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SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946 www.currypilot.com

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1, 2024

Brookings, Oregon

Chetco Valley Historical Society honors Hannans Marie was raised in Smith River, graduating from Del Norte High School in 1961. Marie’s father, Frank Bettencourt, was a native of Smith River, born in 1909. Larry was introduced to his future wife Marie at the Brookings Elks Lodge. The story goes: Larry had a date one evening with a gal from Gold Beach, where they went to the Elks Lodge. Marie happened to be at the Lodge that same evening with her cousin who was a cocktail waitress. After Larry took his date back to Gold Beach, he returned to the Lodge about 12:30 am, and Marie was still there. The two courted for three months, and Larry and Marie were married at the Brookings Lodge in July of 1967. Larry is a long-time BPOE

For the Pilot Larry moved to Brookings with his parents George and Ethel Hannan in 1951, arriving in their Model A from Myrtle Creek, OR. His father George had purchased a share of Brookings Plywood Mill. The family lived in a two-room tent for one year in Harbor, while George built their family home on which later became Hannan Lane. Larry and Marie still live on Hannan Lane in a home they built on the same location of the two-room tent, on the property his parents purchased 73 years ago. Both Larry and Marie have deep roots in the area. Larry graduated from Brookings-Harbor High School in 1957, later joining the US ARMY, serving time in Korea and active duty until 1963, then remained in the US ARMY Reserves until 1966.

Please see HANNAN, Page 7

California resident dies in cliff fall Zonta Club announces $20,000 scholarship

STAFF REPORT Country Media, Inc.

The Curry County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce 911 Dispatch received information from the Brookings Police Dispatch, of a call from a person who had been hiking the coastal trail near Natural Bridges, about twelve miles north of Brookings, at approximately 2:35 p.m. Sunday April 21. The caller relayed that he had seen a person on the rocks below him that appeared to be deceased. Sheriff’s deputies responded to the area along with an Oregon State trooper. The Curry County Sheriff’s SAR team was also called to the scene. “Several SAR members set up a raising system and SAR members Andy Stubbs and Tim Hawkins rappelled approximately 300’ down to the victim,” according to a Curry County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce Facebook post. “Due to the location and steep terrain, additional help was requested.” Members from Cape Ferello and the Brookings Fire Department arrived along with a USFS law

enforcement officer to help carry the victim back to the parking area where the victim was released to Redwood Memorial. The victim was identified as 69-year-old Richard Ehrhart from San Jose, California. Ehrhart had been hiking with his wife and they had separated on the trail and the wife returned to their car, unknowingly that her husband had fallen. A Chaplin had been called and responded to assist with the notification

to Ehrhart’s wife, Susan Kimura. The Oregon State Police. The lead agency for the investigation, has provided the information to the Curry County District Attorney. “We here at the Curry County Sheriff’s Ofﬁce express our condolences to the family and friends of Richard Ehrhart. We also want to remind everyone of the dangers of hiking the coastal trails, and to please be safe,” the Facebook post reads.

Renewed long-term commitment to Western Oregon's wildﬁre response BY JEREMY C. RUARK Country Media, Inc.

Members of the Oregon Congressional delegation are calling for a renewed long-term commitment to the Western Oregon Operating Plan (WOOP). Set to expire June 30 of this year, the WOOP serves as the agreement that governs ﬁre response for BLM, the Oregon Department of Forestry, and Forest Protective Associations all over western Oregon. Oregon’s U.S. Senator Jeff Merkley and U.S. Representative Val Hoyle today led U.S. Senator Ron Wyden and U.S. Representatives Earl Blumenauer, Suzanne Bonamici, Andrea Salinas, Lori Chavez-DeRemer, and Cliff Bentz made the request in a letter to Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Director Tracy Stone-Manning. “As you know, the checkerboard ownership pattern of Bureau of Land Management (BLM) forest lands in western Oregon is unique and creates approximately 14,000 miles of jurisdictional boundaries between federal, tribal, state, county, and private timberlands,” the lawmakers wrote. “The complexity of managing ﬁres through-

Please see WILDFIRE, Page 9

INDEX

The Zonta Club of the Coos Bay Area is pleased to announce that once again applications are open for the Patty J Barton Memorial Scholarship. Patty Barton was a long-time member of the Zonta Club of the Coos Bay Area. Widowed at 28, Patty was left alone to raise her two daughters. She worked hard to give them a good life, overcoming many challenges. When she passed in 2018, after her courageous battle with cancer, a scholarship fund was established in her name. This undergraduate scholarship is available to Coos and Curry County residents. This includes students who consider Coos or Curry Counties their home base when away at college. Preference for this scholarship is given to applicants who demonstrate focus and determination in facing significant life challenges from which they are rebuilding. Financial need is also considered. Patty had a passion for providing educational opportunities to women who faced challenges as she once did as a single parent. With the support of her husband Jon Barton, Zonta is able to offer the Patty J Barton Memorial Scholarship for a fifth consecutive year. The scholarship with the potential to total $20,000 is paid directly to the student’s accredited school of choice for tuition, books and other education related fees & costs. The total award amount will be divided and paid over several qualifying terms of study until fully expended. Application due date is April 15, 2024, with scholarship awarded by May 31, 2024. Application is available now on the club’s website www. zontacoosbayarea.org. The scholarship fund is administered by the Coos Bay Area Zonta Service Foundation. Funds are currently raised from designated contributions and through the club’s fundraising efforts. Nikki Wright of Coos Bay received the first scholarship in 2020, Jasmine Herrera of Coos Bay the second in 2021, Linda Robbins of Myrtle Point the third in 2022 and Courtney Jeffs Coos Bay the fourth in 2023. For more information or to donate to Zonta visit www. zontacoosbayarea.org.

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Address: 519 Chetco Avenue, Unit 7, Brookings, OR 97415 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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