BUSINESS BRIEFS
16 • AUGUST 2022
COAST RIVER BUSINESS JOURNAL
Shaffer named chef at Newmans at 988
Dru Shaffer has been promoted to chef
de cuisine at Newmans at 988 following the
death of owner John Newman.
Shaffer has been running the line and
doing most of the cooking at the Cannon
Beach restaurant since 2020.
“John wanted to explore what ‘retire-
ment’ might look like moving forward own-
ing the restaurant. He was happy to see that
not only could it survive without him cook-
ing, but under Dru both the food and the
staff were thriving,” the restaurant said in a
statement.
Shaffer is an aspiring executive chef.
He met Newman in 2017 at United Way of
Clatsop County’s Iron Chef Goes Coastal
event. He started as a dishwasher at New-
mans the next year, and worked his way up
to cooking.
Newman died in a car crash in Tilla-
mook County in June. His wife, Sandy, said
she could see Shaffer was up to the task of
carrying on Newman’s legacy.
“Sandy, Dru and the entire Newmans
staff are committed to honoring John by pro-
viding our guests with the very best in food
and service. We are thankful for your contin-
ued support, and we look forward to serving
you,” the restaurant said the statement. Shaf-
fer named chef at Newmans at 988.
Program provides
rural training at
Ocean Beach Hospital
The first of at least a dozen residents has arrived
at Ocean Beach Hospital and Medical Clinics in
Ilwaco.
The residents come from the Providence Everett
Internal Medicine Residency Program in conjunc-
tion with Washington State University’s Elson S.
Floyd College of Medicine.
The hospital will be hosting one resident per
month on rotation. The program aims to provide
rural training to licensed physicians in their second
or third year of residency.
“Ideally, one or even two of these resident-pro-
gram physicians will someday return to south Pacific
County, perhaps to staff the Ilwaco Clinic expansion
that is currently being planned for 2023-2024,” said
Larry Cohen, the hospital’s retiring chief executive
officer, in a statement.
Talks
between
the
hospital
and
college for developing the program began
in 2016. Dr. Laurie A. Belknap oversees the
program locally.
“I am so grateful to Dr. Belknap for jumping in
and for the skill set she brings to this partnership
program,” Cohen said. “She is an excellent physi-
cian, and OBHMC is fortunate to have her on our
team.”
Soule to lead expansion
at Oregon Coast Bank
Heather Soule has accepted
a position with Oregon Coast
Bank, where she will operate its
remote loan production office
and lead the bank’s expansion
efforts on the coasts of Oregon
and Washington state.
Soule, a graduate of Ilwaco
Heather Soule
Dru Shaffer has been promoted to chef
de cuisine at Newmans at 988 following the
death of owner John Newman.
Shaffer has been running the line and
doing most of the cooking at the Cannon
Beach restaurant since 2020.
“John wanted to explore what ‘retire-
ment’ might look like moving forward own-
ing the restaurant. He was happy to see that
not only could it survive without him cook-
ing, but under Dru both the food and the
staff were thriving,” the restaurant said in a
statement.
Shaffer is an aspiring executive chef.
He met Newman in 2017 at United Way of
High School, worked at Key Bank for 24 years.
Starting as a teller during her senior year, she even-
tually became a branch manager at Long Beach. As
a commercial and consumer lender in the area, she
specialized in fishing industry lending.
Oregon Coast Bank operates six branches in the
counties of Lincoln and Tillamook.
“What I’ve always valued most about being a
banker is the opportunity to make a genuine differ-
ence in the community by providing loans for local
families and businesses,” Soule said in a statement.
“I also consider myself a problem solver for my
customers. Oregon Coast Bank is well known in the
industry for having a roll-up-your sleeves, can-do
attitude. They believe in community banking, fast
loan approval and understanding the true needs
of customers. They are also by far the most active
lender for the fishing industry in the Pacific North-
west. To have an opportunity to bring that kind (of)
banking to our local area was something too good
to pass up.”
Cooper named
creative director at the
Oregon Coast Visitors
Association
Kim Cooper is the new cre-
ative director at the Oregon Coast
Visitors Association.
Cooper’s writing career
includes work in magazines and
several published books. Her
work includes “Day Trips to the
Oregon Coast: Getaway Ideas for
Kim Cooper
the Local Traveler,” and a mys-
tery novel she wrote with her daughter called “The
Sixth Storm.”
Cooper and her husband co-own an independent
book publishing company named Dancing Moon
Press.
Cooper grew up in Coos County and has a mas-
Clatsop County’s Iron Chef Goes Coastal
event. He started as a dishwasher at New-
mans the next year, and worked his way up
to cooking.
Newman died in a car crash in Tilla-
mook County in June. His wife, Sandy, said
she could see Shaffer was up to the task of
carrying on Newman’s legacy.
“Sandy, Dru and the entire Newmans
staff are committed to honoring John by
providing our guests with the very best in
food and service. We are thankful for your
continued support, and we look forward
to serving you,” the restaurant said the
statement.
ter’s degree in environmental education from Ore-
gon State University. She lives in Lincoln City with
her husband and two daughters.
Job corps students
get experience at
painting company
Students from Tongue Point Job Corps Center
have temporarily joined Precision Coast Painting
Inc. in Ocean Park, Washington, to get real-world
work experience.
Tongue Point’s painting program teaches stu-
dents basic safety and skills before placing them
with a local company to gain experience. Students
who complete their classroom and work-based
training will receive a certificate of completion.
“For us, it’s a win-win situation,” said Peter
Charlton, of Precision Coast Painting, in a job corps
statement.
“Especially now, after one of the wettest spring
seasons in recordable history, years of COVID
uncertainty and restrictions, and the labor shortage
that ensued. The infusion of energetic, enthusiastic
students improves (morale) for the entire crew and
gives us much needed traction,” he said.
Darr joins Ocean Beach
Hospital as family nurse
practitioner
Emily Darr has joined Ocean
Beach Hospital and Medi-
cal Clinics as a family nurse
practitioner.
She has 11 years of clinical
and teaching experience, work-
ing in women’s health and pri-
mary care.
Darr previously worked at the
Emily Darr
Dru Shaffer
Family Care Clinic on the Mariana Islands, and was
the only provider on the northern island of Tinian in
2018 and 2019.
She began her career in Ohio, where she worked
at OhioHealth Mansfield Hospital and at Ashland
University. She received a master’s degree from
Chamberlain University’s College of Nursing.
“I love making connections with patients to help
them feel empowered to advocate for their best
health outcomes. I truly understand the demands of
rural health care. My rural experience has made me
resourceful and innovative; it has helped me pro-
vide better comprehensive, high-quality care,” Darr
said in a statement.
Darr, who works out of the Ilwaco and Ocean
Park medical clinics, is looking forward to working
with young families.
Kayak rental service
comes to Port of
Peninsula
NAHCOTTA — A new kayak rental service is
now available at the Port of Peninsula.
Offered through kayakshare.com, two double
kayaks ($14.99 per 30 minutes) and two single
kayaks ($9.99 per 30 minutes) can be rented from
a station located next to the port’s boat ramp.
The service was started to allow people to
experience the joy of kayaking without the upfront
expense or transport hassles.
“We make kayaking easy,” according to the
website.
“(Kayakshare.com) eliminates all that and
instead lets you easily rent a kayak from where
you’re planning to be already. Easy. Simple.”
The kayak rental service is also offered
at waterways in Everett, Bellingham and
Steilacoom.
For more information or to secure a rental,
visit
kayakshare.com/long-beach-wa-kayak-
rental.