Bandon
AN EDITION OF
WESTERN WORLD Thursday, January 23, 2014
theworldlink.com/bandon ♦ $1.00
Coast tourism:
Sports:
Inside this edition:
Event helps grow industry, see page A6 for the full story
Tigers split with Bobcats, see page A10 for the story
Education . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A2 Bandon Police Log. . . . . . . . A3 Opinion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A4
Arts and Entertainment . . . A5 Business . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .A10
SCH to expand clinic, services
Contributed photos by Mary Schamehorn
Firefighters from three departments battled an arson fire at Bandon High School the night of Jan. 24, 1974. Firefighters lost the high school, but saved the junior high and gymnasium.
Anniversary of high school fire dredges up memories By Jim Proehl Contributing writer
BANDON, JAN. 24, 1974 — “A raging middle-of-the-night fire, believed to be the work of arsonists, completely destroyed the Bandon High School, the industrial arts building and the music building about 3 a.m. Wednesday morning, leaving in its wake 300 students without a school and causing an estimated $600,000 worth of damage,” reported the Western World for Jan. 24, 1974. Bandon’s historical society museum is using the 40th anniversary of the high school fire to consolidate and share information about the fire, the high school building that burned and the process of rebuilding Bandon’s school complex. One of the first people on the scene of the fire was Western World reporter Mary Schamehorn. Her collection of fire photographs is at the heart of the museum’s school fire retrospective. Reporter Schamehorn found the fire suspicious from the start. “As I drove by the firehall, which was below the City Hall, I noticed a young man, with whom I was familiar, standing there with his knit cap in his hand. Although I did not know where the fire was, I thought it was strange that Gary Duncan would be standing on the sidewalk outside the fire hall,” said Schamehorn. Schamehorn made a point of taking Gary Duncan’s photograph at the scene of the fire. The alarm was sounded at 2:50 a.m. Firemen arrived and immediately began fighting the fire in the industrial arts building, not initially realizing the high school building had been set on fire too. In retrospect, authorities believed the fire was deliberately arranged to decoy firefighters from the main building and maximize destruction. “There were three distinct fires set in the high school — one at the west end, one toward the middle of the building and the other at the east end,” said then-Fire Chief Walt Ashton. The fire departments from Coos Bay and Coquille were summoned and fought the fire through the night beside the Bandon Fire Department. As word of the fire spread, community members arrived and worked to save musical instruments from the music building. The fire fighters saved the junior high school and gymnasium, located in a building immediately north of the high school. Spectators watched through the night. More gathered the next morning to look at the ruins of the community’s high school. “What a blow. Most of the records were lost as was everything in the trophy case, the whole history of the school up in smoke,” said Bob Stolz, in his first year as high school principal. Getting students back to school was a priority. The Jan. 24 paper reported that high school faculty and the school board had already met. Superintendent Otis Murray announced preliminary plans to run a double shift of high school and junior high students in the junior high building. “It’s not going to be easy. We’re going to try to run things as near to normal as possible,” said Murrary. “There will be a lot of things we’ll have to overcome and it’ll require a lot of growing up on the part of the students.” Superintendent Murray pointed out that the insurance that covered the school building would probably not cover the loss of personal property that students and teachers had in the
■ See Fire, A7
BANDON — Looking to a growthfilled future, the Southern Coos Health District Board has authorized staff to begin the permitting process that will lead to a new Outpatient Specialty Clinic on the hospital campus. The new 5,500-square-foot manufactured building will provide more than double the space of the existing Inside rented quarters of the Outpatient BCHC leases new Specialty Clinic and clinic space. SEE will allow for housSTORY PAGE A7. ing at least two additional doctors, according to a press release from Southern Coos Hospital. “In order to better serve the people in our city and the surrounding area, we are looking to the future,” said Southern Coos Hospital CEO Charles Johnston. “Bandon also has a high percentage of senior citizens and our plans include accommodating their growing needs.” The goal is to complete the building this summer. It will be located on the June Avenue side of the hospital campus, south of the modular that currently houses the Southern Coos Health Foundation and Human Resources offices. Access will be through the hospital drive. Once the clinic is completed, a second commercial grade modular will go
■ See Expand, A7
Sen. Merkley gives award at town hall By Amy Moss Strong Bandon Western World
Community members worked to save instruments from the music building before it was destroyed. Alfred Owen is carrying music stands.
Bandon Police questioned bystanders the night of the fire. Gary Lee Duncan, on right, wearing a stocking cap, was later arrested and convicted of arson. He was not a student.
BANDON — About 75 people came out on short notice Saturday night to hear U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., update the crowd about what’s happening in Washington and how it affects Oregon. Merkley was introduced at the town hall meeting at The Barn by Bandon Mayor Mary Schamehorn and his first order of business was to give a plaque and American flag to children’s librarian Julie Tipton for her years of service helping create a love of reading through the library’s children’s programs. “We hope we’re providing children with the tools to help them be as successful as they can possibly be,” Tipton said, and thanked the library staff and patrons. The crowd was about half Bandon residents and half from other areas of Coos County, including city and county officials and at least 10 people wearing dayglo green shirts with the words “Support Jordan Cove.” Attendees were given tickets when they entered and allowed to talk if their number was drawn. Questions ran the gamut, from education, O&C timber lands,the federal deficit,outsourcing jobs and healthcare. Three high school students also were given the opportunity to ask questions on education issues. Thomas Fisher, Bandon High School senior and student body president, asked about the cost of higher education and why it has been
■ See Merkley, A7
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