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WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2025

Brookings, Oregon

From Janitor to Roofer: One Woman's Journey to Building a Business This story is part of a women-owned business series BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

In 2017, April Hempenstall embarked on an unexpected journey as she sought a way to fund her daughter's out-of-state college tuition, which led her to become a successful roofing contractor and a champion for community involvement. "Being a public servant doesn't pay much at all," said Hempenstall, referring to her time working as a high school janitor. So to supplement her income, she started assisting a local roofing crew, a venture that quickly sparked a new passion. "I really enjoyed working outside on the roof," she explained. “It was also much better pay, which I needed at the time to help pay for my daughter’s tuition.” After about eight months of working with others in the roofing industry, Hempenstall decided to forge her own path. Her steadfast attention to detail and strong work ethics meant she prioritized buying quality roofing materials and putting the extra effort into meticulous work. April's journey into the male-dominated construction world wasn't without its hurdles, especially in her early years in Brookings, but she persevered. She obtained her license in 2016 and by April 2017 was fully up and running and has been going strong ever since. "It's hard to come into Brookings as an outsider in general, but then to also be the one and only female contractor in town is way different," she admitted. She encountered skepticism and what she described as a "good old boy mentality" replete withing the construction industry; however, Hempenstall wasn’t discouraged and that gave her the fuel to fire her ambition to strive for further success. Today, she's booked four months out, a testament to her tenacity and quality of work. She also highlighted the common challenge of customers automatically approaching her male employees instead of her, the owner. Please see WIB SERIES Page 8 "My guys are like, 'No, no, no, she's the boss, you go talk to her,'" she

Success: April Hempenstall is afraid on competing in a male-dominated business.

A Rescue Turned Recovery: Curry County Mourns Fishermen BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

A harrowing three-day search off the coast of Gold Beach for three people aboard a capsized vessel ended with one man rescued, another recovered and a third still missing. The extensive, multi-agency effort, which faced dangerous weather and water conditions, has left the community devastated. The incident began on Saturday, August 31st, at approximately 8:50 p.m., when the Curry County Sheriff's Ofﬁce received a distress call for a capsized vessel about four miles northwest of Gold Beach. Three people, Sam Waller, Robbie Nelson and Jerrod Bruner, were reported on board, with two of them trapped beneath the vessel. Coast Guard Sector Columbia River received a report from Curry County 911 of an overturned 26-foot catamaran approximately four miles off the coast of Gold Beach shortly thereafter. “Boat crews aboard a Coast Guard 47-foot mo-

tor lifeboat and 29-foot response boat from Station Chetco River and a MH-65 Dolphin helicopter crew from Air Station North Bend were dispatched to search for the missing men,” said United States Coast Guard Petty Ofﬁcer Steve Strohmaier. Sheriff John Ward and Sergeant Jared Gray were joined by several other local vessels that braved the harsh sea conditions to look for the men. A two-person jet ski team from Gold Beach Water Safety also assisted in the search. Merit Draven and Scott Feist, who arrived ﬁrst on the scene, managed to pull one of the passengers, Robbie Nelson, from the outer hull of the vessel. He was immediately transported to Curry General Hospital for treatment of hypothermia. The other two men, Waller and Bruner, were not found and were feared trapped. All were reportedly wearing life vests. Due to worsening conditions, the Sheriff's vesPlease see RESCUE Page 10

Back at port: (top) After a nine-hour trip, the boat was secured at the Port of Brookings-Harbor Ready to tow: (inset) The catamaran was secured and ready to be towed back to port

Dear Stranger ~ Get a Library Card, Get a Librarian Slimed of 200 new or renewed library card accounts. If they reach that number by the end of the month, library staff will get a bucket of slime poured over their heads at the annual Fall Festival on October 4th. The community can track the progress on a Slime-OMeter" display inside the library. That's not the only thing happening at the library this month.

BY LINDA LEE

Curry Coastal Pilot

The Chetco Library is challenging the community to a messy cause. Throughout National Library Card Sign-up month, the library will host a "Slime the Librarian" event to encourage new sign-ups and account renewals. The library has set a goal

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The library is also hosting a Library Bingo challenge for all ages, with prizes for participants who complete activities on their bingo card. The fun continues from September 8th to 13th with a Library Card Sign-up Ice Cream Social. Anyone who signs up for a new card or updates their information will get a free ice cream or pop-

sicle and a coupon for a free item from the Friends of the Chetco Library Bookstore. In addition to the festivities, the library is bringing back the popular "Dear Stranger" letter exchange project from Oregon Humanities. This fall's theme, "Real," invites participants to reﬂect on the meaning of truth and reality

in a world of "artiﬁcial" intelligence and "fake" news. The project aims to connect Oregonians through shared stories and ideas, and anyone is welcome to participate. The letters will be swapped with other letters outside of one’s zip code and it’s best not to Please see SLIMED Page 8

Phone Number: 541-813-1717 • Email: Circulation@CountryMedia.net

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