LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY
Fall 2018 • volume 5
The
River Wild STEAMBOATERS A 50-YEAR COMMITMENT TO PRESERVING AND PROTECTING OUR PRECIOUS ASSET
THE LURE OF LAURELWOOD ROSEBURG UNDERGROUND UMPQUA LEGEND THURMAN BELL
UV LOVES Page 22
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FEATURES 38 THE LURE OF
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Tom Pappas’ companies have worked for clients as diverse as Disney, Caesar’s Palace and Winston Community Center, but that’s only a small part of his story.
UNDERGROUND
LAURELWOOD
BREAKING THE MOLD
From its feeling of nostalgia to its true sense of community, Laurelwood is like a neighborhood from another time.
ROSEBURG
Photographer Kevin Eckerman takes his camera under Roseburg’s historic downtown and emerges with images of days gone by.
DEPARTMENTS UMPQUA LIFE
FOOD + WINE
CULTURE
10 COMING HOME
24 GIVE THE DOG A SCONE
32 WHAT’S IN A NAME?
Dr. Brent Soder is one of several
Goodog Bakery offers delicious treats for
UV explores the origins of Scottsburg
Roseburg natives who are replanting
man, woman and friend.
and Winchester.
roots in their hometown.
12 ESCAPE FROM THE ORDINARY
26 PIES FULL OF SOUL
34 ENCOURAGING WORDS
Old Soul Pizza has found an enthusiastic
Published and aspiring authors find support
Idelyld Lodge escape rooms provide a test of
niche in downtown Roseburg by serving up
in local writers’ association.
wits and problem-solving skills.
wood-fired pies in an eclectic atmosphere.
14 CLASS OF ‘57
29 FROM BLM AND NASA TO IPA
Sixty years after graduating, these Roseburg
After retiring from careers with the BLM
High alum still hold a reunion -- every week.
and NASA, Mark Nunnelee launches
16 LET THE GAMES BEGIN
OUTDOORS 68 AN AFTERNOON IN WINSTON Got half a day to kill? Winston has plenty
Lookingglass Brewery.
of ways to help you fill it.
UCC expands its athletic offerings to lure more students and benefit the community.
18 LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA Three years after retiring after 45 years as Roseburg High’s football coach, Thurman Bell shows no signs of slowing down.
HEALTH 56 SETTLING IN After a career in semiconductors and a tour of duty, Dr. Mark Donovan joins a surgical practice in Roseburg, where he plans to plant some roots.
60 TEACHING HEALTHIER HABITS Blue Zones Project – Umpqua is working with local schools to create the healthiest
BUSINESS
72 KEEPING THE RIVER WILD The Steamboaters have been dedicated
62 THE MAKING OF A HOMETOWN LEGEND The story of how four kids from Riddle built Abby’s into a legendary pizza
to preserving and protecting the North Umpqua River for more than 50 years.
76 STAR POWER UCC’s unique digital observatory is
restaurant chain.
changing the way people view the
64 HAVEN FOR HORSES
solar system.
Dutchess Sanctuary offers abused and neglected horses a place to recover and live out their lives in peace.
66 DANCING THROUGH DECADES Since 1951, Ralph Patterson’s School of Dancing has been teaching locals how to trip the light fantastic.
ALSO IN THIS ISSUE 06 09 22 80 82
Editor’s Letter Contributors UV Loves What’s Hot Last Word
possible environment for learning.
COVER PHOTO: Robin Loznak
HOMECOMING
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E DITOR’ S LETTER
M
y first exposure to Roseburg came approximately – gulp – half a century ago, and it hurt so much to write that I must have pulled a muscle.
Here for a weekend baseball tournament, I remember almost nothing about the visit. But I do remember staying with a member of the local team and have a semi-vivid memory of walking around his neighborhood with him. What I remember about that particular neighborhood is how it immediately felt like home, and not the Portland home where I lived at the time. My Portland “neighborhood” was a busy street lined with homes. There were no sidewalks, and you took your life in your hands just crossing the yellow line to get the mail. My family hung around a single neighbor family. A little. No, the home that Roseburg neighborhood reminded me of was Milton-Freewater, a bucolic little town in far Eastern Oregon.
CONTACT ME editor@TheUVlife.com
I lived there until I was 9, and every neighborhood I’ve lived in since had to measure up to the one I spent my earlier years in, running wild through unfenced back yards, playing with neighborhood pets (also running wild), waiting for the mailman and the half-bag of popcorn he always saved for my siblings and me. In my Portland high school English class, I’d write stories about growing up in Milton-Freewater, and it was those tales that led my teacher to identify a skill I didn’t have a clue I possessed. What I saw as just me talking on paper about my childhood, she saw as “Mark Twain-like.” I’m not sure what I’d be doing now if I’d lived my first nine years on that busy Portland street – other than probably walking with a limp – but I doubt it would have anything to do with writing. There are only so many times a guy can impress his English teacher with stories about death-defying walks to the mailbox. A little deeper in this magazine you’ll find what amounts to essentially an ode to my current neighborhood, Laurelwood. I know it’s not the neighborhood I took that walk through 50 years ago, but I got that same feeling the first time I drove through it two decades ago. Laurelwood not only is home now, it feels like home. And one of the greatest things about Roseburg and Douglas County is I know most of you can say the exact same thing about wherever it is that you live.
Dick Baltus Editor in Chief
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PAGE 10 It won’t take you long to figure out why our fall theme is Homecoming, starting with Jim Hays’ stories of Roseburg natives who have left town only to return and replant their roots. PAGE 26 From the great local tradition of Abby’s to the new wood-fired establishments popping up around the county, this is a great time to be a pizza lover. Our stories start with Jenny Wood’s profile of Old Soul. Page 50 Ever wonder what lies beneath the streets of downtown Roseburg? This great photo essay by Kevin Eckerman will remove at least some of the mystery.
Community Banking for Local Professionals growth and economic development, and to the people who make our town feel like home.
• • • We’ve been proudly serving our Oregon communities since 1979. Contact your local banker today to experience the value of community banking! 2555 NW Edenbower • Roseburg • (541) 677-9454 • www.opbc.com
FALL 2018
EDITOR IN CHIEF
Dick Baltus
CREATIVE DIRECTOR
Tyler James
CHIEF PHOTOGRAPHER
DESIGNERS
CONTRIBUTING EDITOR
Thomas Boyd
Michael Williamson, Elissa Stratton Smith
Jim Hays
CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
Kaelynn Davis, Kevin Eckerman, Josh Gaunt, Bentley Gilbert, Jennifer Grafiada, Brandon Johns, Doug Pederson, Geoff Shipley, David Shroyer, Sarah Smith, Erin Wilds, Jenny Wood
CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
Kevin Eckerman, Tristin Godsey, Robin Loznak, Nicole Stratton, Steven Yochum
ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES
Connie Williamson, Misty Ross, Nicole Stratton
PUBLISHED BY
OWNED AND OPERATED BY
LIFESTYLE + TRAVEL MAGAZINE OF THE UMPQUA VALLEY TheUVlife.com
ADAMS, HULL + MACCLUER, INC. 603 S.E. Jackson St., Roseburg, OR 97470 ahmbrands.com
UV is owned and operated by The Umpqua Life LLC, a partnership of AHM Brands, CHI Mercy Health and Derek A. Adams
UV Magazine copyright 2018 by The Umpqua Life LLC. All rights reserved. No part of the publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording or any information storage and retrieval system without the express written consent of The Umpqua Life LLC. The views and opinions expressed within UV magazine are the authors’ and do not necessarily represent the views or opinions of The Umpqua Life LLC, its employees, staff or management.
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WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T / ESCAPE ROOMS / THE CLASS OF ’57 / LET THE GAMES BEGIN / LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA / UV LOVES
WHO SAYS YOU CAN’T COME HOME AGAIN? Surgeon Dr. Brent Soder is just one of the many locals who have left their hometown, only to return and replant their roots. Story by Jim Hays Photo by Tristin Godsey
The name of the newest surgeon joining Centennial Medical Group might ring a bell for a lot of people in Douglas County. “Dr. Soder” is a name long associated with residents of the Umpqua Valley. Dr. Eric Soder recently retired after nearly four decades as a surgeon. Dr. David Soder is a periodontist with a 30-year practice in Roseburg. Add to that Dr. Brent Soder, a general surgeon who arrived over the summer and officially joined CMG on Aug. 8. And, yes, there’s a family connection. Eric Soder is Brent’s dad and David is his uncle. One of five siblings, Brent was born in Roseburg and started school here, but left at age 10 when the family moved to Kansas to be closer to his aging grandparents. He earned his undergraduate degree from Furman University in South Carolina and completed medical school at the University of South Carolina-Charleston. That was followed by surgical training and a six-year residency at the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga. But when the chance came to move back to his childhood hometown, he was ready. “About three years ago, some of the surgeons in town realized my dad couldn’t work forever, so they started planning for that,” says Brent Soder. “They got in touch with me and asked if I would be interested in coming back.” 10
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Dr. Brent Soder is picking up where his father, Dr. Eric Soder, left off in Mercy Medical Center’s surgical suites.
Soder and his wife, Lauren, a former elementary school teacher, packed up their three small children (a fourth was expected in early September) and arrived in the Umpqua Valley in July after celebrating their 10th wedding anniversary on the road from Tennessee. They have since settled in after finding a home in the Melrose area, and Soder started his new commute to work, just eight minutes from home. “We wanted to move back to a small town,” he says. “My wife is from the South, but she grew up in a small town, too. The medical community here is great, and it’s an opportunity for me as a surgeon to work at one hospital, instead of several as many surgeons have to do.” Mercy Medical Center, the parent of CMG, isn’t exactly unfamiliar turf for Soder, either. He’s already been recognized by veteran staffers, who remember him as a youngster occasionally trailing his dad around the hospital. And he’s met some of his dad’s former patients. “It’s nice to be part of a community where the community knows you,” he says. “That’s something you don’t get in bigger cities.” Soder also likes having his dad nearby, both for support and as a resource. “I like that he’s been in the community for a long time,” Soder says. “He’s seen a lot of things and we’ve worked together some.” Soder remembers hiking and trips to the Oregon coast he enjoyed when he lived in Roseburg as a child. He plans to revisit that with his own family but for now, he’s focused on getting his practice established locally — and with an eye toward the future. “I’m planning to make my career here,” he says. “I want to settle here and be here for the rest of my career.”
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FOUR MORE WHO CAME HOME Guion Randol
Sarah Baumgartner
Growing up on a local ranch taught Guion Randol the value of work. But it couldn’t teach him everything.
It might seem that Sarah Baumgartner, a communications representative for CHI Mercy Health, was destined to make the Umpqua Valley her home. Born in Lincoln City, her family moved to Roseburg when she was a toddler, then left when her father’s career took them elsewhere, including back to Roseburg, where she graduated high school.
“I had a strong desire to explore the world outside the Umpqua Valley,” he says. He went to college in Seattle, took a job in San Francisco upon graduation, met his wife and traveled extensively. But after seeing some of the world, Randol was ready to settle down, and he knew just where. Right back home. “My wife and I wanted to start a family and become entrepreneurs,” Randol says. “I knew that the right place for us to do this was back in the Umpqua Valley.” The entrepreneur part became Guion Randol Contracting Inc., a growing success story since 2006. For the rest of it, Randol knew what he was getting back into — an active community in a scenic setting. And best of all, family and friends nearby. “People in the Umpqua Valley are amazing,” he says. “They are welcoming. They are generous. They are fun.”
Chad Gilbreath A certified general appraiser for Northwest Farm Credit Services, Chad Gilbreath went to high school in Glide and felt the lure of exploring life outside the Umpqua Valley. At least, that’s what he planned to do after completing bachelor’s and master’s degree programs at Oregon State University. But after working three summers as a forest firefighter and three more doing internships for timber companies around the Northwest, Gilbreath knew where he wanted to be. “By the end of school, I really wanted to get back home,” says Gilbreath, who grew up helping on his family’s sheep and cattle ranch and enjoying the valley’s plentiful outdoor activities. He turned down an engineering job offer and went to work for NWFCS in 2014, where he was trained to fill a vacant position in the company’s Roseburg office, where he has been since. What’s keeping him? “My job, my family, the family ranch, and the unmatched rural beauty of the Umpqua Valley,” he says.
Then she left again to attend college at the University of Portland. But chance brought her back again. “I had two job opportunities,” she says. “One in Florida and one in Roseburg. The job in Roseburg was a better fit for my career goals and I appreciated the chance to be closer to my family.” She’s never regretted the decision. “This community runs on heart, hard work and positive connections,” she says. “I didn’t realize it in my 20s, but you build a foundation here as you grow, transfer jobs, build friendships and connect. It’s important to me and something I value. This community has taught me how significant a connection can be.”
Alex Palm Despite being a fourth-generation graduate of Roseburg High, Alex Palm saw himself becoming a big-city guy, and after college he and his wife, Amy, lived in Portland and Phoenix, Ariz. “I think most 18-year-old kids who grow up in rural areas never foresee coming back once they leave,” says Palm, a civil engineer and principal at I.E. Engineering in downtown Roseburg. The lure of the big city faded, however, with heavy traffic, overcrowding and a lack of community and outdoor recreation. The answer, Palm decided, was back in his hometown. “The big thing that brought us back to Roseburg is Amy and I realized that we didn’t want to raise our kids in a big-city environment,” he says. The Palms saw Roseburg as a place to enjoy the life they wanted. “Quality of life is No. 1,” he says. “We simply couldn’t live the lifestyle we live here in Roseburg in a large city anywhere. Friends, family and also being truly part of the community are big factors, too.”
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The game is simple — escape from a locked room. Winning is a little more complicated.
Ron Welch is the mastermind behind the Idleyld Lodge escape room games.
ESCAPE FROM THE ORDINARY Tired of the same old, same old gaming options? Grab some friends and test your wits in one of the escape rooms at Idleyld Lodge. Story by David Shroyer Photos by Thomas Boyd
W
ant to escape from it all for a while?
Jessica Mathison might have just the ticket you’re looking for. And it’s as close as Idleyld Lodge, just 20 minutes from Roseburg.
Mathison is proprietor of the only “escape room” in Douglas County. Escape rooms have gained popularity in recent years as a destination event for parties and couples looking for a brain workout in an unfamiliar, but safe environment.
The game is simple — escape from a locked room. Winning is a little more complicated. A group of people — typically friends — are locked in a themed room of their choice. Clues, such as keys or coded messages, are in the room. Each clue can lead to another clue, and the group must work together to decipher how it will escape. If the group gets stuck, it can communicate with the game host for additional hints to keep the game and players moving. According to Idleyld Lodge’s website, “The rooms are meant to exercise intellect, stretch observational skills, improve teamwork and hone problem-solving proficiency in a lively and engaging environment. But mostly they’re meant to be fun.” Mathison bought Idleyld Lodge years ago after leaving a career in banking and event planning. She and partner Ron Welch
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envisioned a bed-and-breakfast and restaurant, then expanded to include a food truck, which became their priority. But when the truck was destroyed in a freeway accident and Mathison had to reassess their business model, some close friends suggested they try the escape room concept. Welch, with a lifetime of role-playing games to draw on, was the mastermind putting the games together, with help from Mathison and lodge staff. The escape rooms opened in February, and business has taken off since. The group events can include from two to six guests and can be played out in different rooms with a variety of scenarios, so groups that have already made one escape can return to an entirely different situation on their next visit. For Halloween, Idleyld will add a maze to the repertoire. Expect to see a room inspired by the movie Goonies coming soon, too. Idleyld Lodge also hosts fund-raisers for local organizations, donating a substantial portion of the fees for those days back to each organization. Games are typically run each week from Thursday to Sunday and from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. The cost for putting your wits to the test starts at $25 per person. To learn more, visit idleyldlodge.com
Each room at Idleyld Lodge contains clues that must be solved in order for game players to escape.
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Most members of Roseburg High’s Class of ‘57 reunion group have passed their 70th birthday. But their school spirit is still young.
THE CLASS OF ’57 Sixty-plus years after leaving Roseburg High, members of the 1957 graduating class are still reuniting to stay connected and do good work in their community. Story by Jim Hays Photos by Tristin Godsey
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Y
ou can drive the two miles from Roseburg High School to Karen’s Coffee Cup on Diamond Lake Boulevard in about six minutes. But for the 30-or-so members of an RHS graduating class who meet at Karen’s on the first Monday of each month, the trip took about a half-century.
Like so many others at countless schools, Conn and his classmates accepted their diplomas that May night, then walked out of the RHS gym and scattered into the world. Some would go off to college. Others joined the military or went to work. Some married and stayed close to home. Others moved away and found their niche elsewhere.
“I don’t think we were any different than any other high school class in the country,” says Conn. “We have people from all walks of life. We have 94 men and women who served a total of 741 years in the military. Sixteen made the military a career. We also have people who went into the medical field, pilots, a seamstress, Among them was Jim Conn, a selfa saloon owner, a gunsmith, a wood described farm boy from Melrose, carver. We even had a guy who and this story starts with him and became a professional clown.” how he and some of his classmates revived more than a little Roseburg Now 78, Conn was listed as school spirit among the Class of ’57. “James Conn Jr.” in his class’ More than six decades have passed since 232 Roseburg High seniors in caps and gowns marched into the school’s 3-year-old Physical Education Building to the strains of Mendelssohn’s “March from Athalia” on a warm Monday night in late May 1957.
UMPQUA LIFE
commencement program. He joined the “I decided to see if we could have a committee earned diplomas elsewhere. Navy after high school and saw the world, of the whole,” he says. “Whoever attended “It helps us keep track of one another,” became a 30-year member of the Naval the meetings got to make the decisions. No Conn says. “Unfortunately, at our ages I Reserve, married a classmate, had a family, parameters, no boxes.” have to mention (in the newsletter) the was widowed, remarried, completed a The approach, and the 50-year reunion, classmates and spouses we have lost. But distinguished career at several posts in were a big success. There was a dinner, yes, mostly, it’s about what’s going on in our the U.S. Bureau of Land Management and but instead of a formal program, Conn and lives.” volunteered for many committees and his one-time classmates decided to just organizations. After his retirement from allow people to mingle and talk, reminisce Then there’s the scholarship fund. The class started it in 2008 and Conn says the BLM’s Medford office, Conn moved or just say “hello.” its endowment has reached $50,000. back to Roseburg. The group has awarded 11 scholarships “That really got us started,” Conn says. The occasional high school class reunion to Roseburg High seniors so far. brought some 1957 grads back to see who About a month later, the “committee” met and what had changed in their hometown again to decide how it wanted to move Getting the group organized has had
while reconnecting and reminiscing with old pals. But after the 10-year gathering — “That’s the one where you go to show everybody how successful you are,” Conn jokes — attendance and interest lagged to the point that the class as a whole passed on its 45th-anniversary re-assembly. That’s when Conn, a guy who likes to stay active as much as he can, decided a different approach to the reunion might revive it. And by the 50th in 2007, that’s what happened. “We really didn’t coalesce until our 50-year reunion,” Conn says. Conn doesn’t see himself as some sort of alumni president — “I’d say I’m more of a ‘facilitator,’” he says — but he’s definitely an organizer. Or re-organizer, in this case. The traditional reunion committee for the Class of ’57 went out the window. The replacement was something that involved literally everyone.
forward. Did it want to meet regularly? Perhaps not, but another meeting was scheduled for three months later, in January 2008.
“We think we have a class of special people. We know that sounds egotistical, but at our age, what the heck?”
—Jim Conn
“So we met, just to visit,” Conn says. “At the end of that January meeting, we talked about when we should have the next one and someone said ‘How about next month?’”
personal benefits for Conn. “That’s one of the quirky things,” he says. “I was totally under the radar in high school. I had work to do at home. I knew the kids in my class by sight, but I didn’t associate with them much. I’d say a high percentage of the people in our group that I’ve become friends with are those I didn’t know very well in high school.” He also still enjoys seeking out classmates. “We have seven people we haven’t had any contact with since graduation,” he says. “They got married, left town. We don’t know where they are, and at this age, they may have passed on. But until I can find hard records of that, I’m going to keep searching.” Conn has kept records of the group, so it can continue if he is unable to, and updates his files quarterly.
The visits soon begat a quarterly newsletter that Conn and his “bride,” Jan, get into the hands of 192 subscribers via “We think we have a class of special people,” both email and hard copies. Not everyone he says. “We know that sounds egotistical, graduated with Conn’s class, and a few but at our age, what the heck?”
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LET THE GAMES BEGIN
UCC adds six new sports programs with more to come, but it’s not just about more fun and games. It’s about more students. Story by Erin Wilds Photos by Thomas Boyd
T
he sports program at Umpqua Community College has been expanding at a rapid pace recently, and student athletes aren’t the only ones to benefit from the growth.
In the past year, the UCC Athletic Department has added to its offerings men’s and women’s cross country, obstacle course racing and wrestling.
Next spring, men’s and women’s track and field will be added, and the following spring UCC will begin fielding a baseball team. The goal of expanding the school’s athletics offerings is simple: To bring more students onto campus. “We added all of the new sports as enrollment initiatives,” says UCC 16
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Athletic Director Craig Jackson. “Declining enrollment is a big challenge for colleges across the country.” In his three years as UCC’s athletic director, Jackson has overseen the rapid expansion of his program. When he arrived, the college offered only three sports — volleyball and men’s and women’s basketball. By 2020, that number will reach 12. Jackson says selecting the sports to add involves estimating their appeal to both students and the community at large as well as aligning with already-successful local programs — such as Roseburg High School wrestling and Doc Stewart’s American Legion baseball. Despite the strong community support enjoyed by those teams, there were no opportunities for athletes to continue participating locally at a higher level. The closest college baseball program is in Eugene; the nearest wrestling program is in Ashland. Adding cross-country and obstacle course racing made sense for other reasons. The terrain on campus near the track and through the Southern Oregon Wine Institute’s vineyard area made an ideal spot
UMPQUA LIFE
TOP RIGHT: Athletic Director Craig Jackson. Above: UCC’s wrestling room is furnished with mats bought at a discount from Oregon State University.
for a new course and can be shared by the two sports, Jackson says. Obstacle course racing, an endurance test that requires athletes to complete mud runs and navigate man-made barriers, was added for its potential appeal to outdoor enthusiasts, Jackson says. “We thought it would be a nice niche that we could fit in and help us draw some kids that wouldn’t necessarily have an opportunity to compete otherwise,” he says. Obstacle course racing is one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., but UCC is the only school offering a scholarship in the sport. Last year, two Umpqua runners qualified for the OCR World Championships. In addition to the new race course, UCC added a wrestling room, and track improvements are in the works. Doc Stewart’s home, Legion Field, will serve as UCC baseball’s home field. Basketball and volleyball are getting upgrades, too, including a new gym floor and lighting, weight room improvements and new uniforms.
significant increase from the 30 or so competing on campus just two years ago. That growth, Jackson projects, will bring an estimated $3.5 million in new revenue to the community. “Expanding our program is the equivalent of a jobs program,” Jackson says. Adding more student athletes also means more participants in Champions of Community, the athletic department’s community service program. UCC athletes volunteer several times in such projects as reading programs and field days for elementary students. This year, athlete volunteers will log nearly 2,000 hours of community service. Jackson says it’s possible even more sports programs will be added. “The first wave was successful, and the second one looks to be as well,” he says. “If it fits the needs of Douglas County and our campus, we’ll look at adding more sports.”
By spring 2020, when all 12 sports programs are up and running, more than 200 student athletes are expected to be involved, a
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LEGENDS OF THE UMPQUA: THURMAN BELL From Gridiron to Green Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Robin Loznak
I
t has been three years since Thurman Bell retired from a distinguished 50-year career coaching football, 45 of which were spent at Roseburg High School. Three years, a whole lot of rounds of golf and far too much rock work.
“I need to get another job so I can get some rest,” Bell says from the comfort of his beautiful home overlooking Melrose. From his seat behind the desk in his home office, Bell is surrounded by walls and shelves decorated with just about as much memorabilia as one would expect of an Oregon football legend who coached a few thousand players, took nine teams to state championship games, won four of them, and last year was inducted into the Oregon Sports Hall of Fame. Those are all reminders of past glory, but Bell’s life is different these days. On the way up the long driveway to the home he shares with his wife, Jenny, it’s immediately clear Bell is doing more than just playing golf in his retirement years. The three flags planted in the field below his home, at varying lengths from the tee box situated at the edge of his back yard, make it clear Bell has been doing some practicing as well. With a handicap that fluctuates between seven and 11, it’s also clear the practice is paying off. “Now that I have the time to do it, I’ve become obsessed with golf,” he says.
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UMPQUA LIFE
But retirement isn’t all fun and games. It also appears that Bell is obsessed with rock walls and stairs, since they are a dominant feature around his home. He prepped the dirt and placed all the rocks himself, including the several hundred that comprise a retaining wall that stretches a couple dozen feet along the turnaround driveway at the entrance to his home and looks tall enough to hold off a tsunami.
Bell’s coaching career started at Lebanon High, where he did his student teaching, assisted with the football and basketball teams and was head coach for varsity baseball. After three years there, he left for Grants Pass to be head baseball coach and defensive coordinator. Two years later, at age 27, he got the job in Roseburg, becoming the youngest head high school football coach in Oregon.
After 50 years patrolling sidelines and dugouts (he coached “I was kind of shocked when I got the job,” he remembers. “The baseball for a while, too), the coach still has a little energy to burn. two other candidates were the 2A (classification) and 3A coaches of the year, and Bell has only attended three I was just an assistant. games since retiring, but it’s After I interviewed, I got not because he doesn’t miss a call asking how long it the game and coaching it. “I’ve would take me to make my always felt that anyone who decision if I was offered has a job for a lot of years, the job. I said, ‘About 10 then quits it and says he’s seconds.’ I guess that was glad he’s done, shouldn’t have the right answer because been doing that job in the first apparently the other guys place,” Bell says. “My career said they’d need more time.” wasn’t a job. I played games my whole life and got to make In Bell’s first season Roseburg, a living out of it. But for some which had only won one of its reason it has been difficult nine games the prior year, did emotionally for me to go back a compete turnaround—in a and watch.” manner a manner of speaking. As a youth growing up in Fresno, Calif., Bell had hoped to make a living playing games professionally. Out of high school, he actually signed a contract for $27,500 to play professional baseball.
“My first team was one and eight too, so I came in and immediately turned the program around 360 degrees,” he says, laughing. Things would get better soon and for a long, long time.
“That was big money then, but I gave it back,” he says. “I wanted to go to college.” So Bell headed to Oregon State to play baseball and football. He played the latter for two legendary coaches— first Tommy Prothro, then Dee Andros. Under Prothro, he was a wide receiver, mainly a blocking one playing behind All-American Verne Burke, the favorite target of Heisman Trophy winner Terry Baker. When Andros took over as head coach for Bell’s senior year, he switched to defensive back, where he wound up being named Most Improved Player. Bell wound up signing another pro contract, this time to play in the Canadian Football League. But he let that one go, too, after he was injured playing baseball the next spring.
east of Portland.
Bell says he ascribed to an old-school, hard knocks style of football, and there are coaches all over Oregon who can attest to that. One of those is Gary Stautz, who played defense under Bell at Grants Pass High, then coached against him later as a long-time assistant and then head coach at Gresham High,
“He always brought tremendous enthusiasm, intensity and discipline,” Stautz remembers. “When you played for him, he could really get after you, but he was quick to pat you on the back as well.” Stautz, who stood across the sideline from Bell once as head coach and other times as an assistant, says “His teams were always really good. They were always well-prepared, and you knew they
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“After I interviewed at Roseburg, I got a call asking how long it would take me to make my decision if I was offered the job. I said, ‘About 10 seconds.’ I guess that was the right answer.” —Thurman Bell weren’t going to beat themselves.”
long-term success of his program to other role models, namely his players’ parents.
Over the years, Bell was a positive role model for a lot of young football players and “We’ve had tremendous athletes and assistant coaches, including, he estimates, 24 who coaches, but we owed a lot of our success to left Roseburg and became head coaches the strength of our families,” he says. “We’ve elsewhere. One of his former quarterbacks, had a lot of special kids and a lot of special and Troy Calhoun, is the current head football supportive parents. When I think back on my career, my fondest memories are of my kids, coach at the Air Force Academy. my coaches and the parental and community But Bell deflects much of the credit for the support I enjoyed for so many years.”
FROM THE ARCHIVES
and football teams. He also served as volunteer groundskeeper for both programs, laying out the diamond and gridiron and marking the respective fields.
Ever wonder how Roseburg High’s Finlay Field got its name? Read on and wonder no more.
He became Roseburg High’s athletic director in 1913 and held the position until 1921.
Story by Josh Gaunt
Anyone with an interest in Roseburg High School athletics knows Finlay Field. Built in 1923 and rebuilt in 1996, the landmark stadium is home to Roseburg High’s football and track programs as well as community events and the high school’s commencement ceremony. The field’s two grandstands seat some 5,000 people, and with temporary seating added, the facility can accommodate crowds of up to 9,000. What isn’t as well-known is the story of the stadium’s namesake, whose legacy began more than a century ago. The youngest of 10 children, Gilbert Finlay was a talented athlete as a youth in the early 20th century. It was said he played Sunday baseball under an alias because baseball at that time was considered by some a violation of the Sabbath. Such was Finlay’s talent on the diamond that he was reportedly offered a professional tryout by the Chicago White Sox in 1909. What happened with the tryout is lost to history. But in 1911, Finlay appeared in Roseburg with a degree from the Illinois Dental School in hand. He set up what became a successful dental practice and also got involved with sports again at Roseburg High. Finlay volunteered as an assistant coach for the high school baseball 20
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When Roseburg started a basketball program, Finlay was its first coach. His 1916-17 Indians claimed Oregon’s unofficial state championship (officially sanctioned state tournaments would not begin until 1920). Such was the outsized impact of Finlay — he stood an estimated 5-foot-5 — that in 1925, the high school’s 2-year-old athletic stadium was rededicated as Finlay Field. Finlay would spend nearly 50 years as a practicing dentist in Roseburg, and remained an avid high school sports fan. His son, James Sr., was an all-state basketball star at Roseburg High and played one season of college basketball at Oregon State in 1944, after which he joined the Navy and served in World War II. He was trained as a dentist and joined his father’s practice upon his discharge in 1945. Gilbert Finlay retired in 1960, but by that time James Sr. had two of Finlay’s grandsons — James Jr. and Dave — ready to step in. The family’s patriarch died in 1980, but nearly four decades later, his name still adorns the venerable high school stadium. A footnote, though: Dave Finlay retired in 2011, ending a century of Finlay family dentistry in Roseburg. When Dave closed the office for the last time, it was located in Roseburg’s Professional Center. That used to be the Medical Arts Building, which is what it was called when Gilbert Finlay moved his practice to the same location in 1929.
The Hiltons
Brokers in the Beautiful State of Oregon
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For photos, complete information and reservations, visit us at bellsisterflats.com 541.580.6302 620 S.E. Main Street, Roseburg
Also great for romantic, in-town getaways!
UMPQUA LIFE
AUTUMN DECOR
LOVES 1.
FALLING FOR AUTUMN
2.
Story by Debi Ashley Photos by Nicole Stratton
Treasures of the Heart 119 S Old Pacific Hwy Myrtle Creek Spunky Steer 2395 NW Stewart Pkwy Roseburg
3.
4.
UCC Bookstore 1140 Umpqua College Rd Roseburg
Treasures of the Heart: 1. Galvanized Metal Pumpkins. 2. Magnolia Leaf Wreath. 3. Rustic Lanterns. Spunky Steer: 4. Twine Holder w/ Scissors.
Hesh Moto heshmoto.com/shop TKR Outfitters
BACK TO SCHOOL
271 SE Main St, Winston Friends & Family Mercantile 227 E Central Ave Sutherlin Distinguished Apes 815 SE Oak Ave Roseburg 2. 3.
1. Treasures of the Heart: 1. Mason Jar Sewing Kit. 2. Faux Leather Bright Orange Book Bag w/ Bright Pink Lining. UCC Bookstore: 3. “Remember, Ideas Become Things” Blank Journal.
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UMPQUA LIFE
BACK TO SCHOOL (CONTINUED)
4.
5.
7.
6.
8.
UCC Bookstore: 4. UCC Bright Yellow Coffee Mug. 5. Hydro Flask. 6. TravelLines Day Bag. 7. FindIt Beacon Tracker. Spunky Steer 8. S t S Serape Backpack.
DRESSING FOR AUTUMN
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4.
2.
1.
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9.
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Hesh Moto: 1. Red Gasoline Men’s Tee. 2. Moto Craft Women’s Tee. 3. Leather Wallet. 4. Leather Cuffs. TKR Outfitters: 5. Lil’ Hickory Child’s Buffalo Plaid Shirt. Friends & Family Mercantile: 6. Soulmate Colorful Hand Knitt Socks. Spunky Steer: 7. Will Quilted Fabric Mini Pouch w/ Leather Tassels. 8. Tooled Leather Boot Jack. Distinguished Apes: 9. Flask. 10. Wool Beanie.
HOMECOMING
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FOOD + WINE
GIVE THE DOG A SCONE / PIES FULL OF SOUL / BUSINESS IS LOOKING GOOD AT LOOKINGGLASS BREWERY
GIVE THE DOG A SCONE Goodog Bakery in Myrtle Creek offers a wide array of delicious treats for man, woman and friend. Story by Kaelynn Davis Photos by Tristin Godsey
A
s many Douglas County residents know, there’s nothing like a Goodog.
On North Main Street in downtown Myrtle Creek, just across the South Umpqua from I-5’s Exit 108, Jerrie Thomas has created a bakery with bark. Walk-in customers at Goodog Bakery can buy breakfast or take home a fresh selection of tarts, scones, rolls, cakes, pies, cookies, breads and assorted quiches — available anytime between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. every day except Sundays. And the Bringing a four-legged friend menu also lists name-brand isn’t required at Goodog Bakery, coffee, tea and other breakfast but it’s encouraged. Because for beverages to wash it all down. What’s more, it’s fully accessible to everyone, including canines.. In fact, it might be one the most dog-friendly eateries around.
Jerrie Thomas, canine customers are just as important as their two-legged companions.
Bringing a four-legged friend isn’t required at Goodog Bakery, but it’s encouraged. Because for Thomas, canine customers are just as important as their two-legged companions. Goodog caters to its namesakes with a separate bill of fare just for Fido — including such bone-shaped treats as Whole Wheat Banana Peanut Butter, Glutenfree Sweet Potato, Grain-free Pumpkin and Organic Carrot. After snacking, Rover can romp in a built-to-order dog park on the premises. The attention to dogs goes back to the origins of Goodog. Thomas, an energetic baker in white chef ’s coat and toque with
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Goodog’s logo front and center, started her business in 2007. A dog owner herself, she wasn’t happy with mass-produced dog treats and decided to try home-baking for her Pomeranian with fresh ingredients instead of opening a box off the shelf.
The result of that experiment was Thomas spending the next eight years traveling around the state, selling her increasingly popular Goodog bones at craft shows, fairs and other community events, all the while growing a substantial online clientele at goodogbones.com.
Thomas certainly has no aversion to hard work, but all the time on the road spent setting up and taking down sales booths got her to thinking it might be time to make her Goodog business a little more stationary.
FOOD + WINE
Goodog Bakery owner Jerrie Thomas helps a young customer.
She and her husband, Michael, found “We get all of our whole wheat locally, just the place in a not-quite-derelict too,” she says. “I just call them up and historic building at 236 N. Main St. they have a 50-pound bag ready for me. They grind it and all.” in Myrtle Creek. Buying the storefront was just the start. Next came 10 months of renovating , remo d el ing , res toring , repairing, refinishing and repainting for a grand reopening. With local con t r a c t o r s p r o v i d i n g m u c h of the labor, the space underwent a complete overhaul from foundation to roof. Goodog ’s floor is the original restored. But like so much else, it first had to be fixed.
With a schedule that includes awakening long before dawn to get the day’s baking started, closing up shop as the sun starts to get low in the West, and taking on tasks that can only be done after hours, Thomas is virtually in perpetual motion. But her dedication to her community goes beyond business. According to the Goodog Bones website, Thomas donates 10 percent of her sales to a local food bank and volunteers there, too.
“These floors are the originals,” Thomas says. “It was hard to find this special wood to fix the areas that were bad, but we did it.”
During the 2017 fire season, Thomas and her husband spent two full days cranking out 1,200 fresh cinnamon rolls to help feed firefighters.
With a refurbished space, the Thomases decorated with a canine theme, right down to the paw-print tiles that guide customers from the front door to the counter. One corner has a gift shop, offering for sale locally sourced dog trinkets and packaged goods from the bakery.
“I do what I can to give back because it’s important,” she says.
Local is something Thomas is strong on. She sources as much as she can locally, especially baking ingredients.
She hasn’t given up road trips completely, either. Goodog shows up Wednesdays at the Canyonville Farmers Market, Saturdays at the Umpqua Valley Farmers Market and 24/7 online at goodog-bakery.com.
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FOOD + WINE
PIES FULL OF SOUL In the heart of downtown Roseburg, Old Soul Pizza offers a relaxing, eclectic space to enjoy great food and excellent service. Story by Jenny Wood Photos by Thomas Boyd
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t’s 102 degrees on a summer evening in Roseburg, but the 800-degree wood-fired oven is still lit at Old Soul Pizza, cranking out four pies every 90 seconds.
The restaurant is full of patrons eagerly awaiting their meal. The eclectic interior is adorned with vintage Forest Service signs, antlers, oil portraits and even the stray instrument or two. Smiling staff gracefully move among handcrafted tables and chairs, taking orders and delivering ice cold brews to thirsty guests.
Old Soul is a popular spot, and with its fun, welcoming atmosphere, attentive staff and great food, it’s no wonder.
flavors of roasted garlic, olive oil and fresh basil. The products of many local companies play important roles on Old Soul’s menu. Nickabob’s Meat Market in Roseburg supplies the Italian sausage and prosciutto. Regional craft beers are on tap and wines are from Paul O’Brien’s, Roseburg’s unique urban winery. Fresh tomatoes, onion, garlic and other produce are handselected every morning at Sherm’s Thunderbird Market. Seasonal produce is also supplied by local farms. Ray Bartram owns and runs the place, but credits most of Old Soul’s success to his staff and a commitment to quality.
On the menu are traditional favorites, such as the margherita with marinara sauce, fresh-sliced tomatoes, “All of our business is word-of-mouth,” says Bartram. “This basil leaves and whole-milk mozzarella. For a pizza with community is really supportive of small businesses, and a delightfully sweet twist, the Mia Malia is topped with we try to spread that love back by sourcing whatever we can from people we know.” mozzarella and parmesan, salami, jalapeño and honey.
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Weekly specials feature both vegetarian and meat options that include toppings like peanut butter, jackfruit, heart of palm, and even macaroni and cheese.
Bartram has a background in marketing and design. The pizza inspiration hit relatively recently during a visit to Hawaii.
Old Soul uses high-moisture, high-gluten dough with its personalized sourdough starter. After the dough proofs for three days it is hand-pulled, topped and fired. The result is a delicately chewy crust with a pleasant sourdough tang. Topping the crust is a house marinara sauce with big
“A small food cart was selling pizzas from a wood-fired oven at an outdoor market,” he says. “The aroma was amazing, but the line was so long I didn’t even get a chance to try the pizza. But it planted a seed.”
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FOOD + WINE
“This community is really supportive of small businesses, and we try to spread that love back by sourcing whatever we can from people we know.” —Ray Bartram Not long after returning to Roseburg, Bartram built a cob – a basic oven made from clay, straw and sand—in his backyard and got to work. By day, he’d work at BBG Marketing, the agency he co-founded and co-led for 15 years. By night, he made pizza. Bartram tested dozens of recipes for different types of crust and variations on sauce and experimented with an array of toppings. When the flavors were just right, he took his pizza on the road to local events, towing a custom-made, woodfired pizza oven. After going mobile for about three years, Bartram began planning for a brick-and-mortar location. Open now for nearly two years, Old Soul’s success has inspired Bartram to further enhance his welcoming atmosphere. Live music has already been a draw for customers, and he hopes to open a larger space for bigger shows.
Old Soul owner Ray Bartram turned a hobby into a popular pizza restaurant.
With outstanding food and service, Old Soul clearly has found the recipe for staying hot far into the future. Find Old Soul at 525 S.E. Main St. in downtown Roseburg.
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FOOD + WINE
TWO MORE TO EXPLORE For the pizza lover in Douglas County, options abound. In addition to Old Soul (above) and Abby’s (see page 62), here are two more spots to add to your can’t-miss list. MORE ONLINE
BLUEBIRD PIZZA ROSEBURG Tucked away in the Hucrest neighborhood of Roseburg is a sweet little pizza joint with a fabulous menu. Owners Tami and Ric Webb make the needs and wants of their customers their top priority. Among Bluebird’s offerings are gluten-free crusts and an entire list of vegan pizzas. One of the most popular pizzas is the Popeye, a vegetarian pie adorned with veggies, spinach and a creamy, white garlic sauce. The nod to healthier choices helped Bluebird become the first Blue Zones Certified restaurant in the Umpqua Valley. The sweet-and-spicy Tandoori Chicken is packed with spiced chicken, cheese, smoky roasted red peppers, zesty jalapeños and a tangy mango chutney sauce, topped with fresh cilantro. Another unique offering is the Reuben pizza, the classic sandwich served pizza-style. Bluebird Pizza is at 1612 N.W. Keasey St., Roseburg. Phone 541-229-6433. 28
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TOMASELLI’S ELKTON
For the true pizza lover, a trip to Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill and Cafe in Elkton is a must. The self-described “foodie oasis in the middle of nowhere” has been producing tasty traditional pizzas for more than 30 years. Wood-fired pizza was recently added to the menu as well. Owner Marty Tomaselli is passionate about providing high-quality food. Nearly every item is scratch-made, from the original style and rustic pizza crusts, to the Sicilian and roasted garlic sauces. If you’re feeling adventurous, try the chipotle peanut butter barbecue sauce featured on the Finger Lickin’ Chicken pizza, which comes with savory smoked chicken and spicy jalapeños. Or create your own pie with a variety of toppings that extend from pears and Spanish chorizo to chevre and pesto sauce. With more than 20 toppings to choose from, as well as house specialties, plus a full dinner menu (lunch, too), there’s no shortage of good reasons to make the trip to Elkton. Tomaselli’s Pastry Mill and Cafe is at 14836 Umpqua Highway, Elkton. Phone 541-584-2855.
Writer Jenny Wood has prepared several pizza recipes UV readers can easily make at home. You’ll find them at the online version of our magazine — uvlife.com
FOOD + WINE
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FOOD + WINE
BUSINESS IS LOOKING GOOD AT LOOKINGGLASS BREWERY All systems are go for Mark Nunnelee, who turned to brewing after retiring from careers with NASA and the BLM. Photos by Brandon Johns Photos by Thomas Boyd
“Our beer is as natural as can be. No additives, no preservatives and no pellet hops. We don’t filter either. I think that just takes the soul out of the beer.” –Mark Nunnelee 30
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ll things begin with an idea, but how does an idea begin?
In Mark Nunnelee’s case, years ago he was gazing at a beer he was drinking when he turned to his wife, Lydia, held up his glass and told her, “I can make this.”
That was the beginning of Lookingglass Brewery, which has been slaking local thirsts since 2016. But it’s not the beginning of Nunnelee’s beer journey. That began when the Nunnelees moved to Douglas County after Mark had spent more than two decades working for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration.
FOOD + WINE
“My wife and I wanted a change of pace, so we moved to Oregon and I took a job with the BLM,” Nunnelee says. “It was the perfect choice, and we love living here.” Nunnelee worked the Bureau of Land Management job until he retired. That was when he got the idea to become a brewer. Using retirement money from his NASA career, Nunnelee bought brewing equipment, then immersed himself in learning all he could about making beer.
seven to 11 types of beer on tap.” Even so, it’s sometimes tough to keep up with demand, and Nunnelee occasionally sells out a particular brew. “Yeah, I do get some funny calls and texts from customers wondering where a favorite beer is,” he says. Nunnelee speaks reverently about the brewing process.
“Our beer is as natural as can be,” he says. “No additives, no His early efforts — small batches to serve family and friends — preservatives and no pellet hops. We don’t filter either. I think were well-received and motivated him to continue researching that just takes the soul out of the beer. new formulas to brew a better beer. “We screen out the hops and it’s ready to go” he says. “I believe it’s “That may be my favorite part about this, creating good beer about the care and love you put into your craft that makes the to share with great people and watching them really enjoy difference in the beer.” it,” he says.
In July 2015, Nunnelee felt confident enough to open Lookingglass Brewery. At first, the operation consisted of Nunnelee persuading a few local bars and restaurants to put his brew on their beer lists. But when response was again strong, he started thinking about starting his own retail beer operation. He and Lydia started scouting locations and found what they were looking for at 192 S.E. Main St. in Winston. In April 2016, the Lookingglass Brewery Taproom opened. Business was brisk and Nunnelee found himself busier than ever. “On brewing days, we get up around 3 or 4 a.m. to get things started and then work all day,” he says. “We try to keep anywhere from
Customers aren’t the only people who have noticed. Nunnelee’s Double IPA won an award at the Umpqua Brewfest. Lookingglass is looking to get bigger, too. “Currently we are considered a nano brewery, but not for long, as we are still growing,” Nunnelee says. “The upcoming seven (or possibly 10) barrel system will place us in the microbrewery category (fewer than 15,000 barrels produced annually).” Nunnelee’s NASA experience might have taught him to aim high with his brewing business. With the new brewing gear installed and other modifications, Lookingglass aims to become an Umpqua Valley institution. All systems are go.
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WHAT’S IN A NAME? / ENCOURAGING WORDS
WHAT’S IN A NAME? There’s a story behind the name of every locale in Douglas County and UV will try to explain them all — or most of them — in short takes appearing in this and subsequent issues of the magazine. This time around, we look at two of the county’s unincorporated communities: Scottsburg, named for one of Oregon’s early settlers, and Winchester, briefly the Douglas County seat. Story by Jim Hays Photography courtesy of Douglas County Museum
SCOTTSBURG
T
oday a nondescript hamlet just east of the Oregon Highway 38 bridge over the Umpqua River — some 60 miles northwest of Roseburg and 20-odd river miles from the Pacific — Scottsburg was thought to be a coming metropolis in the years after 1850, when it was founded by Oregon pioneer Levi Scott. The area was located at the navigable headwaters of the Umpqua and initially served as a seaport serving the interior of Southern Oregon. It was also a transfer station for a stagecoach line from Drain, about 35 miles due east. Stage passengers arrived in Scottsburg and transferred to boats for the trip downstream to Gardiner, Reedsport and Umpqua City. City father Scott was one of Oregon’s earliest pioneers. Along with Jesse and Lindsey Applegate, Scott led a wagon train west on the Oregon Trail in 1844 and settled near Dallas in Polk County. In 1846, he and the Applegate brothers led an exploration party authorized by the Oregon Provisional Government to find a southern route into the Willamette Valley. The result was the Applegate Trail, a route that went south and east from the Umpqua Valley and linked up with the much-traveled California Trail on the Humboldt River in what is now northern Nevada. Scott wrote a waybill describing the route, which was published in the Oregon Spectator newspaper on April 6, 1848. He also offered tips for emigrants on the trail, including “Travel in companies of at least 20 wagons, with at least 25 men able to bear arms,” and describing the indigenous population as “poor, cowardly and treacherous.”
Early Winchester residents on a fairly formal fishing expedition.
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CULTURE
SCOTTSBURG Unincorporated Founded: 1850; post office established 1851 Location: 60 miles northwest of Roseburg; about 20 miles upstream from mouth of Umpqua River. Elevation: 60 feet above sea level.
WINCHESTER Unincorporated Founded: 1850; post office established 1851 Location: Five miles north of Roseburg on Oregon Highway 99; Interstate 5 Exit 129. Elevation: 459 feet above sea level.
Scottsburg founder Levi Scott in a pensive moment.
During the Cayuse Wars of 1847-55, Scott was commissioned a captain of militia and was responsible for maintaining communications between Oregon’s provisional government and that of California, which became a state in 1850. Scott lived briefly in 1848 along Elk Creek in what became known as Scotts Valley, then laid out and settled in Scottsburg, where, according to Oregon Geographic Names, a post office was established in 1851. It remains unclear whether Scotts Valley was named for Levi Scott or his sons, John and W.J., who took donation land claims in the valley. Scott Mountain, a 4,250-foot point on the North Umpqua west of Glide, is also named for Levi Scott. It should not be confused, however, with Scott Mountain in Lane County, whose namesake was unrelated to Levi Scott. Also named for Levi Scott is 8,938foot Mount Scott east of Crater Lake in Klamath County and one of the Cascades’ major peaks. Scott went on to be elected to the Oregon Territorial Legislature in 1852 and was later a delegate to the Oregon Constitutional Convention. He died in Malheur County in 1890 at age 93. Scottsburg, however, had a much shorter life as a center of commerce. After its initial success, the town declined as Gardiner and Reedsport grew and was virtually wiped out by a cataclysmic flood in December 1861. The community never regained its prominence.
WINCHESTER Once briefly the seat of Douglas County, unincorporated Winchester’s history goes back to 1850, when it was founded by members of the Umpqua Exploring Expedition, a chartered group
that sailed from San Francisco in July of that year. As detailed in the December 1916 issue of Oregon Historical Quarterly, the party first reached the mouth of the Rogue River, where it encountered hostile natives, then continued north to the mouth of the Umpqua. It established a settlement there — present-day Winchester Bay — but continued upriver to Scottsburg, at the head of the Umpqua’s tidewater. Unable to go further in its schooner, the expedition pushed on in small boats and reached Fort Umpqua, a Hudson’s Bay Co. trading post near the confluence of the river and Elk Creek. There, the party laid out and surveyed a townsite they named Elkton. The expedition then divided into two groups, one of which explored Elk Creek while the other continued up the Umpqua to a spot where the river’s north fork bisected the Oregon-California Road and a ferry had been established. Another townsite was surveyed and, according to Oregon Geographic Names, was named after Heman Winchester, the party’s leader — although other sources say the town’s namesake might be John Winchester, Heman’s younger brother who was also in the party. Regardless, the groups reunited and sailed back to San Francisco, where they recruited about a hundred settlers for a return trip to the Umpqua Valley in the fall of 1850. For a short time, Winchester was Douglas County’s most populous settlement and was designated the county seat. It was soon eclipsed, however, by Roseburg — five miles south. In an election conducted in 1854, voters chose the latter city as the permanent county seat — although it took until 1860 to complete the move.
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CULTURE
"You should write because you love the shape of stories and sentences and the creation of different words on a page.” — Annie Proulx, American novelist
ENCOURAGING WORDS From aspiring authors to those already published, practitioners of the written word find a helpful and supportive sounding board in a local writers’ association. Story by Sarah Smith Photos by Robin Loznak
Local author Janet Fisher says An Association of Writers is an important source of feedback and encouragement.
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I
t's never been a better time to be a writer — and to see your writing skills.” name as a byline. One support for AAW members is the Read and Critique (R&C) at With free platforms like Lulu and CreateSpace (an adjunct alternate meetings. Members have the opportunity to read their of Amazon) popping up all over the Internet, writers have the work aloud in a small-group setting and receive feedback. freedom to self-publish. AAW member Emily Blakely compares R&C to an open mic event
But writing is a craft that must be developed through deliberate for musicians. practice and study. Many modern writers join literary “The writer states what feedback they want,” she says. “One person communities that connect them with other writers as well as with reads the piece while others note suggestions/corrections on the industry professionals. In addition, writers’ associations advocate copy they each have, then feedback is shared with the group.” for their members and promote industry standards. Janet Fisher, a local author and longtime association member, While some are small and cater only to regional groups or specific says R&C is more about sharing than criticism. Feedback is genres (for example, Historical Writers of America or the Society of an essential part of the writing process, she says. A Doubleday Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators), others are international. editor once told her, “If you get a negative response, large or Gone are the days of the lonely, reclusive writer. The same small, keep it in mind. If you get two responses that say the way other industries have guilds and societies to further their same thing, consider making changes. If you get three, you'd professions, authors join writers’ associations to connect, better make a change.” access resources and help their careers. However, Fisher adds, “Sometimes there's a difference in opinion. Merriam-Webster defines a "group" as a number of individuals You won't please everybody. Critiquing is very subjective.” assembled together that have some unifying relationship, mutual Beyond AAW’s providing of constructive feedback, help and influence, common feeling of camaraderie, or who work together support, Fisher appreciates the camaraderie. to achieve a common goal. “The AAW writers’ group has been a wonderful source of support That’s exactly the definition of An Association of Writers, a and encouragement,” she says. “When I launched my second book group of local storytellers who meet monthly at Roseburg’s First in Elkton, near my home, eight people from this Roseburg group Presbyterian Church. surprised me by driving out to my launch party to share this Founded in 1992 as an offshoot of Umpqua Community College milestone with me. I was thrilled to see them.” writing classes, AAW has 34 members and welcomes writers of Connect with them on Facebook: all genres. AAW’s mission is to “encourage high-quality writing facebook.com/RoseburgWriters/?fref=ts by our members, to offer help and support to those who wish to market their writing and to provide visiting experts to enhance
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PRESIDENT
Marilyn Kittelman Cutting Edge Real Estate 541-580-8988
Gail Azpeitia G. Stiles Realty 541-430-8474
Lisa Carter
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-670-9272
Patricia Cooper
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-580-1352
Carolyn Ferch Village Realty 541-863-3134
Mary Gilbert
Keller Williams Realty Umpqua Valley 541-371-5500
Brian Grubbs
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-430-3225
Diana Horlings
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-580-1880
VICE PRESIDENT
Tracy Grubbs
SECRETARY
Jodi Brecht
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-430-6212
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-670-2616
Julie Bancroft
Beverly Beier
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-680-1484
D’Ann Caylor
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-671-0775
Merlynn M. Cruz
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-430-2413
Diana Fletcher
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-784-8088
Jacob Gilman
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-580-1494
Tom Gulan
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-530-1687
Neil Hummel
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-673-4417
G. Stiles Realty 541-430-2556
Jerry Chartier
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-670-0321
Micah Davis
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-430-1258
Kathy Flowers
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-531-0225
Tom Gillespie
CENTURY 21 The Neil Company Real Estate 541-580-0190
Paul Haddock
Keller Williams Realty Umpqua Valley 541-430-4806
Linda Jacobson
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-680-0459
TREASURER
Kayla Wehe
Cutting Edge Real Estate 541-580-2376
Laura Blevins
Trueblood Real Estate 541-863-5777
Mike Chartier
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-643-5678
Kerry Jo Edwards
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-430-5000
Kelly Forney
Jessie Allen
Hawks & Co., REALTORS 541637-8223
Carol Block
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-643-8852
Kathy Collins
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-580-6557
Bertha Egbert
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-784-8808
Ryan Fox
RE/MAX Professional Realty 541-580-7056
Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices Real Estate Professionals 541-643-2933
Veronica Gillespie
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There’s no shortage of highly livable, beautiful neighborhoods in Roseburg and Douglas County, but for nostalgia and a true sense of community, there’s nothing quite like the tight-knit enclave of Laurelwood. ide D
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In the era of the modern subdivision, the neighborhood is an anachronism. It’s a Leave-it-to-Beaver kind of place in a Modern-Family world, a tight-knit community where neighbors truly get to know each other.
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It’s hard not to. Built between 1921 and 1958, Laurelwood’s 90 unique homes — no two are alike — are close enough that a few residents even share driveways. With all homes blessed with plenty of mature trees and foliage, there’s no lack of privacy. But it’s also hard not to be neighborly.
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For those aspiring to live in the throwback neighborhood built around a park and bordered by Harvard, the South Umpqua River and Roseburg High School, there’s really only one way in as well — get lucky. Homes in Laurelwood don’t go up for sale often, and when they do they typically don’t last long.
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u e into Roseburg’s Laurelwood here’s only onee nway neighborhood— turn north off Harvard Avenue onto Madrone, proceed one block and there you are.
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Then again, you don’t move into Laurelwood if you don’t want to be neighborly, says former resident Jacie Pratt, who from 1961 to 2014 lived in the stately brick home built by Roseburg legend Doc Stewart at the north end of Laurelwood Park. “Over the years, we’ve had a few people move in who thought they were going to just close their doors and keep to themselves, but we weren’t having any of that,” Pratt says, only somewhat kiddingly. There’s no shortage of highly livable neighborhoods throughout Douglas County, and Laurelwood residents aren’t claiming superiority over any of them. But they aren’t shy about sharing their belief they live in a special place.
Pratt carried on that tradition for nearly 25 years — or until the neighborhood had been depleted of qualifying kids — at which point she started opening the Pratt household to her neighbors each year for a holiday season breakfast. Then there’s Halloween, when the population of Laurelwood grows exponentially with children and parents from other parts of Roseburg that aren’t as trick-or-treat friendly. On a typical Halloween night, it’s not unusual for homeowners to see between 200 and 300 kids.
But the event that started it all, back in 1968, was the Fourth of July parade and picnic. That was another Pratt brainstorm, designed to keep her soon-to-be third-grade After all, what other neighborhood just celebrated the daughter and her best friend busy during the summer. 50th anniversary of its own Fourth of July parade? “I told myself, ‘You are either going to give those two For that matter, who else lives in a neighborhood something to do or they are going to drive everybody in the that has a long-running special event attached to just neighborhood nuts,’” Pratt remembers. about every holiday? So a parade was planned, with a picnic to follow. A
And for certain, no other neighborhood anywhere can grand marshal was named and a theme announced, call itself the birthplace of the first Metallica Fan and neighbors were encouraged to dress to match it. Club. In the early ’80s, K.J. Doughton started and ran Kids rode bikes and tricycles around the neighborhood, the club from the basement of his parents’ (Kerwin alongside parents and pets. and Marilyn) home on Riverside Drive. (Doughton “That first Fourth of July, some sort of politician lived later authored Metallica Unbound, the first book ever in our neighborhood, and when we asked him to speak written about the band.) at the picnic, he gave an actual political speech,” Pratt Pratt was either responsible for, or played a large role remembers, laughing. in, establishing many of Laurelwood’s long-running Another neighbor provided entertainment by playing celebrations — the Easter egg hunts in the park; the back-to- spoons, and yet another sang a song. “She had a beautiful school gatherings; the neighborhood Christmas caroling; the voice,” Pratt remembers, “but as I remember it, the song Santa Bread baking. she sang was slightly ribald.” The latter was all Pratt. Every Christmas, she’d bake Santashaped breads and deliver them in the darkness of dawn to every Laurelwood family with a child younger than kindergarten age. One year she baked 23 of them.
Each year, the parade would take on a life of its own. There have been horses and bands composed of neighbor kids, and when there weren’t enough instrument-playing kids, a neighbor with a boom box would pick up the slack.
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Nine current Laurelwood residents lived in the neighborhood as children and have moved back into the homes in which they grew up.
“At its peak, there were probably 50 or 60 year built and history of ownership. people in the parade,” says JoAnne Nelson, “The website is really the essence of Laurelwood,” who grew up in Laurelwood and returned as Hunter says. “It’s a way for neighbors and former an adult to raise a family with her husband, neighbors to keep in touch with each other. Tom. The Nelsons bought a house directly When kids head off to school or people move across from the home JoAnne grew up in and away, they have a way to check back and see where her parents still lived. what’s happening in their neighborhood.” “One Thursday afternoon my mom called and According to Hunter, nine current Laurelwood said, ‘Our neighbor, Johanna, is putting her residents lived in the neighborhood as house up for sale,’” Nelson remembers. “I rushed children and have moved back into the homes over there and knocked on Johanna’s door. She in which they grew up. Four others who grew answered and said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you.’” up in the neighborhood have moved back into
The Nelsons weren’t even planning to move, different houses. Nelson adds. “We just couldn’t pass up the “What does that say about this neighborhood?” opportunity.” Hunter asks rhetorically. Nelson is one of many Laurelwood residents Roseburg artist Lisa Joyce-Hill, a resident who grew up in the area and later returned since 1985, lives just a few houses away from to live there, says 36-year resident Doug her daughter, Lucia Meyer, who grew up Hunter, the neighborhood’s unofficial in Laurelwood and just moved back a few historian. After retiring from an 18-year months ago. career with Douglas County, Hunter took on the task of developing a website to chronicle Joyce-Hill recalls one her favorite neighborhood traditions, Laurelwood After life and history in the neighborhood. Five on Friday, or LAFF. Now a bring-yourHe launched the site in 2001, and has since own-dish-and-drink affair held at whichever developed a near-encyclopedic knowledge of neighbor feels inclined to play host, the all-things and all-people Laurelwood, gained event started as something more than an from years of documenting through words and opportunity to socialize. photographs the multitude of neighborhood events, celebrations, birthdays, graduations, Pratt tells the story of an elderly neighbor who civic appointments, achievements, movings in leaned over to pick up the newspaper on his porch, lost his balance and fell into a bush. He and out and births and deaths. broke his arm and lay there until the paperboy The site even serves as a registry for each discovered him a full day later. Laurelwood home, listing the architectural style,
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Butch Aller shows his respect as the 50th version of the neighborhood Fourth of July Parade passes. Others cheering on the festivities are (from left) Judy Robertson, Jo Van Krevelen, Marilyn Aller and JoAnne Nelson.
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CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The Mark and Heather Kehoe family. Lisa Joyce-Hill. Lisa and Doug Hunter.
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Former, and long-time, resident Jacie Pratt is credited with starting many of the enduring traditions for which the Laurelwood neighborhood is famous.
Determined to never let something similar happen again, Pratt others planned a gathering to which residents were asked to W Chapman and Avenue bring an elderly neighbor whom they would “adopt� and watch over. That turned into a neighborhood party that was held every Friday W Chap without fail for 15 to 20 years, Pratt says. man
remembers her childhood in Laurelwood as “like growing up in a ’50s sitcom� and in many ways it still is. The strong sense of community and of people making meaningful connections with each other have certainly withstood the test of time.
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It didn’t take long for Heather Kehoe, who took on the job of coordinating this year’s 50th Fourth of July event, to experience that herself.
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LAFFs continue to this day, though they’ve become more of a monthly event.
“They say walking is the best way to relieve labor pains and get the baby out, so I took a walk around the neighborhood,� Kehoe remembers. “I met several members that day, and I knew this was the place for me.�
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Butch and Marilyn Aller moved to Laurelwood in 1982 after he earned his law degree from the University of Oregon. “We lucked out,� Marilyn says. “We knew somebody who was moving out.�
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She and her husband, Mark, wound up in Laurelwood the same way most other residents have — by being in the right place at the right time. Three weeks away from the date their first child was due, the Kehoes suddenly found themselves in the position of having to find a new place to rent. They found one in Laurelwood, and six days later Heather went into labor.
Five months later, the owners of the house the Kehoes had been eyeing since discovering Laurelwood asked if they were interested in buying it. That’s the classic Laurelwood story. Easy to get to. Not so easy to get into. Nearly impossible to leave.
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The Allers’ daughter, Beaverton resident Ursula Berliner,
They’re the second owners of their home. They bought it from the manager of the local J.C. Penney, “Butch� Elliott. “There’s always been a Butch in this house,� Butch Aller says. “We don’t plan to sell any time soon, but if we do it will be a requirement that the buyer either be named Butch or be willing to call himself Butch.�
Joyce-Hill is responsible for starting her own long-running Laurelwood tradition. For 20 years, she has opened up her backyard garden to the public for an art exhibit. “It has been a delight to W Lilburn Avenue have the community come to my garden over the years,� she says. “A number of people return each year, a few of whom have been visiting since my very first Art in the Garden.�
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His companies have done work for clients ranging from Vegas casinos and Disney to Winston Community Center and Reustle Winery, and that may not even be the most interesting part of Tom Pappas’ story. Story by Dick Baltus Photos by Thomas Boyd
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omebody oughta make a movie about this guy.
Seriously, you sit down across the poker table from Tom Pappas in his mini-casino of a man cave high atop the highest hill in Winston, all set to converse about his work for the likes of Disney and Caesar’s Palace and the local YMCA, etc., etc., and the first sentence out of his mouth has him wrestling a bear at age 6. Wait, what? Suddenly the line of questioning has turned, and though it becomes pretty clear, pretty quickly that Pappas, old school as a chalkboard and dry as an eraser, doesn’t relish talking about himself, you keep egging him on because, come on, if this conversation starts with bear wrestling, who knows what other plot twists lie ahead? So you probe, and Pappas responds, telling the short version of a long life story that, besides the bear, includes a cast of characters from Andy Griffith to Elvis and a list of activities from commune living to racing motorcycles, dragsters and horses.
And now you’re thinking about how you’d cast this movie that needs to get made, and already it’s clear this can’t be some modern day, high-def production with Tom Cruise doing his own stunts. This has to be a throwback Quentin Tarantino deal, “In Technicolor,” and you have to reach back in time and cast Ron Howard’s little brother as the bear wrestler (stay tuned, there’s a good reason for that) and maybe the young Lee Marvin as the “racer of things.” You’ll figure out who plays the mature guy working on the Cheesecake Factories once you steer Pappas toward that part of the story. If you do. And you probably will. You’d better, you keep reminding yourself. Remember, that’s why you’re here. But really, who responds to a guy saying he wrestled a bear with something like, “Super, but what about the plastering thing?”
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he bear’s name was Victor, and he was owned by Tuffy Truesdale, whose name alone might be worthy of its own movie. Pappas’ dad was a plasterer by trade, but also a former Olympiccaliber wrestler who spent time grappling professionally as the “Masked Marvel.”
This is back in the early ’60s, when the Pappas family was living in Southern California. Dad had lots of connections in the Los Angeles area, including Truesdale and his docile bear, who took a liking to young Tom. Before long, the 7-year-old Pappas was traveling with his dad and Victor to local schools, car dealerships, movie sets and other locations for wrestling exhibitions. One thin dollar got you a chance to wrestle a bear. “Victor had to pin you in order to get a treat, and I gave him the treats,” Pappas remembers. “They didn’t feed him a lot, so he liked me because I’d feed him when nobody was looking.”
“I couldn’t act,” Pappas says. Sometimes it pays to know the right bear.
LEFT: Part of Pappas’ collection of wheels.
Who knows how Pappas’ life might have changed had he wound up in the starring role of Gentle Giant? Before filming finished, Pappas’ dad packed up the family and moved to Oregon. Howard’s younger brother, Clint, took over for Pappas and later would reprise the role in a TV series called Gentle Ben.
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rom age 8, Pappas grew up on the Christian commune his dad opened in Quines Creek.
Pappas was hospitalized for 15 days following yet another crash, losing 65 pounds in the process. “I’m lucky to be alive,” he says.
Fame came calling for Victor in the form of a movie deal, and since Pappas was his buddy, he also earned an audition for a starring role in a production called Gentle Giant. He got the part, much to his surprise.
Pappas used molds created for clients (other than Disney) in features of his own home, including the covered driveway (above left), entertainment room (middle left) and pool. The recessed area above the chandelier can be seen at Bellagio. The chandelier can be seen at Target. “The producer of this Million Dollar Rooms show asked me how much I paid for that. I told her $50. That wasn’t the answer she wanted to hear,” he says.
mind?’ He didn’t get 50 feet with me before Victor tackled him.”
“It was basically a rehab facility,” says Pappas, who still owns the property, which is used by a program he supports that helps children with autism. “At one point, there were 200 people there. I remember actors like Michael Constantine and David Soul coming up just to get away. I grew up meeting a lot of interesting people.” His dad was teaching him to plaster, and by age 13 he had become “pretty good.”
At 16, he became the youngest journeyman plasterer around and during summers would travel to L.A. and work on houses. Pappas didn’t plan to plaster all of his life. He’d always been a Disney fan, and his goal was to someday “work for the mouse.” On one trip back to L.A., he met a contractor doing work at Disneyland in Anaheim. One day Pappas showed up at the entrance to the park, walked in with the rest of the contractor’s team, and went to work.
In those days, studios would film several productions adjacent to one another, and Pappas remembers watching Julie Andrews come down “They didn’t know who I was, and I didn’t get paid,” the chimney as Mary Poppins and meeting stars he says. “But I wound up working there for a like Ken Curtis, who played Festus on Gunsmoke, couple weeks, carving rocks and wood.” and Andy Griffith, whose TV son, future director Around the same time he was sneaking into theme Ron Howard, wound up befriending him. parks to work for free, Pappas started turning his “Both Andy and Ron helped me out a lot,” Pappas passion for motorcycle racing into a professional remembers. “Ron and I had the same acting tutor, pursuit. He turned pro at 16 and wound up his first so he kind of showed me the ropes.” year as one of the top 10 novice racers nationwide. One day, the production moved to the beach, If he was gifted at one thing, he says, motorcycle where another movie was being filmed. Curious racing was it. “I think it was because I didn’t know to see a bear on a Southern California beach, the what fear was.” movie’s star, a young guy named Elvis Presley, wandered over and struck up a conversation He’d eventually learn when a bad crash sent him to the hospital. He was banged up bad, but would with Pappas. recover and get back to racing. But he crashed “Elvis said, ‘If I put you on my shoulders and take again in five of his first six races back, all at speeds off, is that bear going to attack me?’” Pappas over 60 mph. says. “I told him, ‘Oh yeah.’ Elvis says, ‘Do you
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“It was because of the fear,” he says. Pappas kept battling it, ultimately deciding to change to what he saw as a less-dangerous racing classification. On the night of his first race he told a friend pushing him out onto the track that he no longer felt afraid. “Six days later I woke up in UCLA hospital,” he says. Pappas was hospitalized for 15 days following yet another crash, losing 65 pounds in the process. “I’m lucky to be alive,” he says.
During his travels for work, Pappas had befriended a man who had owned and sold a company called DMI, which had contracts with Disney. “I asked my friend if he thought the guy who bought his company would sell
UV . FALL 2018
Pappas has been living his dream ever since. Over the last 20 years, his company, still called DMI (Victory Builders continues to do work locally) has worked for most of the Disney parks around the world. DMI has cast molds of most the Disney characters, from Mickey to Minions, and has done exterior work for attractions ranging from the Tower of Terror and Guardians of the Galaxy to Star Wars and The Incredibles.
Pappas’ work can be found up and down the Las Vegas Strip as well, from Bellagio’s registration lobby to poolside at Ceasar’s Palace.
In 1994, Pappas’ dream of working for the mouse became reality. A decade earlier, his concrete, masonry and framing company, Victory Builders, had landed its first large job, building the new Garden Valley Mall in Roseburg. Walmart was soon calling, and more large commercial jobs followed.
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it to me,” Pappas says. “He said, ‘He’s kind of ornery, but I think he’d sell it if he likes you.’”
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DMI’s work can be found up and down the Las Vegas Strip as well, from Bellagio’s registration lobby to poolside at Ceasar’s Palace. And Pappas’ company has played a major role in every Cheesecake Factory ever built.
ou look around Pappas’ man cave and beautiful home and see replicas of his work for Vegas casinos and other projects all around. The dome in the cave replicates one in Bellagio. The gazebo by the has-to-be-seen-to-bebelieved pool is the same as the one at Caesar’s. He gets
to keep and repurpose all the molds DMI makes other than those for Disney. The Pappas spread is all impressive enough to have attracted film crews from TV shows Million Dollar Rooms and MTV Teen Cribs. Down the hill and out in Douglas County communities, there are many other signs of Pappas’ work. The cave at Reustle Winery. The current Roseburg YMCA remodel. The Winston Community Center, whose volunteer organizers praised Pappas for just about everything, from his motives to his efforts to keep the project under budget. “He wanted the job so his employees would be able to work in Douglas County near their families, rather than have to travel out of town,” says one volunteer, Janet Morse. “He always adds something extra to any project. We were grateful to receive a custom-painted ceiling in the exterior entrance, which features a beautiful, cascading waterfall and other hidden objects. It’s not only beautiful but it’s fun!” Back in the man cave, you’re starting to think about that screenplay, trying to figure out where you put the drag racing, which Pappas got into for a while around 2004 and was promptly named the National Hot Rod Association’s rookie of the year. And the horse racing. That happened while he was working on a project at the Santa Anita track in Southern California.
you just hook me up with a trainer and a horse,’” Pappas says. Now he has two. Gary Stevens, the famed jockey who rode in the 2003 movie Seabiscuit, rode for Pappas for a while. Of course he did. There’s also got to be a lot more room in your movie for Pappas’ wife, Bonnie, whom he calls “the brains of the outfit” and whom you’re thinking is probably the angel of it too, given the motorcycle crashes, etc. They met in seventh grade, but “didn’t want anything to do with each other,” Pappas says. That changed the summer before their senior year. They married a year after graduating, almost 42 years ago. One son, Pete, runs Victory Builders; another, Nick, now heads DMI. A third, Jimmy, runs a local excavation company, and their daughter and son-in-law, Jennifer and David, run a fishing resort in Alaska. Now you’re thinking maybe this can’t be just one movie. There’s a whole lot of ground to cover. Maybe there’s a sequel. Maybe it’s a trilogy, given Pappas shows no signs of slowing down. Shoot, for all you know, he’s just getting started.
“By the third or fourth change order I said to the guy, ‘Why don’t OPPOSITE PAGE: One of the many DMI creations that can be found at Pappas’ home. BELOW: Pappas and wife, Bonnie, the “brains of the outfit.” He did much of the work on the Oregon Veterans Memorial Wall on Walnut Street, including the battleship water feature.
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741 SE Jackson, 1905 Roseburg Elks Lodge The Antlers Theater (later renamed The Indian Theater) was one of two original Elks buildings. It is said that the basement passageway between two buildings (now closed off ) was used to access the theater from the main lodge, which explains the old movie poster remnant on the wall. In 1969 the theater was destroyed by fire. 50 50
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Photographer Kevin Eckerman goes subterranean with his camera and brings back to the surface some of Roseburg’s hidden history. Story and photos by Kevin Eckerman
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am stuck in the ‘80s. From my Vans to my Van Halen T-shirt to my habit of still skateboarding pools, I am stuck in the ‘80s.
With the return of long boards, LPs, Vans and more, the decade that I love still has a heartbeat. I’d like to think that I, along with other back harkers, have helped keep the ’80s on life support while waiting, hopefully if not realistically, for the decade’s return.
While I wait, I have embarked on a mission to take others back with me to the ’80s – this time the 1880s. Being in the construction industry for one score and eight years now has afforded me the rare opportunity to access the attics, basements and crawl spaces of countless homes and businesses throughout the area. It’s amazing what I have found. Hidden gems. Buried treasures. Remnants of history. Through images captured on my trusty Canon T7i, and after hours spent crawling above and below the historic downtown Roseburg district, I hope to breathe some life back into the 1880s and early 1900s in our community.
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663 SE Jackson. 1909 Masonic Grand Lodge Lodge books still remain in an abandoned vault in the lodge’s sub-basement.
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603 SE Jackson, 1958 Then: Umpqua Savings and Loan Now: AHM Brands, UV Magazine, Big Wrench Media Ornate, turn-of-the-century mechanical covers on the back of a vault door.
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823 SE Lane, 1909 First Presbyterian Church View from the inside of the north tower.
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05 Photo Caption: Suspendisse nisl. Et harum quidem rerum facilis est et expedita distinctio. Aliquam erat a. Mauris dictum facilisis auguturpis at pulvinar vulputate, erat libero tristiqu
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741 SE Jackson Steel fire doors photographed from inside the basement furnace room of the Elk’s Lodge.
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663 SE Jackson Ledger prepared by David Bushey, a farmer who was elected to the House of Representatives in 1872 and nominated in 1873 by President Ulysses S. Grant to be Collector of Customs in the Southern District of Oregon.
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603 SE Jackson
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Vault dial found in the basement of the former Umpqua Savings and Loan.
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526 SE Jackson Then: Wilder & Agee Clothing Store Now: Brown’s Shoe Fit An old shoe that survived a crawl space fire.
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549 SE Jackson Then and now: Roseburg Book and Stationery Writing fluid in upper level storage room.
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SETTLING IN / BLUE ZONES
SETTLING IN Dr. Mark Donovan has gone from a career in semiconductors to one as a general surgeon and from Northern California to the Middle East to Alaska and now Roseburg, where he plans to stay for a long while. Story by Jim Hays Photos by Tristin Godsey
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Dr. Mark Donovan and his new partner Dr. Brent Soder.
t was a whirlwind summer for Dr. Mark Donovan, a general Army medical corps. surgeon who joined Centennial Medical Group in July. Donovan, He was deployed twice as a combat surgeon, once to Afghanistan in his wife, Jessica, and their 13-month-old son, Brooks, moved to 2015, then to Syria in spring 2017. Roseburg from Fairbanks, Alaska, where Donovan finished a “The first time you’re deployed, it seems very exciting and an four-year hitch in the Army at nearby Fort Wainwright. adventure,” he says. “But after that, it becomes tough to be away that They found a small apartment near Mercy Medical Center upon long, especially with a family.” arrival, then moved again to a rental house Donovan’s son was born while he was in in the hills on Roseburg’s east side. Kuwait awaiting a flight home; he learned “THE FIRST TIME YOU’RE “I think we still have more things in boxes of it in a text message from Jessica. than out of boxes,” he says. DEPLOYED, IT SEEMS When he decided to leave the Army, But with his family at home and a Donovan says he wasn’t sure where he VERY EXCITING AND AN 10-minute commute to his job at CMG, and his young family would be going. Donovan is starting to settle in. They decided against returning to ADVENTURE. BUT AFTER “We’re happy to be here and we’re looking California, but wanted to stay on the West THAT, IT BECOMES TOUGH forward to exploring the area and getting Coast. Oregon seemed the perfect choice, to know the people and activities,” he says. and it just so happened CMG was looking TO BE AWAY THAT LONG, for another surgeon to join the group. A native of Northern California, Donovan’s medical career has been anything but “I’d made a few contacts in the community ESPECIALLY WITH A FAMILY.” typical. For one thing, not many surgeons —Dr. Mark Donovan and found out about the position,” he says. first earn a degree in materials science “We came down in here in November of and engineering at the University of last year, met everyone at CMG, talked to California in Berkeley, then work with everyone and decided to accept it.” semiconductors for two years in Silicon Valley. But Donovan was Donovan enjoys being a general surgeon and sees Douglas County as attracted to the medical profession and decided to return to school. a good place to practice.
“I wasn’t on the pre-med track in college,” he says. “So I had to take life science courses to prepare for medical school.”
He earned his medical degree at Albany Medical College, a private school in New York’s capital city, did his surgical training and residency in Santa Barbara, where he met Jessica, then joined the
“I like general surgery because it encompasses the whole person,” he says. “In a bigger city, you don’t find true general surgeons. (Roseburg) is a good place for it because there are a lot of people who need surgery and shouldn’t have to go out of town.” HOMECOMING
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Robotic Assisted Surgery Extending the possibilities of human hands at CHI Mercy Health
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Robotic surgery offers more precision & quicker recovery.
At CHI Mercy Health, the future of surgery is here.
www.chimercyhealth.com
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TEACHING HEALTHIER HABITS Blue Zones Project – Umpqua is working with area schools to help create a healthier environment in the setting where kids spend much of their childhood. Story by Juliete Palenshus
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t’s never too late to consider one’s health and overall well being. It’s also never too early.
That’s why, when working to make the Umpqua Valley a place where all residents can live longer and better, the communityled well-being initiative, Blue Zones Project-Umpqua, has a Schools Committee focused on supporting and improving well-being efforts in our schools.
A 2017 Blue Zones Project “discovery” process identified several goals in creating healthy social and environmental changes in schools for all kids. The goals were developed with the help of community input, evidence-based best practices from around the country and local leadership. Priorities for 2018 include decreasing food waste in schools and increasing consumption of fruits and vegetables by conducting food waste studies at four local schools — JoLane Middle School and Sunnyslope and Eastwood elementary schools in Roseburg and Tri City Elementary School in Myrtle Creek. These and other objectives will complement existing community well-being improvement efforts, such as requiring kids to be physically active for 50 percent of their P.E. class time; restricting vending machine access during school hours and limiting unhealthy food and beverage advertising on school property. As stated in the school wellness policy adopted by the Douglas County District 4 board, the Roseburg School District is “committed to the optimal development of every student and believes that a positive, safe and health-promoting learning environment is necessary for students to have the opportunity to achieve personal, academic, developmental and social success.”
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THANKS TO THE SCHOOLS COMMITTEE, HEALTHY KIDS OUTREACH PROGRAM AND OSU EXTENSION, PROGRESS HAS BEEN MADE IN MAKING HEALTHY CHOICES EASIER WITHIN SCHOOLS.
Blue Zones Project efforts in the school sector are led by Trina Gwaltney of Mercy Foundation’s Healthy Kids Outreach Program, and Analicia Nicholson, assistant superintendent of Douglas Education Service District. Michael Lasher, Douglas ESD superintendent, serves on the Blue Zones Project-Umpqua Steering Committee and has provided pivotal direction and leadership for the schools committee as well. Thanks to the Schools Committee, in collaboration with Healthy Kids and OSU Extension, progress has been made in making healthy choices easier within schools. The committee is helping form and support wellness committees in all schools, offering purpose workshops for high school students and making celebrations healthier in elementary schools. In addition, the committee is helping elementary schools achieve a state mandate of 150 minutes per week of physical activity and supporting the installation of school gardens through the Umpqua Community Veg Education Group’s Kitchen Garden Project. In collaboration with the Blue Zones Project Built Environment Committee and Roseburg and Douglas County governments, efforts are under way to create safe routes to school for Green and Eastwood elementary schools. Because children learn, eat, play and develop lifelong habits at school, local schools play a key role in Blue Zones Project by creating an environment that teaches healthy lifestyle choices. Through strong local leadership and dedicated committee members, improvements will optimize school environments to better promote physical, social and emotional health. Juliete Palenshus is engagement lead for Blue Zones Project-Umpqua. Look for Blue Zones Project-Umpqua on social media, or email bluezonesprojectumpqua@sharecare.com, to learn more. For more information about the national Blue Zones Project, visit bluezonesproject.com. HOMECOMING
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THE MAKING OF A LOCAL LEGEND / SAFE HAVEN HORSES / DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES
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t’s a typical August day in the Umpqua Valley, which is to say it’s plenty warm. But Abby Broughton has irrigation pipes to move on his 20 acres of land in Roseburg, and they sure aren’t moving themselves. So the 81-year-old is out in the heat moving them himself.
Broughton certainly is no stranger to hard work. It’s a strong work ethic and a series of smart decisions that helped Broughton and his partner, Bob Harrell, build the pizza restaurant they co-founded — and which bears Broughton’s name — into the successful and “legendary” chain it is today. “We worked 24/7 back then,” Broughton says, reflecting back on 1964 when the first Abby’s Legendary Pizza outlet opened on Stephens Street in Roseburg. “Every nickel we owned went into the place. Even some money we didn’t own. We worked hard to make sure it worked. And it did.” Abby’s had a rather humble beginning at a local Shakey’s Pizza Parlor. Childhood friends Bob, known as “Skinny” by his friends, and Albert, or “Abby,” were working together at the restaurant chain. “We worked full time for them before we went out on our own,” Broughton says. “The only reason we left Shakey’s is because they didn’t do things they said they would do for us.” Those things were pay raises to go along with the young men’s newfound titles and everincreasing importance in the company. The first Abby’s staff consisted of Broughton, Harrell, and their wives, Connie and Loretta. The four grew up together in Riddle, and all but Loretta Harrell, who was one year younger, graduated in the same high school class. “Abby and I were childhood sweethearts,” says Connie. “Growing up I worked as a waitress at the Old Sportsman café in Riddle and Abby worked at the local grocery store.” The sweethearts became husband and wife at age 18 and recently celebrated 62 years of marriage.
THE MAKING OF A LOCAL LEGEND How four kids from Riddle built Abby’s into an iconic chain of ‘legendary’ pizza restaurants. Story by Doug Pederson Photo by Thomas Boyd 62
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When the Broughtons and Harrells became restaurant owners, Connie says coming up with a name didn’t require a lot of thinking. “’Abby’s’ made sense. We didn’t think it would work if we called it ‘Skinny’s Pizza,’” she says, chuckling. Abby’s grew quickly in Roseburg. Before long, a second restaurant was planned for Grants Pass. Harrell led the expansion, moving his family to Medford. The Abby’s team never envisioned growing much further, but that changed in a hurry. “All of a sudden, people wanted us to open a restaurant in their town,” Broughton recalls. “We woke up one day with 24 stores.” As operations expanded, the Abby’s team bought the land under each new restaurant, ensuring that in the event a restaurant didn’t work, they
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would have equity in the property. That strategy ultimately caught the attention of a like-minded businessman named Mills Sinclair, who was looking for a successful, well-loved chain of restaurants.
Connie and Abby Broughton. BELOW: Over the years, Abby’s has provided a reliable source of income for thousands of employees.
“Mills came long in 1987 and wanted the stores more than we did,” Broughton says with a laugh. “He bought (the operation) in 1988, and has been absolutely great to us and everyone at Abby’s.” Along with the sale, the four who started the legend were given special free-pizza-for-life cards. Sinclair saw Abby’s as more than a restaurant that made a great product. “Abby’s is about values,” he says. “It’s about taking care of people who work hard. That will never change.” Over the years, Sinclair has been reminded over and over again that he made the right decision. “I’ll be wearing an Abby’s shirt and people will tell me about their experiences there. They’ll tell me how much they love Abby’s,” he says. “I’ve met people all over the world who either grew up with Abby’s or recently experienced it.” Employees like Randy Riche and Keith Kathol have always played a significant role in Abby’s success. Both men started as hourly dishwashers. Forty years later, Riche manages the Winston location. Forty-five years into his Abby’s career, Kathol manages a district that includes everything from Grants Pass to Medford and Klamath Falls. “Back in the day, a pitcher of beer at Abby’s cost 85 cents,” Kathol recalls. “You had a choice between Blitz and Blitz Dark. A giant combination pizza would cost you a whole five bucks.” Kathol remembers times when Abby’s would pack in patrons from four in the afternoon until two in the morning with customers gladly waiting for a table if that was required. Riche started working at Abby’s when he was 17. “I was working as a dishwasher when Abby came in, saw my long hair, and said I’d never last a week,” he says. “I’m so glad he was wrong,” Today, under Sinclair’s guidance, Abby’s growth is continuing, with more restaurants opening soon. “We’re just continuing what Abby and Skinny started,” the current owner says. While Sinclair continues to build the Abby’s brand, the originators of the Abby’s legend are staying busy in their respective hometowns — Roseburg for the Broughtons, and Medford for the Harrells. The couples visit each other often, and have an annual can’t-miss date in the Abby’s Invitational Golf Tournament at Roseburg Country Club, itself a legendary event in the area. “We’ve been doing the invitational for decades,” Connie Broughton says. “One year, the grand prize for a hole-in-one was an airplane. We had it land on the fairway. That was a fun moment.” It was just one of many fun and memorable moments in the lives of the founders of one of the most popular chains of pizza restaurants in the Pacific Northwest. Put them all together and you’ve got something that is truly legendary. HOMECOMING
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“This is the last home these animals are ever going to have and we are determined to make it the best one.”
—Jennifer Kunz
SAFE HAVEN FOR HORSES Duchess Sanctuary near Oakland is home to 196 animals, most rescued from abuse and neglect. Story by Bentley Gilbert Photos by Tristin Godsey
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rom the gate of Duchess Sanctuary, in the hills east of Oakland, a visitor can look out at the lush pastures and fencing that cover much of the sanctuary’s 1,120 acres.
The acreage is home to a herd of 196 horses and donkeys rescued from abuse and neglect. Here they will live out their lives in a spacious natural environment with food and veterinary care.
Duchess Sanctuary is operated by nonprofit Fund for Animals in partnership with the Humane Society of the United States. It was made possible by a donation from the Ark Watch Foundation, which financed the purchase of the property, and continues to support operations.
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Duchess is among the largest animal sanctuaries in North America. But it had to undergo improvement during the last decade to achieve the quiet, pastoral setting its equine population inhabits today. The most visible of these is the miles of horse-safe fencing surrounding and bisecting the property. Workers had to remove more than 17 miles of barbed wire. In addition, a new water system was installed, roads built and upgraded, shelters erected in each of the pastures and enclosures, and a “Hospital Barn” built for treatment and care of horses with special needs. Animals of varying condition comprise the herd. The “big” herd of about 100 is made up of larger horses, such as draft animals or mares rescued from the Pregnant Mare Urine industry, which collects mares’ urine for sale to makers of hormone replacement therapy and related drugs. The “light” herd has about 40 animals from breeds including appaloosas, paints and quarter horses. The remaining horses fall into the special needs category. This includes elderly animals, those requiring daily medication, those with arthritis and foot problems from standing too long on hard floors, others needing a special diet and the blind or partially-blind. Besides the PMU rescues, the sanctuary is home to mustangs from
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Dutchess Sanctuary director Jennifer Kunz.
wild herds on public lands, and horses and donkeys rescued from feedlots and slaughter or other neglectful or abusive situations. Think of the photographs you may have seen of animals with toes curled up or standing alone, forlorn, unkempt and with their ribs visible from lack of food. Workers at Duchess Sanctuary rehabilitate the animals and allow them to live out their days in safe, open spaces with room to run. The horses, in turn, seem relaxed and not alarmed by the presence of people or other horses. “They know this is a safe place,” says Jennifer Kunz, Duchess Sanctuary’s director, who has been “horse crazy” for as long as she can remember. “We leave interaction up to the horse. It’s their choice how much contact they prefer. Some take much longer to realize that humans can be trusted.” Taking care of rescued horses is what the Canadian has done from the time she studied equine science. She manages a staff of five and recruits and directs about 40 volunteers, who each year contribute hundreds of hours of labor.
been set for May 2019. Apart from the open-house events and scheduled volunteer shifts, entrance to Duchess Sanctuary is by appointment only. “Duchess Sanctuary exists first and foremost for the horses,” Kunz says. “It’s for their comfort.” It’s also why the sanctuary, which is near its 200-horse capacity, must resist the temptation to take “one more horse.” Housing more animals than the staff, volunteers and land can accommodate would produce overcrowding and reduce the level of care. Duchess Sanctuary does not allow its horses to be adopted. The oldest on the property are 30 years old. Almost 50 are older than 20. The average age is 17. “This is the last home these animals are ever going to have and we are determined to make it the best one,” says Kunz.
Duchess Sanctuary hosts three open houses annually for the public to view the sanctuary’s work and, of course, the horses. The remaining 2018 open house is scheduled for Dec. 15. Another has
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“HE BROUGHT DANCE AND CLASSICAL MUSIC INTO THE SOULS OF A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO NEEDED IT.” —Susan Chitwood
DANCING THROUGH THE DECADES In 1951, Ralph A. Patterson moved from Los Angeles to Roseburg, opened a dance studio and tapped into a culture that is still thriving today. Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Thomas Boyd Ralph M. and Diane Patterson have kept alive the dance studio his father started almost 70 years ago.
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Current studio instructors include (from left) Mezdulene, Sakari and Summer Frye. Watch for their stories in UV’s winter issue.
hrough these portals pass the most beautiful girls in the world.
So claimed the sign over the entrance to the grand lobby of the Earl Carroll Theatre on Los Angeles’ Sunset Boulevard. Porcelain-skinned women swathed in silks and chiffons made their entrance on the arms of the Who’s Who of Hollywood to relish the latest acts in the glamorous supper-club “entertainment palace.”
The dust of World War II had barely settled when a glittering new era dawned, and the lure of Hollywood attracted young men and women from across the country. Included in the migration was Ralph A. Patterson, a young ballet dancer from Oregon who had trained in Portland and San Francisco. At the apex of his career, Patterson pirouetted across the famously massive Earl Carroll stage, which included a double turntable, a staircase and swings adorned with gem-encrusted showgirls. By 1951, however, the theater’s heyday was over. Patterson, with a young family to support, ditched Hollywood and acquired an established dance studio in downtown Roseburg, With his wife and children in tow, he headed north to try his hand as an instructor and businessman in a small, rugged timber town worlds away from glittering L.A. Ralph Patterson’s Roseburg School of Dancing was a success. Throughout the following decades, thousands of children, teenagers and adults took classes from him in ballet, toe, tap, jazz and ballroom, many going on to establish successful dance careers. In the 1980s and 1990s, Kathryn Howard taught at the school before moving to open her own studio. Susan Chitwood, founder of Chitwood Studio of Dance, was a protegé of Patterson. She was in his first recital in 1951, and went on to become a teacher. “He brought dance and classical music into the souls of a lot of people who needed it,” she says. “And discipline. He taught
discipline very well.” Ralph M. Patterson, the son of Ralph A., spent many hours of his childhood in the studio, as did his twin sister and younger brother. As he grew up, he developed a passion for ballet and trained in San Francisco, as his father did. When Ralph A. died in 2001, Ralph M. decided to carry on his father’s legacy — but with a few changes. He had the studio’s rooms repainted in soothing colors, and focused on developing a clientele of more adults and senior citizens with an array of dance and fitness classes taught by independent instructors. Today the downtown studio, which sits on a quiet side street off the north end of Jackson Street, has become a hub for a wide variety of dance styles and instructors. After age 50, Ralph M. and his wife, Diane, became active in ballroom dancing and spent many years training in Portland. When he returned to Roseburg to run the studio, the couple began offering private lessons independently and through Umpqua Community College, as Ralph A. had done in the 1990s. But the studio continues. On any given day, people of all ages and body types can be seen coming in and going out of the studio. The original “Ralph Patterson’s Roseburg School of Dancing” sign still hangs outside, although the business has been renamed Roseburg Dance & Fitness Studios. The building’s facade may need a facelift, but what’s inside has never looked better. CONTACT Roseburg Dance & Fitness Studios 865 SE Court St. roseburgdanceandfitness@gmail.com 503-894-1560 Roseburgdancestudios.com
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AN AFTERNOON IN WINSTON / KEEPING THE RIVER WILD / STAR POWER
AN AFTERNOON IN WINSTON This is the first in an ongoing series where we spend a few hours exploring the smaller towns of Douglas County. Hidden gems abound in Winston; here are just a few. Story by Jennifer Grafiada Photos by Thomas Boyd
ALWAYS FREE SAFARI VILLAGE
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ost Douglas County residents are aware of, and have been to, the world-renowned Wildlife Safari. Becoming a member means supporting the safari’s conservation efforts and earns the right to drive through the park and enjoy its spectacular residents. If you are short on time or cash, however, just park the car and opt for the Always Free Safari Village, which offers sufficient fun to impress children of all ages as well as out-of-town guests.
Young cheetahs, flamingos, anteaters, wallabies and many other critters are there every day of the week. However, what you see will often depend on who is due for a feeding or afternoon nap, which means repeat trips are in order. Take a train ride for $5 per person (free for members), learn a bit more about the park denizens and get a chance at spotting the far-awayenough lions. A camel ride will cost you $10. There is also a playground for kids to burn off energy, a cafe with daily specials and a petting zoo where you can feed the friendly-to-a-fault goats.
The Details
Sept. 2 - Nov. 2: Daily, 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Nov. 8 - March 12: Daily 10 a.m. - 4 p.m. Address: 1790 Safari Road, Winston wildlifesafari.net/safari-village www.facebook.com/Wildlife.Safari.Oregon
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OUTDOORS
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BIG LICK FARMSTAND Suzanne and Asinete Porter relocated their naturally certified farm from Myrtle Creek to Winston in 2016, and today it is thriving. Any day of the week you can get fresh, naturally grown seasonal produce (along with specialty items such as honey, eggs and kombucha) at their picturesque on-site farmstand. Make sure to bring small bills as it operates on the honor system. Adjacent to the stand, a Little Free Library offers books for sharing. Keep your eye out for the “Welcome Brigade” (a gaggle of geese, plus a duck).
The Details
Mon-Sun, 7 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Address: 942 Winston Section Rd. (right after Brosi’s Sugartree Farms) biglickfarm.com facebook.com/Big-Lick-Farm
HARVEST STORE This little gem is celebrating its 25th year in business. Beermaking, soap-making and bee-keeping supplies are offered alongside a fantastic selection of ready-to-savor beers and wines. Non-alcoholic specialty drinks, gourmet cheeses, lavender ice cream, dried fruits, local meats and healthy-leaning snack foods mean that your road trip or afternoon picnic is pretty much made (especially when paired with the local produce at Big Lick). Proprietor Steve Johnston (“Harvest Steve”) is often around and will take the time to impart rare knowledge like how to make real old-fashioned root beer from sassafras, wintergreen and sarsaparilla root (and yes, he has those items in stock).
The Details
Monday - Saturday, 9 a.m. - 7 p.m., Sunday, 10 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Address: 501 N.W. Douglas Blvd. (right after Bi-Mart) harveststore.biz facebook.com/HarvestStore
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KEEPING THE RIVER WILD For more than 50 years, the Steamboaters have been dedicated to preserving and protecting the wild beauty of the world-famous North Umpqua River and its native inhabitants. Story by Geoff Shipley Photos by Steven Yochum
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own through the forested slopes of eastern Douglas County’s Calapooya Mountains, the North Umpqua River cuts a stunning bluegreen swath from its headwaters at Maidu Lake high in the Cascades to the confluence of its southern sister near Roseburg to form the main stem of the Umpqua River.
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and recreation find frothing cataracts and riffles giving way to deep, turquoise-colored pools and placid-looking runs where foam lines and bursting bubbles lie strewn across the surface in a constantly changing recitation of nature’s poetry. Stripped and bare tree trunks lay precariously stranded on dark, truck-sized basalt boulders, waiting for winter floods to set them free while their living cousins — hemlock, fir, cedar, maple — stand streamside, green and full. The river’s banks and uplands host osprey, elk, ground squirrels, butterflies, beetles, spiders and wild menagerie that has made its home here for millenia. It’s little wonder why this stretch was designated a National Wild and Scenic River in 1988. “My wife and I were kidnapped by the North Umpqua,” says Tim Goforth, adding that the happy abduction happened in 1980. “We spent all our free time, all the free vacations we could get down here.” When retirement came, the Goforths bought a home near the
river so they could spend as much time as possible with it and the steelhead they love — so much so, they consider it “our religion.” Goforth has turned his passion into a volunteer commitment to the Steamboaters, a group dedicated to preserving and protecting the North Umpqua’s unique natural qualities and promoting the tradition of fly fishing. He is currently president of the organization. The North Umpqua is known for capturing the imagination, and the large silver-sided, ocean-going trout that call it home often play a central role in captivating visitors. Popular writers in the 1920s and ’30s, such as Lawrence Mott and Zane Grey, brought to a national audience tales of almostmythical fishing for the native wild steelhead. Founded in 1966 and named for the crucial steelhead-spawning habitat of the Steamboat Creek tributary, the Steamboaters play an important role in protecting the river’s resources for anglers, recreationists, residents and visitors. Member - and
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volunteer-driven efforts extend into science, public education, community outreach, fundraising and regulations. “We have some outstanding people who have been involved with developing regulations and doing science studies all up and down the West Coast and are incredibly knowledgeable,� says Goforth. Outside of its 150 members (some from as far away as Germany, Belgium and Japan) and volunteers, partnering, collaborating and cooperating with other groups has long been a hallmark of the Steamboaters. The organization is involved in more collaborative projects and activities than space will allow in this magazine; however, we encourage readers to visit the UV website to learn much more about the Steamboaters and their important efforts to protect the river that is so beloved by residents of the Umpqua. Find the complete story at uvlife.com.
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The North Umpqua River is known for capturing the imagination, and the large silver-sided, ocean-going trout that call it home often play a central role in captivating visitors.
Peer back in time... at the Umpqua Valley’s Museums
Umpqua River Lighthouse 1020 Lighthouse Road, Winchester Bay 541-271-4631 Douglas County Museum 123 Museum Drive, Roseburg 541-957-7007 Colliding Rivers Exploration Station 18782 North Umpqua Hwy, Glide 541-496-0157
www.umpquavalleymuseums.org
STAR POWER Through the observatory at Umpqua Community College that bears his name, Paul Morgan is changing the way people view the solar system. Story by David Shroyer Photos by Tristin Godsey
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t’s not often a professor conducts class in a building named after him. But that’s the short version of Umpqua Community College’s Paul Morgan Observatory.
The observatory sits atop the hill overlooking UCC’s campus in the mountains outside Roseburg along the North Umpqua. Morgan is the college’s astronomy instructor and the observatory has been his goal since he joined the UCC faculty in 1999. Completed in 2016, the facility is the only digital observatory of its caliber in the Pacific Northwest. And Morgan is the guy who made it happen.
A native of Roseburg, Morgan earned a doctorate in forest pathology from the University of Washington, then spent 24 years working for the Oregon Department of Forestry. But astronomy has been his passion since childhood and in 1986, he helped create Umpqua Astronomers, a local group of like-minded folks. He was recruited by UCC and first taught a part-time telecourse that consisted of showing movies twice a week and then leading a student discussion. “Apparently, I did OK, since I’m still teaching astronomy,” Morgan says. That led to a few years of bringing his own equipment to campus for a class that met at the college’s track while Morgan lobbied for approval to get an actual observatory
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built. When it happened, he went about finding ways to raise money for construction. Morgan personally acquired grants and donations, the biggest of which came from the Associated Students of UCC. When the observatory opened in spring 2016, the students voted to name it after Morgan. From the beginning, Morgan wanted the observatory to take advantage of digital technology to shift from what he calls “eyeball to eyepiece.” “I wanted to go digital to overcome the many shortcomings of the old system of visitors observing at an observatory,” Morgan says, “Instead of long lines at a telescope trying to see something dim and fuzzy.” The observatory is equipped with five telescopes — one solar and four refracting. Digital cameras are attached to the telescopes, and then connected to computers that transmit the images independently to four large monitors inside the observatory. The images can also be uploaded for Internet streaming to anyone logged in to the session. “I get to explain as a group what the telescopes are showing and provide much more background and detail,” says Morgan. Although it is used primarily for astronomy classes, the Paul Morgan Observatory is available for school tours day or night year-round. It’s open to the public, too – also day and night during the fall and spring months, weather permitting.
“I wanted to go digital to overcome the many shortcomings of the old system of visitors observing at an observatory.” — Paul Morgan
OUTDOORS
HOMECOMING
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WHAT’S HOT
drinking on a crisp, cool Fall morning (or any other time of the day!). Better still, Takelma sources sustainable Arabica beans and roasts small batches right here in Roseburg.
Welcome to our new feature in which UV contributors share with readers something special that has caught their eye, tantalized their tastes buds or captured their attention recently.
Kathleen Nickel I recently discovered this really nice twist on the Moscow Mule. Apple Pie Mule Recipe:
Jennifer Grafiada The made-to-order croissant sandwiches at Le Petit Cafe, a gorgeous little oasis on Jackson Street (next to Dino’s). Pastries, coffee and the soup de jour are all top-notch. lepetitcafe.biz
Jenny Wood Coffee just makes everything awesome, and right now I can’t get enough of the Burundi Single Origin coffee from local Takelma Coffee. Smooth and fruity with earthy undertones and a bright finish, this roast is perfect for 80
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1.5 oz vodka 1 oz caramel syrup 1 oz apple cider or honeycrisp apple juice Ginger beer to top Apple slice Directions: Shake first three ingredients with ice. Strain into a glass or mug filled with ice, top with ginger beer. Garnish with apple slice.
Erin Wilds “Two years ago, software development company Niantic released Pokemon Go, a mobile phone game whose simple interface uses augmented reality technology to bring a bit of 90s nostalgia to the reality-based virtual world. Since the game’s release, features have only gotten better, and interest in the game continues to grow, with a Facebook group for members in the Roseburg area currently having over 300 members. Whether it becomes a casual obsession, or just something to do when the Umpqua is too cold to swim in, Pokemon Go is a great way to kill some time, discover local landmarks and make new friends.”
Don't settle for average. Unless you’re in the market for it.
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LAST WORD
A
s summer turns to fall, the richness of our beautiful Umpqua Valley is at its peak. Grapes are ready to harvest, as are pears, apples, hazelnuts and lateseason backyard gardens.
Planting Roots in New Turf RECENT TRANSPLANT FINDS THE UMPQUA VALLEY IS A FAR CRY FROM LAS VEGAS. THANK GOODNESS. By Jennifer Grafiada
I remember when I was still a visitor here, and I balked at the over-abundance of fresh produce. So much of it always seemed to be threatening to go to waste on my mother’s kitchen countertop. Now that I live here myself, I understand the challenge of trying to keep up with all that nature seems to want to give us. From where I live on the Umpqua River, I can hear high schoolers laughing and shrieking as they float over the rapids past Amacher Park. Later in the year, quieter fishermen boat back and forth, enjoying some of the best, most scenic fishing anyone could ask for. For someone who grew up in the desert landscape of Las Vegas, Douglas County on the verge of fall feels like an endless feast for the senses. Instead of cleavage-covered billboards, strip malls, stucco tract homes and shades of brown (no offense to the desert-lovers out there) I enjoy rich emeralds burnished, as the months go on, with golds, ambers and ruby reds. But as the cliché goes, the grass is always greener. When my 18-yearold brother graduated from Roseburg High School this spring, he couldn’t wait to hit the road and drive down to good ol’ Sin City. Last I checked, he loves it there. I suppose every place has its proper season. From where I’m sitting, this spot looks like one gorgeous hidden gem. We have a bustling farmers’ market, parks and splash pads, arts and music, a great museum, waterfalls and hot springs and, maybe best of all, uncrowded streets (just don’t let too many people in on the secret, OK?). My son will get to say he was born and raised here, delivered safely by the skilled and compassionate folks at Mercy Medical Center. He will grow up knowing the secret swimming holes and cliff jumping spots I never got to enjoy as a child. What a childhood you can have with the Umpqua National Forest in your backyard. As he grows up, I hope to explore more of what our county and state have to offer. I may not boast any Oregon roots, but I sure can try to plant some.
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CONGRATULATIONS
to UV magazine on its First Anniversary! UV brings stories of remarkable people and beautiful locations of the Umpqua Valley to all who read this great magazine.
www.cowcreek.com • 800.929.8229 • 541.672.9405 2371 NE Stephens St., Roseburg, OR 97470 40 Central Ave., Medford, OR 97501 BACK TO CLASS
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