hard. In the wind, “your body turns into a lot bigger sail than you would imagine,” Menten said.

“You might have to sit down or lie down and paddle.”

On Sunset Bay and South Slough, tide is a factor, Menten said.

High tide is the best time to paddle in Sunset Bay, since that’s

when the area of flat water is biggest.

Get too close to the rocks at the bay’s mouth, and the waves refract off them, making it hard to stay on the board.

Sunset Bay rewards the paddler with close-up views of curious seals, otters and even whales outside the bay. From their high vantage point above the water, paddlers can see leopard sharks and other fish swimming below.

Beginners can benefit from a lesson

that teaches how to stand up on the board, how to hold the paddle and how to stroke. “The pointers help build confidence,” Menten said.

At Waxer’s and Get Wet, you can find other paddleboarders to help you get started. “My wife and her girlfriends are always going out,” Menten said.

“It’s really gear-light,” Menten said.

“It’s a real free kind of feeling.”

By Benjamin Brayfield, The World

Rent gear, get pointers Get Wet Scuba & Aquasports 3522 Tremont St. (Oregon Coast Highway 101) North Bend 541-756-6557 www.getwetscuba.net

Waxer’s Surf & Skate 222 S. Broadway Coos Bay 541-266-9020 www.surfwaxers.com

Easter Egg Hunt 1 p.m., Bay Area Church of the Nazarene, 1850 Clark St. Grouped by age up to 12 years old.

North Bend Saturday, April 7

Easter Egg Hunt 10 a.m., Mingus Park, 400 block of N. 10th St. Ages: 4 and under; 5-7; and 8-12.

Sponsored by Coos Bay Elks Lodge No.1160.

Coos Bay Saturday, April 7

Easter Egg Hunts

5-7:30 p.m., start at Coos Bay Visitor Information Center, 50 Central Ave. Map & glass $10. Proceeds benefit Oregon Coast Music Association.

Downtown Coos Bay Wine Walk

Friday, April 6

Tide of the Toddlers — Deep Blue Sea 10-11 a.m., South Slough Reserve Interpretive Center, 61907 Seven Devils Road, Charleston. Ages 15, maximum 15. $1. 541-888-5558 Super Bingo 10 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., Masonic Temple, 2002 Union Ave., North Bend. Limited seating for ages 18 & older. $100 each. RSVP at 541-751-1226 Coastal Harvest Spring Craft Faire and Bake Sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Harbortown Events Center, 325 Second St. S.E., Bandon. 541-3471585 The Oregon Old Time Fiddlers noon to 2 p.m., Chetco Harbor Grange. Featured artist Jim Sylvester of Bandon. 541-759-3419

Saturday, March 31

Coastal Harvest Spring Craft Faire and Bake Sale 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Harbortown Events Center, 325 Second St. S.E., Bandon. 541-3471585

Friday, March 30

Southcoast Wood Carvers Sale & Show 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., North Bend Community Center, 2222 Broadway. 541-348-2371, 541-2902403 Wounded Warrior Project Benefit Dinner 1-5 p.m., OSU Extension Building, 631 Alder St., Myrtle Point. 541-297-2386

Sunday, March 25

Tuesday, 6-10 p.m., The Mill Casino-Hotel Tickets are $25 in advance or $30 at the door.

Pacific Cove Humane Society’s premier fundraiser features gourmet treats from area chefs; tastings of regional wines and brews; silent and live auctions; and dance music by Timberwolf.

Bite of the Bay

Tuesday, April 3

8 a.m. to 1 p.m., North Bend Fire Dept., 1880 McPherson.

Cost: Adult, $5; ages 12 and younger, $4, ages 6 and under, free; family of five, $20. Fire station tours and raffle prizes.

Want to know more? Call 541-756-8500

The World

42nd Annual Earth Day

Sunday, April 22

COOS COUNTY

DOUGLAS COUNTY

LANE COUNTY

See more events at www.OregonDrift.com

North Bend Volunteer Fire Department Pancake Feed

Sunday, April 1

North Bend

April Events

Our Coast

Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 8 Drift– Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • October 2011 • 82

7 p.m., Sawdust Theatre, 114 N. Adams St., Coquille. One of several events that benefit the Friends Inspiring Reading Success Together (FIRST) program.

Want to know more? Call 541-572-2060

Hungry Mountain Bluegrass Concert

Saturday, April 28

7:30-9 p.m., SWOCC, Hales Center for the Performing Arts, 1988 Newmark Ave., Coos Bay. $8 adults, $5 students & senior. Proceeds to NBHS Modern Dance Dept.

Want to know more? Call 503-758-5759

Noon & 6 p.m., Oregon Coast Culinary Institute, 1988 Newmark Ave. Beginning at noon, externs Todd Matzner and Alexander Nunez present pub style lunch for $10 a plate.

At 6 p.m., externs Amelia Romback, Emily Chambers and Robbi Gibson serve a four-course gourmet dinner for $20 a plate.

Reservations may be made by calling 541-8881540 or email chefstableocci@socc.edu.

Phones are unmonitored: leave name; number in party; date and time requested; and a call back number.

UO Repertory Dance Company in Concert

Saturday, April 28

9 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend.

Want to know more? Call 541-267-0740

Southern Oregon Dahlia Society Tuber Sale

Chef’s Table lunch & dinner

Contributed photo

The World

Saturday, April 7

North Bend

Fridays in April

Coos Bay

2 p.m., Little Theatre On The Bay, 2100 Sherman Ave., North Bend Want to know more?

Call 541-756-4336 or www.ltob.net

The Great American Songbook with Little Ol’ Big Band

Sunday, April 1

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Tantalizing tastes

...with a view

Coastal Cuisine

BANDON — Ahhh, sunset.

Is there anything more relaxing than dinner and drinks while watching the sun go down?

Then after a tough day, or a tedious week, RON might want to try JACKIMOWICZ you Edgewaters.

Oh, the view.

From the restaurant and the Shanghai Lounge upstairs, there are views out over the Coquille River, the jetties and the bar right out to the Coquille River Lighthouse.

“I’m looking right at the lighthouse now,” owner and chef Bob Grizzle says during our phone interview. “During the summer, the sun sets right over the jetty in the middle of the bar. It’s pretty cool.”

During the summer months it gets even better when Edgewaters opens up their outside patio for dining.

And there’s fine dining to go with the view.

“We specialize in fresh seafood, and creative pastas,” Grizzle says. “I talk to my seafood guy every morning. In the summer we sell a lot of salmon and halibut.”

Among the items on the

Edgewaters menu is Seafood Romesco, a Spanish-style seafood stew made with prawns, scallops, crab, halibut, clams and mussels. Then there’s the Sunset Pasta with smoked chicken, fresh basil, bow-tie pasta and a sun-dried tomato alfredo sauce.

Edgewaters also does hand-rolled fresh sushi. Grizzle has created the Bandon Roll, an Oregon Coast variation on the California Roll made with fresh Dungeness crab.

“We also have a huge wine selection,” Grizzle says.

After 30 years in the restaurant business, this is Grizzle’s first time owning a restaurant.

“I think we have the best location on the Oregon coast,” he says.

And, oh, that view.

Ron Jackimowicz is Cuisine editor of The World.

More view dining Redfish Lord Bennett’s The Mill Casino-Hotel Unger’s Hilltop House High Tide The Portside Laksehore Lodge The Club at Forest Hills Osprey Point Wheelhouse Tu Tu’ Tun Photos by Amy Moss-Strong

Edgewaters Location: 480 First St. S.W., Bandon Directions: Go to Old Town, turn right to get to First Street, make a left and go beyond the Community buildings on the boardwalk and the Portmaster offices to the restaurant on the right.

Find them online at edgewaters.net or on Facebook.

Reservations: 541-347-8500

A local treasure: Myrtle trees

BY R. J. GUYER For The World

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here is an unparalleled beauty in the deep greens of the dense forests that line the rocky bluffs of the southern Oregon Coast. The imposing Douglas fir, sitka spruce and western hemlock tower above as they dominate the landscape. Within their realm also lives the Oregon myrtle tree (Umbellularia californica). This unique tree is only found along a small stretch of the Pacific Coast — from around Reedsport, Ore., to San Diego, Calif. — where climate and soil conditions are adequate. In California it is often referred to as the California laurel. A close relative called the common myrtle is found in the Holy Land along the Jordan River Valley, and they’re mentioned in the Bible.

Myrtle trees are part of the Laurel family which encompasses a group of flowering plants. They can be identified by their characteristic symmetrical “dome” shape, with 3 – 5 inch long narrow willow like leaves. The trees can reach heights of 60 to 100 feet, and in late winter they display brilliant clusters of yellow flowers. Its distinctive yellow-green nut is about the size of an olive.

Native Americans uses for the tree The Coos Indians in their native Hanis language referred to the tree as wegenhl.

The myrtlewood nut was called shichils.

Patty Whereat of the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians tells, “the tribe gathered the nuts, hulling and drying them for food. They were prepared by roasting in the hot ashes and eaten whole, often with salmon eggs. The raw nuts were bitter.

However, when properly roasted they have interesting flavors of coffee, bitter chocolate and burnt popcorn.” The pungent leaves were stored with food to keep insects away.

Related to the bay laurel leaves are used in cooking, and young leaves may be used for tea.

A money tree During the depression, the First National Bank (the only bank in North Bend) closed to prevent a run on the bank by depositors.

One of its key depositors was the City of North Bend. In 1933, the city passed an ordinance which allowed it to issue one-thousand dollars-worth of myrtlewood disks in the increments of $0.50, $1.00, $2.50, $5.00 and $10.00 to temporarily pay its bills and salaries.

Later an additional one-thousand dollars was issued including a $0.25 piece. A popular slogan with area merchants became “Myrtlewood Money is Good Money.”

Eventually the bank reopened its doors and the city offered to redeem the myrtlewood money for “real currency.” Yet some people held on to the disks as collectables.

There has never been a final redemption date and over the years a few disks have been redeemed. The city to this day will still honor the coins and buy them back.

It is believed that there are still as many as five or six full sets remaining in private hands. The Chase Manhattan Bank in New York acquired one set immediately after it was minted and still holds it in their collection. The remaining sets of “coins” today would certainly bring in substantially more than their original face value of $35.75. However, their current value and whereabouts remain a mystery.

A unique art form The diverse grain patterns and varied colors of this hardwood have made it a favorite for many local artists and carvers.

This cottage industry offers a wide variety of products from musical instruments and salad bowls to cabinetry and flooring.

These offerings can be found in stores and studios along the coast.

Photo by Beth Burback

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Myrtle Tree Trail GOLD BEACH — The hike along the Myrtle Tree Trail to Oregon’s largest myrtlewood takes only a few minutes, but once you’re there it’s hard to leave. The tree is approximately 88 feet tall and 42 feet in circumference. Its canopy is nearly 70 feet wide.

Foresters speculate the tree is at least 200 years old. That’s when the last fire was known to have burned through the area.

A trail guide indicates the tree’s upper branches show tree rings dating back 200 years, while the tree’s lower stems apparently were burned in the fire, suggesting the tree is older.

This myrtlewood species, officially

known as Umbellularia californica, is easy to identify. It keeps its shiny, dark green leaves year-round, and when bruised the leaves give off a strong aroma.

To get to the trailhead from U.S. Highway 101 at Gold Beach, turn east on Jerry’s Flat Road, at the south end of the Rogue River bridge, heading inland toward Agness.

After traveling approximately 9.5 miles, turn left on Forest Service Road No. 3310, cross the bridge then turn right on Silver Creek Road (Road No. 3533).

Watch for the trail markers. The trail itself is one-quarter mile in length, winding through a myrtle grove. It’s a good hike for children, too.

Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 11

The tree’s pungent leaves are known to cause sneezing and headaches when crushed and sniffed.

Drift – Celebrating Oregon’s South Coast • APRIL 2012 • 12

Shoot the breaking waves

By Benjamin Brayfiel, The World

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hore Acres State Park is a favorite stop for photographers. The surf is always up and depending on tides the waves could be a little more spectacular than usual.

Always obey the signs. Cut-banks can drop from under unsuspecting sight-seers.

Shore Acres State Park 89814 Cape Arago Highway Charleston 541-888-2472 www.shoreacres.net

Big Wheel General Store and

F u d g e Fa c t o r y

We make our own cream and butter fudges ~ Over 24 flavors ~

Umpqua Ice Cream 16 flavors to choose from Plus local jams & jellies, hard candy & taffy Cranberry gifts & food products

Clothing Shoppe Printed & Embroidered T-shirts • Sweatshirts • Jackets • Vests • Hats ~Swimwear~

Driftwood Museum & Art Gallery Myrtlewood • Gifts • Novelties

See the work of budding artists COOS BAY — The Coos Art Museum is currently showing 2012 Biennial Student Art Exhibit and Vision 2012 High School Art Competition. Both exhibits will through April 21. The exhibition is open to the public and is free of charge.

The Biennial Student Art Exhibit features artworks created by students, preschool through 12th grade, from Coos, Curry, and Western Douglas counties in the Maggie Karl and Perkins Galleries on the first floor of the museum.

Also at the museum will be exhibiting Vision 2012, its annual high school art competition underwritten by Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation.

Coastal high schools, as well as high schools in Douglas, Josephine and Jackson counties, have submitted entries.

About Vision 2012 For more information on VISION 2012 or on Southwestern Oregon Community College Foundation, go to www.socc.edu/foundation or email foundation@socc.edu.

Coos Art Museum

Contributed photo

235 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay 541-267-3901 info@coosart.org Open Tuesday through Friday 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.; Saturday 1 to 4 p.m.; Closed Sunday & Monday and all major holidays.

Admission: $5, $2 for students, seniors, free to Members of CAM.

Visually consume costumes FLORENCE — A group of more than 50 actors ages 5 to 19 will perform “Beauty and the Beast,” complete with professional sets, lighting, costumes and choreography, at the Florence Events Center April 20-22.

The actors have been rehearsing since January.

Beauty & the Beast Jr?

1 s t a n d B a l t i m o r e Av e . S E , O l d To w n - B a n d o n - b y - t h e - S e a

541-347-3719 Established 1936 - Good Old-fashioned Friendly Service Open 7 Days a Week Year ‘Round! • Summer Hours: Mon. - Sat., 9 a.m. - 7 p.m.; Sun. 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Florence Events Center 715 Quince St. Florence 541-997-1994 www.eventcenter.org Contributed photo

&Sale

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hododendrons are a local favorite flowering evergreen commonly used for borders. Many varieties of this spring beauty are on display during the annual flower show and plant sale held at Pony Village Mall.

This year the event takes place Saturday and Sunday, April 21 and April 22 starting at 10 a.m.

A Treasure Around Every Corner • Jim Shore • Foundations • Willow Tree Collectibles and Nativities • Silver Forest, Jody Coyote & Firefly Jewelry Lines • Year Round Holiday Collectibles

We carry a large variety of greeting cards, Tee shirts, huge selection of collectible salt & pepper shakers and much, much more!

265 2nd St. SE, Bandon, OR 97411 Hours: M-F 10-5:30, Sat. 9:30-6, Sunday 10-5:30

Pony Village Mall 1611 Virginia Ave. North Bend 541-751-6000

541-347-9214

By The Sea Treasures More than a Souvenir Shop

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• Beautiful Stained Glass hangings • Outer Wear & Tee Shirts • Hats • Jewelry • Nautical Ornaments & Collectibles • Sea Shells, Mugs, Magnets & More

By Lou Sennick, The World

Port Orford gets Flamenco M iIdred Hill Concert Series is named in memory of a gifted local musician. She led the music program at Zion Church for more than 30 years, directing the choir and singing solos, doing whatever it took to keep music a vital part of worship.

“Mildred’s family set the guidelines for the program: share our facilities with the community to make concerts of all kinds available; expose visitors to our building and our other ministries; provide workshops for all ages in music education; and enhance the music for our regular worship services,” organizers said in a news release.

The Mildred Hill Concerts are a ministry of Zion Church, a community of pro-

gressive Protestants (Lutherans, Methodists, Presbyterians, etc.) that gathers for worship, study, fellowship, and community outreach. To support the concerts, make a check — in any amount — payable to Mildred Hill Concerts, P.O. Box 797, Port Orford, OR 97465.

The Mildred Hill Concerts feature instruments ranging from flamenco guitar, Celtic harp, dulcimer, percussion and voice, and use of the Kawai baby grand to accompany a chorus or jazz licks.

March, July and September concerts are 7 p.m. Saturdays, with one Sunday early evening concert on Mother’s Day. Each concert is $10 with young people through age 18 admitted free. Season tickets are again $35 and are on sale

Duo Flamenco

Grant Ruiz

Terry Longshore

Tonight, 7 p.m.

Zion Lutheran Church, 2015 Washington St., Port Orford. $10.

Mildred Hill Concert Series season opener with Grant Ruiz & Terry Longshore. Season tickets, $35 available at at Downtown Fun Zone, Port Orford or by calling 541-332-9002.

now. Tickets for individual concerts are available one month prior to the performance.

Themed refreshments will be offered at intermission on a donation basis.

275 Second St. SE, Bandon, Or. 97411 Mon-Fri 10-5:30, Sat 9:30-6, Suny 10-5:30

541-329-1184

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For the kid in all of us!

• We carry a huge selection of Classic Wooden Toys and educational games.

• You’ll find Klutz, Toys and Art Supplies by Melissa and Doug, Folkmanis Puppets & Hohner Kids’ music.

• A gorgeous selection of dress up clothes and hats.

• Books, wind up toys & Plush toys

We h av e ev e r y t h i n g y o u r child has dreamed of! ~ Toys for kids of all ages ~ 295 Second St. SE., Bandon, OR

541-347-9783

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Rhody show

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Looking for a good time?

Paint Pottery...

Beach of the Month

Battle Rock in Port Orford

It’s Fun!

Potter y Painting • Clay Classes Parties • FUNdraisers

By Lou Sennick, The World

BY GAIL ELBER

Shipping Available!

The World

267-0387 • 145 Anderson • Coos Bay

Stay a While…

Stay Forever Visit Classic Coquille JANUARY - The Chocolate Fantasy MAY - Gala Champagne Benefit at the Sawdust Theatre 1ST SATURDAY IN JUNE - The Gay’’90s Parade and Celebration downtown Coquille 1ST SATURDAY IN AUGUST The Fireman’s BBQ at Sturdivant Park AUGUST - Coquille Valley Health Fair at the Coquille Community Building 3RD SATURDAY IN AUGUST The Kiwanis City Wide Garage Sale at Sturdivant Park OCTOBER - The Rotary Auction at the Coquille Community Building 1ST SATURDAY IN DECEMBER - The Eagle’s Craft Fair DECEMBER - Christmas in Coquille & Christmas Tour of Homes

Call the Coquille Chamber of Commerce for more information at or visit us at 119 N. Birch, Coquille

541-396-3414

Garrison Beach State Wayside

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Visitor’s Center

Buffington Memorial Park

Port Orford Heads State Park

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Annual Events

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attle Rock Wayside Park in Port Orford is on the east side of Port Orford Bay, a south-facing cove that offers scenery, beachcombing and surfing.

The beach has a view of Humbug Mountain and a number of sea stacks — steep islands of rock cut off from the mainland by erosion. Battle Rock itself is a sea stack accessible from the beach for climbing.

On the Fourth of July, the beach forms a natural amphitheater for Port Orford’s Fourth of July Jubilee fireworks display.

In the parking lot, the propeller of the lumber schooner Cottoneva, wrecked in a 1937 storm, is on display.

Surfers find the best waves in the park on high winter swells when a north wind is blowing. Better winter surfing can be found a few hundred yards to the south at the mouth of Hubbard Creek, sometimes called “Doyle’s Beach” because 1970 world champion surfer Mike Doyle praised it. A graveled parking area gives access to a trail under the Hubbard Creek bridge.

In the summer, calmer waters welcome kayakers and paddleboarders.

Less athletic visitors to the beach can find agates and driftwood while strolling. Migrating gray whales can be seen during December and March. The Kalmiopsis Audubon Society offers local birding information at www.kalmiopsisaudubon.org.

Battle Rock takes its name from an 1851 battle between the Quatomah band of Tututni Indians and settlers landed

by Capt. WIlliam Tichenor. The Quatomah ordered the men to leave, and the men told them Tichenor would be

Battle Rock

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By Jeff Trionfante, The World

back in 14 days to take them away. The settlers took up a position on the rock, and on the 15th day, the Quatomah attacked and fought a battle that left 23 of them dead and two settlers wounded. The following night the settlers slipped away and, with difficulty, made their way to white settlements in the Umpqua Valley with the help of friendly native tribes. Tichenor came back the following month with a wellarmed party and established the settlement. Within a few years, after attacks by gold miners on natives led to the Rogue River War, the U.S. Army had relocated the Quatomah and other Tututni to the Coast Reservation and then to the Siletz Reservation.

& eat cheese for funds

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andon Rotary will hold its annual Wine and Cheese Extravaganza fundraiser from 6 to 10 p.m., Saturday, April 14, at The Barn, 1200 11th St. S.E., in Bandon. The event will feature tastings from four Northwest wineries, more than 50 cheese samples from around the world, hors d’oeuvres, desserts and silent and live auctions.

Proceeds benefit many local and international Rotary projects, as well as annual scholarships for Bandon High School graduating seniors.

Tickets cost $25 each at Tiffany’s Drugs, Bain Insurance, from any local Rotarian or by calling 541-290-9989. For more information about the many projects Bandon-By-TheSea Rotary Club has sponsored, visit www.bandonrotary.org.

“A little bit of everything”

By Benjamin Brayfield, The World

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ort Orford’s dolly dock hoists boats into and out of the water each day.

The best time to see boats being hoisted is in the afternoon.

Only six of these docks remain in the world, and only two are on the West Coast. (Los Angeles has the other one.)

They’re called dolly docks because the boats are hoisted onto wheeled dollies for storage.

Boats can’t stay in the water overnight at Port Orford, because the harbor has no bar at its mouth to protect it from pummeling waves. A breakwater was built in 1971 to protect the dock, but it causes sand to build up in the harbor, which now must be dredged from time to time.

Port Orford’s first boat hoist was built in 1935, but the current hoists were installed in 2001.

Celebrate Easter C

hildren’s traditional Easter egg hunts come rain or shine.

Be it a church group or civic group putting something on, details are available in Scene, The World’s entertainment section, which runs Thursdays.

Saturday, April 7

Coos Bay Easter Egg Hunt 10 a.m., Mingus Park, 400 block of N. 10th St. Ages: 4 and under; 5-7; and 8-12. Sponsored by Coos Bay Elks Lodge No.1160.

North Bend Easter Egg Hunt 1 p.m., Bay Area Church of the Nazarene, 1850 Clark St. Grouped by age up to 12.

Sunday, April 8

Coos Bay Potluck & Easter Egg Hunt noon to 3 p.m.

Sunset Bay State Park. www.facebook.com/people/Greg-Marshall

Antiques Collectibles

Book Loft Used Furniture

Scrapbook Supplies

Store: 541-396-3660 • After Hours: 541-396-6519 60 W. 1st Street, Coquille

ook ry!

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any historical accounts of Oregon’s Coos BayNorth Bend area have been written over the years.

This book is not one of them.

Bay Area octogenarian, Philip Matson presents his memoir. Told through the eyes of a man who was born to the area just before the dawn of the Great Depression and who chose to spend his life in his hometown.

Order by writing to:

PHIL MATSON BOOK P.O. Box 1141 North Bend, OR 97459 Enclose check or money order for $25 plus $3 mailing fee.

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Taste wine

Watch a dolly hoist a boat

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Tracey Easton Manager

Brandon Crompton Manager

Preston Richardson Manager

John Felsheim Manager

Coos Bay 579 S. Broadway 541.267.3163

North Bend 3025 Broadway 541.756.2091

Reedsport 174 N. 16th St. 541.271.3601

Coquille 484 S. Central 541.396.3145

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