Port Orford News
Page 4 • July 29, 2009
Centered seniors
By Beverly Dunlap
For the Port Orford News
“I laugh a lot. It’s one of the most life-
sustaining things you can do. The other
night I had a friend over, and we had a
laugh on the couch until we couldn’t
breathe. I really think something healing
happens when you have a gut-busting
laugh.”
— From Mariska Hargitay on what she
does to nurture herself.
I want you to know that I am a woman of
my word. Here is the promised story about a
cat! The story took place several years ago,
but I think it is an “oldy” but “goody”!
I hear a cat crying every day. It is not our
cat, I have checked that out. Maybe it is a
stray at our back door that is hungry but
there is no cat there. Still hearing that
meow! Our daughter comes in from school,
sitting in the kitchen doing her homework
and tells me she hears a cat meow every
few minutes. My husband comes in from
work and also reports that he hears a meow
every three or four seconds. That is enough
– this has been going on for three days and
we still cannot figure out where it is coming
from.
My husband takes the bait and starts
Itʼs a small world ...
roaming around the house to see if he can
find the meowing cat – to no avail! So he
comes back into the house and walks all
around, stopping on the sun porch and
stamps his foot on the floor on a spot near
the door (no cat outside the door) must be
under the floor.
He asked me if I cared if he cut through
the carpet to get under the floor. I quickly
said no (I hated that old carpet anyway!)
He checked out the basement, again to no
avail, except he could still hear the cat cry-
ing.
Back to the sun porch and with a carpet
knife. It took several minutes to cut through
that old carpet, but finally he took a 24 x 24
square out of it, and below that was a square
door in the wooden floor. We had no idea
that this door was in the floor as the carpet
had been there since before we bought the
house.
My husband opened the hatch and
revealed an old dry well. I had never seen
one of those before. It was all cemented
walls and a dry dirt floor. On that floor was
a darling little black and white kitten. I
would guess that it may have been six or
seven weeks old. By this time, the cries
were pretty weak. The dry well was 20 feet
deep, with no way to access it. It was origi-
nally used to hold water from a regular well
to facilitate having water inside the house.
The house was 125 years old and no doubt
the dry well had been added some time
later.
We also have no idea how the cat dropped
into that lost space. It may have been lost
and looking for a warm place and fell in
from one side or the other. But in that well
she was and we had to try to get her out.
My husband got a three-quarter-inch rope
and asked our daughter if he could tie the
rope around her waste and lower her into
the well and she could then pick up the cat.
She was small and light and that would
have worked. “no way” she said to her dad!
“I am not going to be dropped into that
hole”!
My husband tied a knot in the end of the
rope and lowered it into the well. The des-
perate kitten climbed into the hole and he
was able to bring her straight up to our
waiting arms. Boy-O-Boy did she drink
water, and a lot of it. She was dehydrated
and hungry and very much afraid, but some
water, cat food and loving saved the day
and the cat!
It was a wonderful adventure that turned
out well for the cat and for me – I got a new
carpet on the sun porch!
Smile or laugh every day, if you can find
a reason to do so!
Photos by Lance Nix
These are some local
honeybees, pho-
tographed by our own
Lance Nix whose
pictures reveal new
worlds for our pleasure.
News briefs
Free Flight receives no local,
state or federal funds, and relies
solely on public support.
“By attending ‘Mending
Wings and Songs to Sing,’ you
can learn more about Free Flight
and how you can help support
their mission, while enjoying an
assortment of delicious refresh-
ments and local entertainment,”
said Tatiana Havill, one of the
event’s organizers and perform-
ers.
The variety show will feature
many local talents, including
Candace Kreitlow, Vicki
Affatati, Hayley Moore, Tatiana
Havill, Emma and Brendan
Fisher, Mary Lane, Rachel
Reddick, Jason Duval, Jack
Fraser and Jeff Eikamp. The
silent auction will have items
ranging from gift baskets from
local businesses to one-a-kind
pieces of art, jewelry and other
beautiful works.
Those who attend the show
will be entered into a drawing
for an exclusive door prize that
will remain secret but, accord-
ing to Havill, “Will have some-
thing to do with a delicious
meal.”
For more information, call the
Sprague Theater at 347-7426.
Please note that tickets also are
available at the door prior to the
show. Thanks!
Area happenings
There will not be Hospice
receiving of donations this
Saturday as it conflicts with the
Sunset Garden Club tour. That
means Saturday, August 1 is the
last day to contribute to the
upcoming Hospice sale.
Bridge winners for the past
three sessions are as follows:
Lee Kincaid high and Sherry
Johnson second; Jean Shank a
very high score with Ed
McQuade second and this past
week Elaine Owen was high
and Lee Kincaid second. It is a
most friendly group.
Lastly, I say Go Hawthorne's.
What a wonderful thing you are
doing for our community. We
have survived the controversy
over "the wall" and now this
over an additional parking
space.
Someone needs to get a life.
By Lee Kincaid
Some spots remain
open for 4-H camp
There are a dozen or so spots
still available for this year’s 4-H
Summer Camp to be held
August 4 through the 7.
The annual fun-filled summer
camp is available to all youth in
Curry County who have com-
pleted grades 3-5.
Camp typically accommo-
dates (65) or so youth and
we’ve got a few bunks still
available, espe-
cially for boys.
The numbers
for girls is
strong this
year but
we could
use a
few
more young men to round out
the camping experience.
Camp activities include crafts,
educational programs, swim-
ming, hiking, campfire activi-
ties, games and friendship build-
ing to last a lifetime.
Lobster Creek 4-H Camp is
run by OSU Extension Staff and
adult volunteers, with local high
school youth as Camp
Counselors.
For registration information,
contact the Curry County 4-H
Extension office at 1-800-356-
3986 or 247-6672.
Contributed photo
Carlee Christoferson is
shown being taught to
make Tortillas from scratch.
‘Grow Yer Grub’
camp is coming up
Growin’ Yer Grub Summer
Day camp for children who
have just completed 3rd-5th
grades will be held in Coquille
on August 4-7, and in Coos Bay
/ North Bend August 18-21,
2009.
The camp will run from 9:30
a.m. until 5 p.m.
Cost for the camp is $35,
which includes planting and
cooking materials and daily
swimming.
Children will need to bring
their own sack lunch each day.
If your child has a summer
swim pass at the North Bend or
Coquille Pool, the fee is
reduced.
The camp will teach kids how
to grow their own food and
what to do with it after they
grow it.
The participants will be given
the opportunity to learn about
plants, insects, ecology, cook-
ing, nutrition and food safety.
The day camp is a combined
effort between the Coos County
OSU Master Gardeners, the
Coos County Family Food
Educators and 4-H.
For registration information
or questions please call 541-
572-5263 or stop by the OSU
Coos County Extension Office,
Ohlsen Baxter Building, 631
Alder St, Myrtle Point, OR
97458.
You can also go online to find
out more and to download a reg-
istration form. Go to
http://extension.oregonstate.edu/
coos/ and click on Growin’ Yer
Grub Summer Day Camp.
Because of limited space at
the camp sites we are only
able to accommodate 20 kids
on a first come first serve
basis, so if you are interested
don’t delay in registering
your child.
Registration must be in by
July 24, 2009 for the Coquille
camp and August 7 for the Bay
Area Camp.
Help 4-H and win
Nigerian dwarf goat
Raffle tickets are now avail-
able for Megan, a two year-old
Nigerian Dwarf doe goat donat-
ed by the breeder, Carrie Harris,
of Tualatin Acres in Myrtle
Point.
This prize is valued at $250
and includes an optional breed-
ing in the fall of 2009. These
small dairy goats are excellent
milk producers after freshening
(dry now) or will just keep your
brush trimmed for you.
Sweet dispositions make them
a good match with children also.
Tickets are $3 each or 2 for
$5 and are available at Coos
County OSU Extension (Ohlsen
Baxter Building, 631 Alder St,
Myrtle Point, OR) and at the
Coos County Fair. All proceeds
go to 4-H. For more info call
572-5263.
Come see Megan at the
Babies and Ladies in Waiting
Birthing Center during the fair.
The drawing will be the
evening of August 1 after the
Pig Scramble.
Need not be present to win.
Trial membership to
Chamber offered
From July 13 to July 31 the
Port Orford North Curry County
Fresh local fish available for purchase through POORT
cod, deep-water red rockfish,
cabezon, and lingcod. Tuna
and halibut are available on a
limited basis. Packages will
range from 1-2 lbs. Remember
to bring your local ID to get
your 15% discount!
Fish will be sold out of the
Port Orford Ocean Resource
Come by and get your fish!
This fish is from our own Port
Orford fleet, processed
through Fisherman’s Direct in
Gold Beach within 24 hours of
harvest, vacuum-sealed and
blast-frozen. Different species
are available based on the
catch. This will include black-
Chamber of Commerce is offer-
ing a trial membership for busi-
nesses in order to showcase the
new webspace on the
PortOrfordChamber.com and
DiscoverPortOrford.com web-
sites!
Check out the listings, and if
you like what you see, make
sure to turn in your renewal
form, or download a new one
from our site at http://www.por-
torfordchamber.com/join!
Vacation Bible
School set at POCC
During the week of August 3-
7, children ages 6-12 can attend
the Daily Vacation Bible School
at the First Community Church,
20th and Jackson, from 9 a.m.
to noon.
There will be fun activities,
crafts, snacks, skits, music, and
Bible stories. Watch for the
famous "Water Day" on Friday!
So bring your kids to the Son
World Adventure Park.
Rhymes and Rhythms
is on month’s first
Thursdays
No fiddles, no sonnets!
Rhymes and Rhythms (open
mike without a mike) meets the
first Thursday of every month at
Theatre 101 at 7 p.m.
So far, we’ve enjoyed oboe
and flutes, guitars, piano, and
voice; but have yet to hear a fid-
dle. We’ve heard free and blank
verse, haiku, rap, and nonsense
ditties, but no sonnets.
There are many other
acoustic instruments, and other
poetic forms that have yet to be
featured.
Surprise us!
Audience welcome to this
free and family-friendly enter-
tainment.
August’s Rhymes and
Rhythms is on the sixth. Music,
word art, home-made refresh-
Team Office, located on 6th
street to your left as you head
down to the dock. Julie will be
available to help you.
Hours of operation:
M-TH 8:30-12 noon
Cash and check only please.
Be sure to ask for some
tasty recipe cards!
ments!
Living history set at
Hughes House
Short living history presenta-
tions at historic Hughes House
near Port Orford will be offered
twice in August. "Tea With
Father Keveny" will take place
three times Wednesday, August
12 at 11 a.m., 1:30 and 3 p.m.
Jane Hughes will be portrayed
by Inge Licon and Father
Charles Keveny by Greg Ryder.
"Jane and Annie at Home"
will be the last presentation of
the season Wednesday, August
26 with Inge Licon as Jane and
Dawn Sorensen as her daughter-
in-law Annie Hughes.
Scheduled times are the same
as above, with the possibility of
others, depending on the num-
ber of visitors to the house.
For more information contac
Shirley Nelson at 541-332-9002.
‘Women’s Time-Out’
is Monday, Aug. 3
A special evening event is
scheduled for the next Women's
Time-Out in Bandon on
Monday, August 3, at 6 p.m.
Cyrilla Gleason, a certified
tea and etiquette consultant, will
be featured. She'll talk about tea
settings, and how tea can be a
special part of any occasion.
Our guest speaker will be
Cheryl Best from Vancouver,
Washington, whose inspiring
life story was featured in a
national magazine. You'll laugh
and cry as she shares how an
adoption came full circle and
brought her a once-in-a-lifetime
second chance.
Dinner will be at 6 p.m.
Monday, August 3, at the
Bandon VFW Building, 55382
Bates Road. Dinner will cost
$10. Please make reservations
by Friday, July 31. Call 347-
4024, 332-2765, or e-mail
AnnaBandon@aol.com.
Born on Sunday ...
Oregon Coast closed
to recreational
mussel harvestings
PON photo by Matt Hall
Another of Jean Marshʼs dams had a foal this Sunday -
thatʼs three foals for the Marshʼs so far this spring/
summer. The little filly looks sturdy, but mother is
always right there to look over her youngster.
The Oregon Department of
Agriculture has extended the
area closed to recreational mus-
sel harvesting to include the
entire coast, from the mouth of
the Columbia River to the
California border. The closure is
due to elevated levels of paralyt-
ic shellfish poisoning or PSP
toxins and includes mussels on
all beaches, rocks, jetties, and at
See BRIEFS, page 5
Chef David Smith
The Port & Starboard Restaurant
Homemade Desserts
Orders to go ◆ Open until 9 p.m., 7 days a week
The Best Clam Chowder in Curry County
460 Madrona Ave. & Highway 101 ◆ 541-332-4515
Port Orford’s family restaurant
Salads, pizza, pasta, steaks, fresh fish