Blessing of Fleet

The annual Charleston Blessing of the Fleet and Memorial Service will be held at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 26, at the Charleston Fisherman’s Memorial near the launch ramp at the marina.

The service will honor the more than 125 local men and women associated with the commercial fishing industry who have died since 1941. This year, one name will be added to the “Lost at Sea” plague, Andrew J. Herbert-Hopper. Three names will be added to the “In Memory” plaque: Vincent Murphy, Don “Rocky” Rockwood and Bob Worstenburg.

James Moore, a local commercial Salmon troller, will provide opening and closing remarks. Pastor Ross Wilbanks of the Charleston Community Church will deliver a memoriam, and Tom Shine and Friends will perform on the bagpipes to open and close the blessing event. The U.S. Naval Sea Cadet Corps, Abraham Lincoln Division, will provide a color guard.

Performers will include Jenny Blood, the Charleston Community Church choir, Nancy Joy Butler, the Young Bucs and Ric Morrison.

Following the blessing and memorial service, the Charleston Fishwives will host a coffee and cake reception at the Charleston Marina RV recreation room, 63402 Kingfisher Road.

A U.S. Coast Guard motor lifeboat from Lifeboat Station Charleston will load floral arrangements to take them to sea and lay on the water in a brief ceremony.

Floral arrangements or memorial wreaths must be biodegradable.

Parade downtown CB

The 20th-annual Memorial Day Parade in Coos Bay will begin at 11 a.m. The theme is “This is Our Country; Peace is America’s Dream.” The parade will begin at Golden Avenue and travel north on Fourth Street, east on Commercial Avenue to Second Street and then south on Second to end at Curtis Avenue. Most of the detours will begin at 9 a.m.

Bandon Shop Hop

Bandon will host its first-ever Shop Hop over the Memorial Day weekend, featuring nearly 30 businesses and chances to win gift certificates to local businesses.

The Shop Hop will include Bandon businesses who have come together to encourage the community to enjoy a day in Bandon and, at the same time, become reacquainted with the products and services those businesses offer, according to a press release.

Shop Hop game cards and scavenger hunt questions are available at Bandon Mercantile and Devon’s Boutique, beginning Saturday morning and continuing through Sunday. Most Bandon shops are open from around 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Each “Shop-Hopper” will receive a game card and a list of questions about Bandon merchants. When the Shop-Hopper visits the participating merchant and correctly answers the questions about that merchant, he or she receives a stamp on the game card.

The grand prize is a two-night stay at Bandon Dunes Golf Resort, complete with four rounds of golf and a $100 gift certificate for dinner at the resort’s gourmet restaurant. Other prizes include $25 gift certificates and $15 gift certificates.

For more information, those interested can call Hagglund at 347-9021 or Cyndi Olive at the Nodnab Shop, 347-8303.

Coquille to hold three memorial ceremonies

The American Legion Post No. 36 will join the VFW Post & Auxiliary No. 965 in holding the Annual Memorial Day Ceremonies on Monday, May 26.  The first ceremony will be at 9:30 a.m. at Sturdivant Park, with the throwing of the Commemorative Wreath into the Coquille River to remember all the men and women lost at sea. Ceremonies will continue at the Veterans Memorial  with the lowering of the Flags and placing of the wreath as a tribute to all veterans, followed by Taps.

The ceremonies will continue at 10 a.m. at Myrtle Crest Cemetery, on Rink Creek Road. The public is invited to join the Veterans Service Organization Members to honor family and friends. A person at each of the Flag Poles in the Circle of Flags is needed, so that each flag can be lowered in unison. Taps also will be played.

At 10:30, ceremonies will continue at the Masonic Cemetery, Pioneer Cemetery, across the street from Coquille High School, with the final ceremony held at City Cemetery, on 6th Street, next to Emmanuel Baptist Church.

For information, those interested can call VFW commander Jim Galton at 396-5451, Auxiliary President Fran Capehart at 396-5387 or 396-5131 in the mornings.

Legion presents Avenue of Flags

The  American Legion Bay Area Post No. 34 will officiate and the Bay Area AMVETS Post  No. 10 will present the Avenue of Flags at the annual Memorial Day public service, at 10 a.m. at Ocean View Memory Gardens, 1525 Ocean Blvd. and 11 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Park, 63060 Millington Frontage Road in Coos Bay, on Monday.

Additionally, a memorial service will be held at 9 a.m. at Sunset Memorial Park Mausoleum Chapel, with Father Karl Schray of Holy Redeemer Catholic Church officiating.

Highland Bag Piping and Drumming will be provided by Barry R. and Kathy J. Johnson of Cottage Grove following the services at Sunset Memorial Park.

Information and assistance locating grave spaces and flower placement will be provided throughout the weekend by the staff of Sunset Memorial Park, 267-7182, and Ocean View Memory Gardens, 888-4709.

For more information, those interested can call Tom Boynton at 267-3131 or Richard Billman with the American Legion at 297-0749.

Bandon Blessing of the Fleet

The Port of Bandon’s annual Blessing of the Fleet will be held at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday at the Fisherman’s Memorial, in the boat launching parking lot at the boardwalk in Old Town. Members of the Bandon Ministerial Association will officiate in conjunction with the U.S. Coast Guard, Coquille River Patrol. Those who wish can bring to the service flowers and the names of loved ones who died serving our country or who were lost at sea. Following the service, the clergy will board the Coast Guard vessel to lay the wreaths and flowers on the Coquille River bar crossing. A gun salute on the South Jetty will be provided by the VFW Post 3440. This year, a myrtlewood bench with a bronze plaque will be dedicated in memory of Andrew Hebert-Hopper, a Bandon native lost at sea on Dec. 7, 2007. The bench will be placed on the boardwalk.

Vietnam Vets present medals

Vietnam Veterans of America Chapter No. 799 will host the Veterans of Oregon Honorable Service Medal Presentation Ceremony at 1 p.m. on Saturday at the Marshfield High School main gym, on 10th and Ingersoll in Coos Bay. Doors will open at noon. The ceremony is free to all veterans. Guest speakers will include Sen. Joanne Verger, D-Coos Bay, with a special presentation by Becky Soules about the Marshfield Pioneer Cemetery.

Any veteran who is serving or has served under honorable conditions is eligible to receive the award, presented on behalf of the citizens in Oregon. To register, a veteran must present proof one of the following: Form DD-214 denoting honorable service in the U.S. Armed Forces, valid military photo ID card if on active duty, valid photo ID if retired or a service-connected disabled veteran, a valid Veterans Administration medical photo ID card or a signed affidavit declaring honorable status. Veterans also must provide their date of birth and the last four digits of their social security number.

Veterans must be present. If the veteran is deceased, a family member may apply; the veteran must be buried in Oregon, and a death certificate is required.

For more information and to pre-register, those interested can call the Southwestern Oregon Veterans Outreach at 756-8718.

Military officers welcome Lange

The Military Officers Association of America will meet at noon on Saturday at Mamma Mia’s restaurant in the Pony Village Mall, 1611 Virginia Ave., North Bend.

The special guest at the meeting will be Col. Lee Lange USMC, retired, director of MOAA Council and Chapter Affairs Department. He will talk about being a MOAA member and chapter activities. Lange is a 30-year Marine Corps officer.

MOAA is a 75-year-old organization for anyone who has served as an officer in any US military service. They meet monthly and donate to local military activities. MOAA also offers with help and service in health, finance, travel, career, discounts, education and more.  

All former military officers can attend. For more information and to RSVP, those interested can call 756-1876.

Reedsport parade route changes

The Memorial Day Parade in Reedsport will be in a new location in old town Reedsport, but held at the same time —  noon — on Monday, Memorial Day.

Parade participants will travel from Waterfront Avenue on state Highway 38 to Railroad Avenue then turn and go back down Greenwood to the staging area at Rainbow Plaza.

Parking for the parade will be available at numerous parking lots located on Winchester Avenue. In addition, the side streets off Winchester Avenue also will be used for parking. A shuttle bus to the parade route will be available from the Reedsport Junior/Senior High School parking lot and the Price ‘n’ Pride parking lot as well, beginning at 10 a.m.

A Memorial Service will follow the parade at Hahn Memorial Park, beginning at 1:30 p.m. Green Beret paratroopers will drop into Hahn Memorial Park with a 30-by-60-foot American flag to initiate the service. A community barbecue will be held on site as well.