World File Photo

Coos Bay’s Fun Festival will take place Sept. 17-19 in a new location this year.

Vendors will have a new home in the parking lot behind the Egyptian Theatre.

The city asked the festival to move due to structural concerns with buildings along Central Avenue.

‘We’re hoping everyone will bear with us and it will come together,” Cindi Miller, festival organizer, said.

‘Thirty-seven years ago, I got the brainstorm that we needed to have an activity for families that was basically free.”

More events

Over the years, they’ve added many events, including the Saturday night Cruz-the-Coos and the Prefontaine Run.

‘We have a lot of great food and a lot of great craft vendors,” she said.

‘It’s a great opportunity for families to come and watch the parade.”

Activities this year will include live music, a beer garden and plenty of good food, Miller said.

The Bay Area Teen Idol finals will take place at the festival from 3-5 p.m. Saturday.

The theme of the parade will be ‘Remember When in 2010.” Back to the Future will play at the Egyptian Theatre on Friday to coincide with the theme. Admission is free with a canned food donation to the Bus Jam fundraiser.

Two hundred quilts will be displayed at the Boys and Girls Club tennis courts.

‘They have a wonderful quilt show,” Miller said.

By Andy Rossback

Seaplane pilot, Stan Jefferies (top) helps create a vacation memory for tourists who may have discovered another surprise, the floating fish house. Lunch diners and bicyclists share the boardwalk along the waterfront in Coos Bay. Photos by Lou Sennick

See the shoreline from above in a seaplane. The Boardwalk in downtown Coos Bay is home to a seaplane that flies when weather allows. Make your appointment while dining in the downtown area or visiting some of the new shops that have sprung up along the waterfront.

There’s coffee, chocolate, souvenirs, ceramics, pottery, fish, antiques, wine and giftables — all within walking distance of the Boardwalk. Don’t forget to see the historic artifacts housed on the waterfront while there.

Sept. 19, 2009 -- It was a clear track ahead and behind for the Prefontaine Memorial Run winner Bradley Croker (right) of Australia. The 29-year-old runner ran the race and visited the United States for the first time. He even grew a moustache and sideburns with a similar look to Steve Prefontaine. (left) Photo by Lou Sennick

The annual race, now in its 31st year, commemorates the life of hometown track legend Prefontaine, who died in a single-car accident in 1975 at the age of 24.

The years don’t dull Jay Farr’s recollections of his childhood friend.
‘Steve’s been dead now longer than he lived,” said Farr, who grew up a block from Prefontaine.

‘His presence in the track world has enhanced.”

John Burles, who’s been the timekeeper for the September race for about 26 years, graduated four years ahead of Prefontaine and lived in the same neighborhood as the famed runner and Farr.

‘We kid about the fact that we were all neighbors,” Burles said.

‘I was older, and (Prefontaine) was one of the little kids on the block, running around doing little kid things.”

Farr was a bit closer with Prefontaine because they were the same age and became friends in grade school.

Between the poles
Farr remembered using his father’s stopwatch to time races between telephone poles. The two started running track in junior high, which was their first opportunity to participate in the the team sport.

However, Farr recalled Prefontaine dipping his toes into many different sports, including football, basketball and swimming.

‘I remember him on the swim team,” said Farr, who was also a swimmer.

‘He sunk like a rock.”
Luckily, Prefontaine had track. And a penchant for cockiness.

Burles said Prefontaine once showed up to practice with the Marshfield seniors.

‘I do remember as a senior in ‘65, he came over as an eighth grader and he wanted to run with us,” Burles said.

‘He liked to talk, so we said, ‘Come on.’”

He kept up for a while, Burles recalled, but eventually got tired and gave up. Burles added that the seniors laughed about it, ‘not knowing four to eight years later he would be an international superstar.”

Trademark confidence
But his confidence, bordering on arrogance, became synonymous with Prefontaine.

‘Steve Prefontaine didn’t hold anything back, and his mouth was running and his legs were churning,” Burles said matter-of-factly.

Farr, and many of Prefontaine’s fans, saw his cockiness as more than just a quirky character trait.

It was his appeal. It was what filled the stands. He didn’t think people could beat him, and he made sure competitors knew it.

‘He had that kind of vision, you know, ‘I can do this,’ the mindset that you can be the best in the world,” Farr said.

That was a goal he pursued adamantly through high school — to come out on top. He lettered in cross country as a freshman, and continued his climb to greatness through the years.

Few bested him
People tried to beat him, but not many did, Farr said.

‘There was a freshman who beat Pre,” Farr said, straining to remember who he was.

‘He just disappeared in whatever vices you can fall off the end of the Earth with. Steve had enough going for him that he didn’t do that.”

His senior year, Prefontaine tried to break the four-minute mile. Farr has a black-and-white photo of that night framed on a wall in Farr’s True Value.

He didn’t break four minutes at the meet, but he would soon enough, Farr said.

Although Prefontaine was dominating in high school, Farr added some interesting facts that many fans might not know.

Little-known facts
‘You would assume that Steve holds the Coos County two-mile record. Kirk Gamble holds the record. Of course, nobody’s heard of Kirk Gamble,” Farr said of his fellow classmate, who broke the record while Prefontaine was dead-set on breaching the four-minute barrier.

Also, Farr came across a scrapbook that his mother had made, showing results that proved Farr beat Prefontaine in a dual meet with North Bend — in the 400 meters.

‘I must have been the only one to beat Steve on the track our senior year,” Farr said, chuckling, adding that coach Walt McClure switched around some runners to races they didn’t normally run.

‘That was my distance, certainly not Steve’s distance.”

Separate ways
After high school, Prefontaine headed to the University of Oregon, Farr ran for Yale University, and Burles gave up running competitively and attended Oregon State.

After Prefontaine became a household name in the running community, Farr was famous by association, even on the East Coast.

‘Steve was always my claim to fame,” Farr said. ‘That made me a big guy.”

None of them stayed too close, as often happens during college years. Burles ran into him a few times, and Farr last ran with him across the sand dunes after their freshman year of college.

‘Steve was somebody who never forgot a friend,” Farr said.

Burles said he saw him at Southwestern Oregon Community College about one month before he died. Prefontaine chatted about preparing for the 1976 Montreal Olympics, and Burles had no doubt he would have excelled.

‘He’d have been right in there,” he said.

Seat belt enigma
Prefontaine never would get the chance to redeem himself in the 5,000 meters.

That night still is fresh in Farr’s mind.

‘I took driver’s education with Steve. He knew better than to not wear a seatbelt,” Farr said, eyes glassy. ‘So I’m still p—-ed at him for that.”

‘He was distracted, I’m sure,” he added. ‘As all young people are at one time or another.”

Today, his namesake 10K race draws people from all over the world to pay homage to the track star who never got to reach his full potential. His legacy still inspires people, even those who were born well after his death.

Race resurgence
Burles said the race has even seen a resurgence after a few down years.

‘It’s got its steam back, it’s gaining numbers again. No prize money, no major advertising, and people that run it like that,” Burles said.

No frills. Much how Prefontaine would have preferred it.

‘What has boosted numbers is the younger kids,” Farr said.

‘Pre’s reputation continues. I think Coos Bay would have been a lot different if Steve had lived.”

But on Sept. 18, Pre’s people, as his fans were often called, will gather in Coos Bay, from the very young to the very old.

Some will have grown out their hair and mustaches to emulate the iconic face; others will wear silly costumes.

Seconds before the arduous run, Farr will have his mind on the man who influenced it all.

‘I still get goosebumps when the gun goes off in September.”

By Rachel Finney

Coos Art Museum houses Prefontaine memorabilia. The small display showcases an impressive number of achievements. Photos by Benjamin Brayfield

A pair of worn, pale-blue Puma running shoes sits in a glass case at the Coos Art Museum in downtown Coos Bay.

Surrounding the now-iconic shoes — the late Steve Prefontaine wore them while he broke his first American record in the 5,000 meter race in 1971 — are medals, trophies, cups and plaques, all commemorating the accomplishments of Coos Bay’s hometown hero.

The Prefontaine Memorial Gallery, a permanent display that opened in 1985, is housed in a serene conference room atop the stairs at the museum.

Neatly arranged on the walls are copies of photos from the private collection of Tom Jordan, former publisher of Track and Field News magazine.

Most of them are black and white, but some offer faded colors, showing off a pair of red running shoes, his floppy brown hair, his thick, dark mustache.

One day later
One photo in particular stands out, although it seems simple at first — a black-and-white shot of Prefontaine in motion at the Twilight Meet in Eugene, taken by Fred Kaplan of Sports Illustrated.

The caption tells the true story.

The photo was dated May 29, 1975. Prefontaine died the next day in a single-car accident.

Another photo shows Prefontaine leading the 5,000 meter pack at the 1972 Olympics in Munich, West Germany, his only chance to compete at the Olympic Games. He eventually finished fourth, but led the Americans at the age of 21.

Visitors can also watch the video, ‘Fire on the Track — The Steve Prefontaine Story,” from sleek leather chairs.

Case of inspiration
But the glass case commands most of the attention. After the shiny awards and broken-in shoes, wooden plaques situated at the top left of the case catch visitors’ eyes.

That’s not because they were his greatest feats, but because of their humble simplicity: Clearly painted, the plaques declared Prefontaine as Marshfield’s most valuable runner three years in a row, well before anyone knew he would be an Olympian and track hero.

The visitors’ logbook, with names, dates and comments from people all over the world, offers its own storyline. Visitors have scratched ‘Go Pre!” and ‘Pre lives” onto the pages.

Last year’s Prefontaine Memorial Run winner, Brad Croker from Australia, wrote tidily, ‘Inspirational athlete, shame we never got to see him reach his full potential.”

Many visitors’ comments are touching and personal, but a framed sign on the wall that lists Prefontaine’s records and efforts, sums up their sentiments.

‘Time, for all its claimed healing effects, has not done much to ease the loss of Steve Prefontaine. He remains sorely missed.”

By Rachel Finney

World File Photo

You can relive those days for real as Sunset Classic Chevys hosts Cruz the Coos in downtown Coos Bay and the Shore Acres Show ‘n’ Shine at Shore Acres State Park.

Cars will begin arriving Friday, Sept. 17, at The Mill Casino in North Bend, where participants will sign in for the Cruz. A maximum 500 vehicles will be accepted, all of which must be 1975 models or older and be insured, street-legal and driven by a licensed driver.

If you meet those qualifications and want to join the fun, registration will last until 3 p.m. that Friday.

Beach party, poker run
Later there’ll be a beach party at Sunset Bay State Park for preregistered three-day participants.

On Saturday morning, the Coos Bay Chapter of the Harley Owners Group will host a poker run. It leaves The Mill Casino at 9 a.m. and concludes at noon.

Odds are there will be enough cool cars and bikes at the start to satisfy even the most severe chrome addiction.

At 5 p.m. Saturday, participants will start lining up for the highlight of the weekend. The Cruz was originally for American muscle cars, but since then it’s been opened to include classic and vintage American cars and trucks.

Last year, more than 400 cars took part in the Cruz, which winds its way through downtown Coos Bay along a route closed off to other traffic.

Vroom-vroom
Come early, pick out a spot, and set up your lawn chairs and coolers. The Cruz is a family-oriented event that gives everyone a chance to see every car several times.

Cars will start circulating at 6 p.m. and end at approximately 8 p.m. K-DOCK (92.9 FM) will broadcast live, and cars will win prizes during the evening. Also on hand will be the NAPA truck with several Orange County Choppers motorcycles on display, and a Ford F-10 pick-up built by master car customizer Chip Foose.

Next: Show ‘n’ Shine
Sunday morning, Cruzers will drive to Shore Acres State Park for the Show ‘n’ Shine. You’ll never find a better opportunity to see these beautiful cars up close and talk to their owners.

Last year, more than 200 cars were entered. The Show ‘n’ Shine runs from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., and trophies will be awarded at 2:30.

Cruz the Coos takes place over Bay Area Fun Festival weekend, so not only can you watch an endless stream of beautiful cars, you can watch the Prefontaine Memorial Run, enjoy live entertainment, shop for arts and crafts, and sample local food, beer, and wines.

For more information about Cruz the Coos, contact Ron Johnson, 541-297-4300; Darrell King, 541-888-3663; or visit www.sunsetclassicchevys.com.

By Jerry Smith

Photo by Alex Powers

The Friends of Umpqua River Light are planning for an impressive display of local lighthouse memorabilia and photographs as part of the 116th birthday celebration for the lighthouse Sept. 24-25.

‘It is our intent to raise public consciousness about the sentinel that has protected our shores for years, and in the process, to preserve our cultural heritage by forming partnerships for the continued maintenance and preservation of the Umpqua River Lighthouse,” said Jim Akre, a member of both the Friends and the advisory board for the museum.

The celebration will include a symposium with presentations and speakers — including lampist and lighthouse historian Jim Woodward and other historians and mariners. Also on hand will be local, state and national experts on lighthouse legends and lore, shipwrecks, the U.S. Life Saving Service and the Coast Guard.

Organizers also are planning for lighthouse and museum tours, plein air artist workshops, family scavenger hunts and the announcement of the winners of this summer’s lighthouse photography contest.

A fundraising buffet dinner at the Winchester Bay Community Center will wrap up the two-day celebration on Saturday night.

For more information on the lens, the lighthouse or on joining the Friends of Umpqua River Light, visit friendsofumpquariverlight.weebly.com.

By Lori Newman

Myth:

Myth: Once you get poison oak, you’ll never get it again.
Fact: Some people don’t get an itchy rash the first time they touch poison oak, but most do. Typically, each subsequent exposure is more severe and may last longer.

Myth: If you’re affected by poison oak once, you always will be.
Fact: Some people’s sensitivity to urushiol varies over time, sometimes even from season to season. People who are sensitive to it as children might not be when they grow up.

Myth: A good way to get rid of poison oak is to burn it.
Fact: The smoke from burning poison oak can cause serious allergic reactions if you inhale it or are exposed to it. Never burn poison oak to dispose of it.

Chef Joe prepares fresh halibut daily for dishes like Seafood Chiappino. One of several dishes that includes fish. Photos by Benjamin Brayfield

Chef Joe Zamora knew exactly what he wanted more than a dozen years before it ever became a reality.

“In about 1990 I looked up here,” Zamora said of Hilltop House. “And I said, ‘There’s my restaurant.’”

It wasn’t until 2002 that Zamora got the opportunity to call the historic steak and seafood house that has been a part of the North Bend landscape since 1934 his own.

“Timing was everything to get into here,” Zamora said.

And he’s been having a grand time ever since.

“I was looking for a dinner house,” he said. “I really enjoy cooking seafood and steaks.”

It also leaves him time for one of his other passions — golf. He plays a couple times a week with his wife Jodi at Watson Ranch.

But Zamora’s creativity really shines through when he’s in the kitchen.

He calls his cooking a mixture of continental styles: French style with the sauces; Italian style in his presentation; and a Northwest influence when it comes to seafood.

“On average, we deal with 24 different (hot) sauces a day,” Zamora said. “It takes a lot of time for cooks to learn how to do that many sauces.”

Crab cakes are another dinning option. Made to order. Photos by Benjamin Brayfield

“We have a well-balanced team,” he said. “We have a great staff and a great crew.”

And when Zamora says he cooks to order, he means it.

“When you order it, I go back and cut the steak,” he said. “When you order the salmon, I filet it and cut the portions.”

And he knows how to treat his guests.

From the time you walk into Hilltop House the attentive staff is there to help guide you through your meal.

Zamora knows making his guests happy makes for loyal customers.

“Even if it’s not on the menu, if I have it, I’ll cook it for them,” he said.

Not two minutes later, a waiter came back to ask if he had any of the albacore tuna, which had been the special the night before.

“Of course,” he said.

A minute later Chef Zamora smiled and headed back for the kitchen, “Some people just like to know that I’m cooking their dinner.”

And if you go right about sunset, what a fabulous view out over the bay and dunes north of the bridge.

By Ron Jackimowicz

Hilltop House

Where: 93405 Wilsey Lane &
166 North Bay Dr., North Bend
When: 4 p.m. to 10 p.m., Daily
How: Call 541-756-4160 to make reservations.

Photos by Steve McCasland

The volunteer festival committee, led by Chairwoman Colleen Showalter, promises all the traditional events plus a renewed focus on the town’s favorite berry.

This year’s theme is Follow the Cranberry Road, inviting all kinds of cranberry interpretations of ‘The Wizard of Oz.”

Bandon Chamber of Commerce Director Julie Miller says she is happy with the committee’s decision to move more of the events into Old Town, including reintroducing a parade grandstand at Delaware Avenue and U.S. Highway 101, the traditional cranberry food contest, a Bandon Dunes golf challenge and the new Cranberry City.

Photos by Steve McCasland

The usual events still are planned, including the Blessing of the Harvest on Friday morning, the Queen’s Coronation on Friday evening, the parade Saturday morning, the Old Town market place, the Lions Steak Barbecue, and the Cranberry Bowl football game Saturday afternoon.

For years, local bakers and chefs have entered their cranberry creations in hopes of winning the title Queen or King of the Kitchen, sponsored by the VFW Auxiliary.

This year, the VFW will hold a craft bazaar instead, and the Cranberry Food Fair will be held at the Harbortown Events Center. Along with the change in venue, entrants can try a new category — non-edible homemade cranberry products.

Golf Challenge

The Bandon Dunes Golf Challenge was added to the festival a few years ago. This year, the virtual beat-the-pro game again will be sponsored by Bandon Dunes but located in Old Town.

Other family-friendly activities include hands-on art with the Art 101 Washed Ashore project on Alabama Avenue near the Minute Cafe, and a Bringing Jack Back mural project on Second Street near the Bandon Coffee Cafe.

Entertainment Saturday night will include a Bringing Jack Back Evening of Music and Dance fundraiser at the Sprague Theater.

The new Cranberry City will be located on the Pedway between Baltimore and Alabama avenues.

Vendor space on Cranberry City is dedicated to handmade, locally produced, cranberry-themed products.

Miller says she anticipates the best festival yet.

By Geneva Miller

The news account will go on to talk about ‘fecal bacteria.”

Besides losing your appetite, you may lose your desire to go to the beach. But there’s really no need to avoid it.

Since 2003, the Oregon Department of Human Services has administered the Beach Monitoring Program, which is funded by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Between Memorial Day and Labor Day, 81 sample locations at 25 beaches are monitored weekly, every two weeks, or monthly.

Enter Enterococcus

Samples are checked for Enterococcus, a type of bacteria found in human and animal feces. Enterococcus is easy to check for, and its presence indicates the presence of other fecal bacteria, including disease-causing organisms.

Increased levels of fecal bacteria can come from both shore and inland sources. These include wastes from seabirds, pets and livestock, as well as storm water runoff, sewer overflows and failing septic systems.

The Beach Monitoring Program’s testing can’t identify the source of the bacteria. But if program staff are aware of, for example, a recent sewage spill in the area, they will include that information in the beach-closure announcement.

Most activities OK

Fecal bacteria can cause gastroenteritis, rashes and other illnesses, especially in children and elderly persons.

Where a water contact advisory has been announced, people should avoid wading in nearby creeks or in discolored water, and stay clear of runoff into the ocean.

But other activities are fine.

That’s not the case when an entire beach closure is announced.

The Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife closes some beaches for a few weeks every year to protect birds or other wildlife when they are breeding or otherwise vulnerable.

Other closures

Beaches also can be closed by other agencies in the event of a sewage spill or other hazardous event.

Yet another kind of closure is a shellfish-harvesting closure. The Oregon Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety Division monitors shellfish for the presence of natural or artificial toxins, and it closes areas to harvesting when they are found.

If you’re planning a trip to the beach, you can learn about closures in advance by visiting the Web sites below.

Another good way to find out about closures is to call the Oregon State Park closest to the beach you want to visit. Sunset Bay State Park has information for all the beaches on the South Coast.

By Gail Elber

Beach Monitoring Program – http://oregon.gov/DHS/ph/beaches/
Food Safety Program – http://www.oregon.gov/ODA/FSD/index.shtml
Sunset Bay State Park: 541-888-3778