Photo by Benjamin Brayfield

On Saturday, Oct. 8, the living dead will wander the streets of Coos Bay in search of tasty human victims. Be not afraid; these ghastly ghouls will be mere citizens participating in the area’s first-ever free zombie festival.

The idea for the event was spawned when ZombieFest founder and coordinator Nicole Weeks began planning for a Relay for Life fundraiser to benefit the American Cancer Society sometime around Halloween. Instead of opting for a haunted house, she decided to go in a different direction. She discovered something called a ‘Zombie Walk/Crawl’ online and discovered that the event was skyrocketing in popularity across the U.S. The event resembles a flash mob in which a large group of people dress as zombies and demonstrate their best post-mortem-like behavior around their community. Weeks believes the popularity of the undead will help to attract a younger age group to the Relay for Life program.

Photo by Benjamin Brayfield

‘Zombies are really, really popular and it seems like they’re in every commercial, in video games, in almost everything you can think of,” Weeks said. ‘Honestly, in my experience with Relay (for Life), we have great participation for it, but there’s a certain age group that cancer doesn’t necessarily really affect unless it’s their mom or their whatever, and they don’t really get involved with that kind of thing.”

ZombieFest will be based around the idea of a Zombie Walk/Crawl, but it also will offer other activities, including a scavenger hunt, a zombie beauty pageant, a Jell-O-brain-eating contest, a zombie makeup booth, late-night movies at the Green Spot including ‘Night of the Living Dead’ and ‘Zombieland,’ and music provided by four Oregon-based bands, Phoenix, Charlie Freak, Eon and Amerakin Overdose. Vendors including Time Bomb, the Paranormal Scientific Investigators of Oregon, Mossy Rose and Fat Tuesdays Mardi Gras Grill will be providing their goods and services, as well. Proceeds from vendor space fees will go to the American Cancer Society.

Photo by Benjamin Brayfield

Weeks expects the event will be enjoyed by those who attend, yet she has some reservations about those who do not view zombies so positively.

‘I think it’ll be a lot of fun, but, to be honest, I’m a little apprehensive about how it’ll be received by certain members of the public,” Weeks said. ‘It’s really funny when I talk to one person about it and they’re like, ‘Yes!’ and another person will be like, ‘What’s wrong with you, why would you want to do something like that?’”

Fellow ZombieFest coordinator Amanda Johnson, an employee of The World, said she noticed a similar reaction.

‘Someone is ripping our posters down. Not everyone appreciates the way we’re going about it, using the method that we’re using. Some people find zombies very offensive to their religion,” Johnson said. ‘I just wish they would realize that every poster they tear down is money taken away from the American Cancer Society.”

Johnson would like to remind the public that ZombieFest is a family friendly event that has a beneficial purpose.

‘Don’t let the name put you off,” Johnson said.

Lucia Vaughn is a freelance writer. She can be reached at lucia_vaughn@hotmail.com.

ZombieFest will benefit the Relay for Life program and the American Cancer Society Saturday, Oct. 8, from 11:30 a.m. until 6:30 p.m. with a quarantine tent, vendors, scavenger hunt, makeup booth, prizes, barbecue, live music and more.

ZombieFest will be at the downtown Coos Bay pedway between the Egyptian Theatre and Mossy Rose.

• 11:30 a.m. – Zombie walk
• 11:30 a.m. to 12:50 p.m. – Brain eating contest sign ups
• Noon – Phoenix performs
• 1 p.m. – Brain (jello) eating contest. Limited to 8 eaters
• 1:45 p.m. – Beauty contestants meet
• 2-3 p.m. – Zombie beauty pageant
  Open to men, women and children of all ages.
• 3:40 p.m. – Charlie Freak performs
• 4:40 p.m. – Eon performs with guitarist Adam Gernandt
• 5:15 p.m. – Amerakin Overdose performs
• 6-9:15 p.m. – ‘Night of the Living Dead” followed by ‘Zombieland” at The Green Spot, 181 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay. Admission is by donation of canned or non-perishable food item
• Adult After Party at Walt’s Pourhouse

Important Rules to Remember:

• Stay in character within the designated area. Do not block traffic.
• Do not bring your pets. They are likely to be spooked.
• Alcohol or tobacco is not permitted under any circumstances.
• Only toy weapons are allowed as part of a costume. If a weapon is too realistic, it may be confiscated.
• No baseball bats unless they are foam or otherwise virtually harmless.
• Do not frighten children or adults who are not participating in the festival and do not harass them for doing so! Use common sense, if they are trying to avoid zombies or otherwise indicating they do not want to interact with you, do not bother them.
• Please pay close attention to signs posted on store fronts. If they are ‘Zombie Friendly,” you are welcome to enter. If they are a ‘Zombie Free Zone,” please do not go inside. Do not get in the way of businesses’ sales and do not vandalize any structure with bloody handprints and such.
• If/when in an establishment, please be courteous of other patrons as well as the merchandise within the store.

So you want to be a…

Zombie:
Look the part! Get that ‘teeth-molding, limb-dragging, flesh-rotting, drool-oozing, dead-eyed’ look to be so convincing, people might actually think you just stepped from the grave. Don’t forget to play the part as well! Strike hypothetical fear into the hearts of the living by ‘attacking” and ‘feeding upon” their helpless (and consenting) human bodies. Remember, not everyone (especially young children) will be willing to play along, so make sure your target has agreed to be a ‘victim” before you begin to make a feast out of them. Try staring at them hungrily for a little while and judge their reaction … or just look for their ‘victim” nametag. Please do not operate a camera, what kind of self-respecting undead terror would ever be caught with a device that isn’t specifically made for brain harvesting? Also, zombies prefer to keep their voices at a low, bone chilling moan instead of an ear splitting shriek or howl. Finally, and most importantly, have fun!

Hero:
To those who have spent years contemplating just how you would survive and/or fight against the prophesied zombie apocalypse, the day of reckoning you have patiently awaited will soon arrive. Arm yourself with battle gear worthy of a warrior of the living and set out to help those beset by the great, moldering siege. But be wise, soldier. You will not help a soul if you run around like a bloodthirsty maniac; for heaven’s sake, there are children around. Keep your cool and only ‘attack” those willing to fight back. Also, if you choose to bring a weapon, make it obvious that it is a fake and cannot seriously injure someone. This is a war of bravery, tact, and excellent acting skills, certainly not one in which you want blood on your hands (but fake blood acceptable). Good luck, comrade. Be safe.

Victim:
Victims will perhaps be the most beloved and appreciated members of this event. That is, when you are not being chased by bloodthirsty zombies (meaning, you will be ‘attacked,” a lot). But that’s not to say you won’t have a good time. Make it easy to be spotted by a member of the recently deceased by wearing a name tag indicating you are a ‘victim.” Be creative: ‘Eat me”, ‘I taste like chicken”, and ‘Try the brains” are great examples. Also, run and trip often with a facial expression that says, ‘Zombies scare the bajeezus out of me, but come and get me anyway.” Also, remember not to be too gratuitous with the screaming. You’re still in public, after all.

Halloween is a day for children and adults to flex their creativity. Dress pretty. Get ugly. Be outrageous. It’s a no-holds barred invitation to explore.

‘People want the opportunity to do art,” said artist and stage designer Ruthanne McSurdy Wong. Wong is the kind of Halloween fan whose countdown to Oct. 31 starts in September. The holiday inspired her first-ever sewing project.

‘I sat down at my mother’s sewing machine and whipped up this rag,” she laughed. ‘I was 8 years old.” The costume was a disaster, but she wore it with pride.

This year, Wong collaborates with Lloyds Tavern owner Janice Davis to organize the Bandon Gravediggers Ball. But designing the series of vignettes that will transform the tavern into a shipwrecked odyssey is only half the fun.

‘The most exciting thing about it is to pour the people into the mix,” Wong said.
There’s no age limit for Halloween fun on the Southern Oregon Coast. The trick is deciding which event to attend. And when so many of the holiday festivities benefit health and community organizations, the treat is a gift to the community.

Contemporary costume parties have their historic roots in Medieval European tradition, especially the British Isles. William Shakespeare even mentions autumn Hallowmas in ‘Two Gentlemen of Verona.” It’s not surprising a playwright would note a holiday that calls for dressing up.

Even after years working in theater, Wong has seen Halloween costumes that amazed her.
‘You think you can see through it, but you can’t,” she said. ‘Even the most simple makeup changes you.”

Face painter Kasey Sudyka-Crum keeps a growing collection of photographs of the faces she has painted. Her subjects ask for animal faces, sometimes a simple design from nature. One photos shows her daughter’s face. Half is painted in soft blue and pink with rosy glitter; the other half is a pale, grimacing ghoul.

‘They love to be pretty and scary,” Sudyka-Crum said.

Who wouldn’t embrace the chance to drop their own persona for an hour or two? asked Lani Reynolds. Before moving to Bandon and opening her own interiors shop, Reynolds worked as a costumer for stage and screen. She views Halloween as chance for anyone to be anyone else.

‘There’s an actor in all of us,” she said with a wink.

By Geneva Miller, Special to The World
Geneva Miller is a freelance writer. She can be reached at migelyn@aol.com.

Samhain was a Celtic holiday, marking the end of the harvest and the end of summer. It was regarded as the ‘Celtic New Year,” and the day when the living and the dead came together. In order to keep the mischievous spirits from damaging still unharvested crops with early frosts or blights, Celtic priests, like Druids, would leave food and offer sacrifices to the many deities while dressed in costumes made of animal hides. Candles were placed into carved out squash, as lanterns, to guide the way home for good spirits. Massive bonfires would be lit to burn away the chaff from the harvested crops and in the process burn away all the bad from the previous year.

Gathering together with members of the community to set ablaze last year’s grievances is a tradition that survives in communities through out the country to this day. For example, every year in Crested Butte, Colo. around this time there is what’s called the ‘Burning of the Grump,” where all the gear (skis, climbing ropes, packs, boots, tents, etc.) involved in tragic accidents is thrown on a bonfire and burned away. It’s an all night party, to say the least.

The name Halloween is a variation of ‘all hallows eve,” which is to say, literally, the evening before All Hallows Day or All Saints Day. Pope Gregory III moved the Christian feast of All Saints Day to Nov. 1 from May 13 to better correspond with a number of pagan harvest festivals. The Romans were notorious for first ‘conquering” and then incorporating the better aspects of their ‘conquered” foe’s culture into their own. After encountering the Celts sometime around 40 A.D., the Romans adopted many of their festivals and brought many of the Celt’s religious celebrations home to Rome. The Church of Rome had decreed a holiday began at sunset the day before, which is why Oct. 31, the eve of all Saint’s Day, was and is celebrated. Halloween is essentially, Christmas Eve and New Years Eve all thrown together as one big party for the Pagans.

In America, the old Celtic tradition of hollowing out various squashes, lighting a candle and placing it inside continues. Using the pumpkin became the gourd of choice in America around the 1850′s. Colonial America doesn’t have much in the historical record regarding celebrations, perhaps due to the strict adherence to Puritan religious beliefs and just general practicalities. However, there are a few accounts of Halloween celebrations mixing with Native American harvest celebrations reminiscent of the Celtic traditions in Britain.

Irish and Scottish immigrants helped shape Halloween into the widely celebrated event we recognize today. Scottish immigrants celebrated with fireworks. The telling of ghost stories, playing games like bobbing for apples, and making mischief were all born out of the Scottish tradition. Today, if one has a Scottish grandmother, she might remember Dooking, or the act of holding a knife or fork between the teeth and then dropping it onto an apple. The winner of the game is the one who’s apple doesn’t tip over after it is stuck with the cutlery.

Likewise, if one had an Irish grandmother he might have had his fortunes read in the rings of his cup and saucer in a game called, Puicini. Another popular way to scare the grandchildren, was to tell the young women sit in a darkened room and gaze into a mirror. They were then told the face of their future husband would appear. If a skull appeared, however, the girl would be dead before her 18th birthday.

So, what’s the deal with all this candy? Around 1900 the focus of Halloween was completely divorced from All Saint’s Day in popular culture and swung back to more of a harvest celebration involving practical jokes and revelry. An old English term dating back to the Middle-ages, “Guising,” referred to the poor asking for food or money. At Halloween children then adopted the practice of guising or wearing a disguise, and dressing up in costumes. In the 1900′s, children rarely went door to door asking for food or money during Halloween, due in part to poor infrastructure like no sidewalks, poor drainage, unpaved streets and poor lighting. It was more the fashion to go to a large party where everyone, kids included would be dressed up and wearing costumes. Less emphasis was placed on fear and superstition in favor of a more light-hearted celebration.

By its very nature Halloween brings out the darker aspects of the human experience. Death, ghosts, superstition all drum up some deeply rooted emotional responses. Despite attempts by good-natured people to lighten the tone of Halloween, the dark side will always persist and pranks and mischief prevail. In the 1920s and 1930s, vandalism, property damage even physical assaults were quite common. The Ku Klux Klan used the fear-based aspects of Halloween to terrorize minorities and set fires. Because of rampant vandalism and unsocial behavior, schools and community organizations like the Boy Scouts organized safe events like school carnivals and local neighborhood ‘trick or treat” outings for children. Believe it or not, in the mid 1920′s, the concept of ‘Trick or Treat” was seen by some, even leaders in the community, as a form of extortion leading to the ever-popular ‘egging” of those who didn’t participate in the handing out of treats. “Trick or Treat” first appeared in print in 1934 when a Portland newspaper ran an article about how Halloween pranks kept local police officers on their toes. What we recognize today as kids dressing up and ‘Trick or Treating,” didn’t really catch on until the mid to late 1940′s and early 50′s with the advent of another new concept, the suburbs.

Anoka, Minn. considers itself to be the “Halloween Capital of the World,” a title it wrestles back and forth with Salem Mass., home to the famous Salem Witch Trials. In 1920, Anoka town leaders organized a parade and promised popcorn, peanuts and candy to any children who participated in the parade and promised not to participate in pranks like ‘cow tipping” and other like-minded shenanigans. The parade took place in the evening and was followed by a bonfire in the town square. The event grew and has been held every year since, with the exception of 1942 and 1943 due to World War II. Anoka today holds an elaborate Halloween festival complete with a parade, carnival, and not only costume contests but, house decorating contests as well.

It’s a well-known fact, the popularity of Halloween increases every year. Today, it is America’s second largest commercial holiday next to Christmas, generating nearly $7 billion in revenue from the little country pumpkin patch up above Allegany to the CEO of Hershey’s. Weather it’s visiting haunted attractions, like the ‘Haunted Halls” at Bandon’s high school, or trick or treating with the kids at the Mall in Coos Bay, or taking the family to spend the night in a haunted hotel like the Stanley in Estes Park, or hosting a scary movie marathon, even building a giant French catapult called a ‘Trebouche” to hurl pumpkins hundreds of feet through the air, the simple fact remains that Halloween is fun and it’s here to stay. Big business will see to that.

By Nicholas T. Martin
Special to The World
Nicholas T. Martin is a freelance writer. He can be reached at nickmartin@ntmphoto.com.

For the rest of the crowd there will be hotdogs and chips, an old-fashioned cider press and children’s activities.

Proceeds benefit ORCCA programs; Head Start, CASA, Snack Pack, and Community Action Adventure.

For hundreds of years, Coos tribal ancestors traveled between their bayside villages and hunting and foraging grounds on a trail from present-day North Bend to Empire.

In the 1850s, Charles Merchant refused to sell alcohol in his North Bend store, so thirsty loggers, mill hands and shipyard workers followed the same route to saloons and entertainment.

In July, a collaboration between the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and numerous volunteers and agencies created the Sawmill & Tribal Trail.

The 5.6-mile route follows trails and city streets. Thirty-five points of interest are marked with posts bearing a saw-blade logo and a number. A brochure briefly describes the point of interest at each number. Some points explain native uses of plants at that spot; others tell the history of a building. One marks the spot of a notorious armed robbery.

Soon, QR codes on the posts will let smartphone users access detailed information about each point.
At an inaugural hike July 17, Coos Bay City Councilor Jennifer Groth, vice president of the museum’s board of trustees, said the museum hopes to use the trail for a lot of teaching opportunities.
‘Learning about history is more fun outside the building,” she said.
Brochures with the trail map and points of interest are available at the Coos Historical & Maritime Museum and the Coos Bay Visitor Center.

By Gail Elber
Special to The World

Mark Bedard has quite a history with Forest Hills Country Club in Reedsport. His family became charter members in 1964 – he was 6 at the time – and he’s been a member ever since.

The course was built by International Paper and opened in spring 1965.
So when did Mark play his first round there?

‘We were playing out there before it opened,” Bedard said, explaining that the course was ready in the fall, but didn’t officially open until spring. ‘We snuck out there. I was going out with my dad when we weren’t supposed to.”

Bedard played all four seasons when he was at Reedsport High School, his teams finished state runnerups three times. His younger brothers, Kerry, Kelly and Benjamin also played on those teams.

He still plays in Forest Hills tournaments.
So to say that Bedard has spent a good portion of his life at Forest Hills would be an understatement.

‘I’ve played a lot of golf out there in a lot of years.”

The Bedards also have owned restaurants in Reedsport and Winchester Bay for the past dozen years. First Bedrock’s and then Bedrock’s On The Bay.

This spring, he finally broke down and he and his wife, Karen, decided to run the restaurant and lounge at the pristine 9-hole golf course. He’s had his chances in the past.

‘I’ve resisted working out there because that’s where I go to relax,” he said.

The restaurant had gone through several leaseholders in recent years before Bedard decided enough was enough.

‘After years of watching (others try),” he said. ‘We decided to take over and try to give it some stability.”

He knows that taking over the The Club in a trying economy will not be easy.

‘Things are so different in this area. We lost so many manufacturing jobs. We used to have 1,400 in Reedsport and Gardiner alone. It used to be a kid could get out of high school and find a good paying job.

‘Every one of those jobs are gone.”

The Club is Reedsport’s lone fine-dining establishment.

‘What we see is hopefully being able to manage it, break even and keep that service open to the public.”

He’s excited about the possibilities.

‘On the food side, we have a good chef that we’ve hired, and a menu that fits our clientele. We have a lot of seniors in the area, and they can come out and eat for under $10.

‘We have a pretty diverse menu.”

It’s hard to believe that Bedard is even more invested in Forest Hills than he has been in the past.

‘Golf’s been a big part of our family for a lot of years. It’s an interesting deal to be out there (running the restaurant). It still feels surreal.”

The Club, which has been bustling this summer, goes to its winter schedule starting Oct. 1. The lounge will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., lunch will be served Tuesday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. and dinner will be Friday and Saturday night from 5 to 8 p.m.

By Ron Jackimowicz
The World

The 12th annual Coos Basin Salmon Derby will be Sept. 10 and 11 in the Coos River. The derby is coming off a record year.

Last year’s event raised about $23,000 thanks to 362 fishermen — some from as far away as Arizona. Proceeds help support Salmon and Trout Enhancement Program projects in the area, including the Millicoma Interpretive Center, Morgan Creek Hatchery and Interpretive Center, Eel Lake Interpretive Site and education and habitat restoration in the Coos River basin.

Photo by Lou Sennick

The derby is sponsored by Coos County STEP Commission, South Coast Anglers STEP Association, Eel Tenmile STEP Association, the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the Douglas Timber Operators. For more information, call Valerie at 541-759-2709.

Labor Day weekend events

Gardiner/Reedsport/Winchester Bay STEP will hold its 15th annual salmon derby over Labor Day weekend, Sept. 3-5.
The derby starts with the morning bite at 5 a.m. Saturday morning, and closes at noon Monday. The derby day ends at 6 p.m. Saturday and Sunday.

There will be scales at east mooring basin in Winchester Bay, and in Reedsport at the Rainbow Plaza boat ramp, next to Waterfront Family Restaurant. Contestants must show their derby tickets when weighing in their fish.

Drawings and awarding of prizes will be held at 1 p.m. Monday at the Rainbow Plaza boat ramp. Biggest salmon wins $500, and $150 will be awarded for the biggest salmon caught each day. Prizes of $100 will be given to winners of miscellaneous drawings. Anglers need not be present to win.
The cost to enter is $10 per person or $25 for a boat with three or more fishermen. Tickets are on sale at the Stockade Marker in Winchester Bay, and Turman Tackle and Ace Hardward in Reedsport. Call 541-271-4210 for more information.

The same weekend, Winchester Bay will start its annual Crab Bounty Hunt, which will run from Sept. 5 to Oct. 1, with a chance to win $1,000.

Crabbers catching a tagged crab should return it to The Sportmen’s Cannery before the 2 p.m. deadline on Saturday, Oct. 1, and register the number of the tag.

If a lucky crabber caught the special tag number, $1,000 will be awarded. If not, drawings for $500, $300 and $200 will follow.

The event in sponsored by the Winchester Bay Merchants, and rules are available at local bait and crab rental shops. Call 541-271-4471 for more information.

By Rachel Finney
The World

This free event is inspired by traditional tribal observances of the return of salmon from the ocean to their upriver spawning beds. It will feature a Native American marketplace, canoe races and cultural exhibits, as well as fun activities for children.

Drummers, flutists, storytellers and dancers will perform throughout both days. There will also be a weigh-in station for participants in the 12th Annual Coos Basin Amateur Salmon Derby, which runs concurrently with the celebration.

In addition, a traditional salmon bake dinner, cooked over an open pit in the tradition of the Coquille people, will be served from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. both days. Tickets for the dinner, including a commemorative T-shirt, cost $25 for adults and $17 for those 12 and under. Members of the casino’s Millionaires Club receive a $5 discount.

Saturday night will be capped with a performance by Pow Wow Comedy Jam, a nationally renowned group of Native American comedians. Tickets for the performance, which starts at 7:30 p.m. in the Salmon Room at the casino, are $18 per person, with club members receiving an $8 discount.

One local museum, the Coos Art Museum in downtown Coos Bay, has dedicated a whole room to informing fans about his short life and running career.

At the time of his death in May 1975, Pre held eight long-distance running records. Runners from all over the world know about Pre’s accomplishments and many know Coos Bay was his hometown.
Up the stairs from the main lobby, the first room a visitor comes to is a conference room immersed in the runner’s life. On the walls are copies of photographs from the private collection of Tom Jordan, the former publisher of ‘Track and Field News” magazine.

Photos depict Pre running or crossing the finish line in many of his races, including one from the Olympic Games held in Munich, 1972.
Two cases built by Ray Prefontaine are filled with memorabilia of his son’s accomplishments, beginning with Pre’s days running for Marshfield High School. There are plaques, cups, trophies and medals on display from his family’s collection.

The collection is available for public viewing during regular museum hours. The museum is located at 235 Anderson Ave., Coos Bay. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., Tuesday through Friday, and 1 to 4 p.m. Saturday. Those interested can call 541-267-3901 for more information.

Road races

Upcoming Road Races on the South Coast
For more information on upcoming road races and for photos from past events, those interested can log on to the South Coast Running Club’s Web page at www.southcoastrunningclub.com.

Sunset Bay Trail Run — Saturday, Sept. 3, starting at 10 a.m. at Sunset Bay State Park in Charleston. Events include 15-kilometer, 4-mile and 1-mile runs. The longer runs are on challenging, hilly courses, while the 1-mile run is on the beach. For more information, call Patrick Myers at 541-290-7530 or Lawrence Cheal at 541-756-7999.

Scotty Brown Memorial Mud Run — Saturday, Sept. 10, time and location to be determined. For more information, call Roy Mollier at 541-297-6669.

Bandon Lions Cranberry Run — Sunday, Sept. 11, starting at 2 p.m. at Bandon City Park (on 11th Street). Race distances include 1 mile, 5 kilometers and 10 kilometers, with the longer races including stretches on the beach. The cost is $12 for those who sign up by Aug. 24 and includes a race T-shirt. The late registration fee is $15 without a T-shirt. The race benefits the Lions Vision program and other Lions Club activities. For more information, call Earl Miller at 541-347-9800 or Tricia Hutton at 541-347-6512 or visit http://e-clubhouse.org/sites/bandonlionsor.

32nd Annual Prefontaine Memorial Run — Saturday, Sept. 17, starting at 10 a.m. at Fourth Street and Anderson Avenue in downtown Coos Bay. The 10-kilometer run honors Coos Bay native Steve Prefontaine, who held every American record from 2 miles to 10,000 meters when he was killed in a car accident in 1975. The hilly course covers one of Pre’s favorite training routes, taking runners from downtown out Ocean Boulevard and back to the finish at Marshfield High School. Runners or walkers who don’t want to complete the full 6.2 miles can participate in a 2-mile, noncompetitive fun walk. The entry fee is $22 for those who sign up by Sept. 13 and includes a race T-shirt. Late registration is $25 and will take place at St. Monica Catholic Church, where preregistered runners can pick up their packets. People can sign up or pick up their packets from 3 to 6 p.m. the day before the race or 8 to 9:30 a.m. on race day. For more information, or to register online, visit www.prefontainerun.com. The official race website also includes results from the past three decades of the race.

He was also a smart enough businessman to know that he couldn’t just come in and make wholesale changes to the menu right away.
So he started slow, with one Peruvian special every week.
That turned out to be popular, so he added another night with a seafood special.

“People really love the Peruvian flavors,” Fernando said.
But still, he took his time. About a year later, he added a small section to the back of his regular menu.

“Just five items,” he said.

Now, five years after opening, he’s featuring 20 Peruvian dishes, five Peruvian desserts, a number of drinks and most recently he’s added Peruvian style fire roasted chicken.

LaCosta offers four different sizes of roasted chicken meals. From the quarter-chicken with two sides for $7.95, all the way up to the family meal, which is two whole (4 1/2 pound) chickens, four side dishes and two soft drinks for $34.95.

Photos by Ron Jackimowicz

The chicken dinners also come with a special dipping sauce.
Fernando worked for a month to perfect the recipe for the chicken. The dipping sauce was much easier.

“It’s my great-grandmother’s recipe,” he said.

He gets all the deep, textured flavor by marinating the chickens for 48 hours.

“That way, the flavors are inside.”

The half-chicken platter also comes with two sides for $11.95, and the whole chicken meal is $18.95 with two sides.

Fernando says that now nearly half of all orders are for Peruvian menu items.

So how did Fernando make the decision to move from Peru to Coos Bay?

“There’s a Peruvian family here,” he said.

“My uncle came to the United States in 1956. He met a woman and they got married. She was from here, so they moved back here. So my uncle brought his three brothers and sisters and his parents.”
After 12 years in the Peruvian navy, Fernando got a call from his cousin, asking him to come to Coos Bay.

“I told him I wanted to go to Miami,” Fernando said. “But he told me to come here.”

After a few weeks of job searching, Fernando found work.

“Soon as I got a job,” Fernando said. “I never stopped.”

Six years later, he bought his restaurant.

By Ron Jackimowicz
The World