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TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2026 | theworldlink.com |

Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878

Juneteenth and Beyond, a conversation with the South Coast Health Equity Coalition By Nate Schwartz World Editor

The South Coast Health Equity Coalition (SCHEC) is in the midst of organizing their annual Juneteenth events up and down the South Coast. North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke On June 19, the federal holiday marks the day that the last slaves were emancipated in Galveston, TX, two and a half years after Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation. While it has been celebrated since the 1860’s, starting in the south with community gatherings organized through Texas churches, it was first recognized as a federal holiday in 2021. Juneteenth in Oregon dates back to 1945, was officially recognized in Portland in 1972, then statewide in 2013. While it is in many ways a celebration of emancipation, resilience, and black culture, the holiday also By Nate Schwartz serves as a sobering acknowlWorld Editor edgement. A reckoning with or collective history, the long road North Bend Mayor Jessica En- down which we’ve come, and gelke recently announced a fourth the progress that still lies ahead run for the position she’s held of us. since 2020, when she became the As part of their core mission, first female mayor in the city’s the SCHEC aims to continue history. Despite a long period that progress through a commuaway after graduating from North nity focused lens. Bend High School, Engelke re“The mission here is to be turned to her home town for what a space where community see was supposed to be a sabbatical themselves not only reflected to care for ailing family. in leadership, but in programs,” “Look at me, I start to get tears said Jayden Ruff, executive diin my eyes,” said Engelke. “I was rector. “Community members, born and raised here, graduated community partners, wanted from the local high school… I to start looking at their own came back in 2010, my dad got systems. They wanted to start sick.” asking, ‘what is our part of this Shortly before passing from work?’.” pancreatic cancer, Jim “Bear The coalition first started Claw” Engelke asked his daughactivity in 2019, and through ter “what are you going to do?”. funding from the Oregon He’d also graduated from North Health Authority has been able Bend High, raised two daughters, to build that sense of commuserved in Vietnam, and supportnity, offer services that reflect ed local unions wearing many local needs, and establish hats in the local construction and third spaces for marginalized trucking industry. His obituary groups to feel at home and at was printed here in the world in rest. They are one of ten health August of 2010. equity coalitions in the state “I can’t think of a better place of Oregon, which each look to raise kids,” said Engelke, recalling some of the final wisdom her father imparted on her. “And he was right. My daughter was ready to start kindergarten. So, I got her enrolled in Hillcrest that fall. All these things fell in place. I was able to get a teaching job at the college, and before I knew it, I found myself involved with the chamber of commerce.” Engelke recalled her time growing up, remembering herself Oregon’s U.S. Senaas someone who was always tors Jeff Merkley and Ron interested in community developWyden joined their Senate ment. She brought up memories colleagues in pressing the of starting her school’s political Trump Administration on its action club, and her time on the redirection of tens of mil1990 July Jubilee Court, a role lions of dollars from fees paid she now helps foster every year to the National Park Service as Mayor. (NPS) to fund President DonEngelke spent seven years on ald Trump’s vanity projects in the board of the Bay Area ChamWashington, D.C. ber of Commerce, acting as pres“Visitors to our national ident for a period. She felt it was parks contribute millions important to walk the walk for of dollars to the National her students at Southwest Oregon Park Service’s (NPS) budget Community College, where she by purchasing recreation passstill teaches courses in business es and digital versions of the management and administration. America the Beautiful Pass. This eventually led to a run for The American people deserve the North Bend City Council, transparency and a complete amid encouragement from folks explanation of where their at the chamber and college. money is being directed,” the “2018 was a turning point for Senators wrote in a letter to women, especially at the local Secretary of the U.S. Departgovernment level. We saw a huge ment of the Interior Doug surge,” said Engelke. “There had Burgum. been female representation over Some of the projects bethe years, but very little… I wanting funded by park entrance ed to be a good example for my fees in the D.C. area include daughters, I wanted to be a good repairing ornamental founexample for my students.” tains, recoating the Lincoln In that eight-year period, Memorial Reflecting Pool, and North Bend has seen a lot of covering statues in gold leaf.   change, sometimes incremental “This loss in revenue for our parks could have devasMAYOR tating effects on the future Continued on Page 9

North Bend Mayor talks reelection, looks for fourth term

Juneteenth 2025 (Photo by Nate Schwartz): Local band The Beeting Hearts gets the crowd moving during SCHEC’s 2025 Juneteenth Block Party.

That’s all before you get into the “health” part of their name. The coalition works with healthcare providers, clinics, housing authorities, public health orgs, etc. to assess and dismantle health-based inequities in the system. Sometimes that means helping community members navigate those systems, often literally by attending appointments with those who may not know what questions to ask. It looks like helping folks who feel isolated, or who lack transportation, or are lacking access to healthy foods and outlets. “That’s when we get to use our privilege, our power, for good. I can reach directly out to a system when someone walks through my door and says they just had this experience… Not in a way of calling someone out, but really calling them in, so that we can get down to the realness of the conversation, especially when people’s lives are impacted,” said Ruff.

different based on the needs of in the community. their community. “We do everything from “What our community calls barbecues, to fermentation on us to do is prioritize what a workshops. We did tide pooling practice of community engagelast Saturday,” explained Ruff. ment actually looks like. Where “It just a moment where comcommunity members are priori- munity can catch their breath. tized, where they’re listened to, Here at the Equity Coalition, where they’re wrapped around, we prioritize a trauma-informed they’re approach. seen. While Which means, also having you walk visibility and through those representation doors you are in their comable to take a munities,” said breath. We’re Ruff. going to feed Between you; you have their two soft spaces… community “Oftentimes centers, one when we in North Bend think about and one in stressors, we Brookings, the Alonzo Tucker Plaque: The memorial know that rest plaque for Alonzo Tucker, who was SCHEC prolynched in Marshfield in 1902. Tucker’s sometimes feels vides a catered life and legacy was honored by the like a privilege. approach to ser- Oregon Remembrance Project, Equal We wanted to vice and a sense Justice Initiative, and Coos Bay History make sure that museum in 2020. community of belonging. members and In Coos, that community partners understood comes in the form of supportthat we are led by the people ing Marshfield High’s Black we wrap around, and this is Student Union, or Soul Food Sunday programs that provide a how the community has asked black-led space open to anyone us to be centered,” said Ruff.

See More Juneteenth on page 9

Merkley, Wyden press for National Park Service dollars

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Merkley

Wyden

viability of these public natural treasures. As of the end of Fiscal Year 2025, NPS had a backlog of deferred maintenance projects totaling over $24.2 billion. Deteriorating roads, water systems, and other park facilities pose safety concerns for visitors and over time degrade the overall park experience. The redistribution of revenues to D.C. projects could mean multiple millions of dollars lost for individual national parks around the country,” the Senators wrote.   Under the Federal Lands Recreation Enhancement Act (FLREA), 80 percent of the

recreation fees paid are kept for maintenance and upkeep at the national park where the fees were collected and 20 percent can be used for other purposes by the agency. However, the allocation of this amount of park fee revenue funding to support projects for the President’s personal enjoyment is unprecedented. Additionally, the Senators emphasize that the redirecting of this money comes amidst the Administration’s drastic budget cuts to the agency and workforce reduction.

“The lack of transparency around awards for these beautification projects, as well as the loss in revenue meant for the maintenance and betterment of our national parks threatens the public’s trust and the long-term integrity of our nation’s most beloved public lands. Accordingly, as we investigate the potential waste, fraud, and abuse by the administration, we request a detailed explanation for where the revenue from digital passes is being directed and what percentage of this revenue is supporting the D.C. projects rather than supporting the maintenance of our public parks,” the Senators concluded.   The letter was led by U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.). In addition to Merkley and Wyden, the letter is signed by U.S. Senators Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Angus King (I-Maine), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Edward Markey (D-Mass.), and Jack Reed (D-R.I.).

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