Community Page Updated: Thursday, August 27, 2009 5:05 AM PDT

Letters

Fugitive a fun, positive game

I am writing to say how pleased I was to read about fugitive, the summer game that our young people are playing this summer. They have included parents and the local police to keep the game within bounds, and they respect the wishes of any citizen who objects to young people passing through their property. If one has objections and makes them known to either the leader of the group or to our police, the “fugitives” avoid that property.

My granddaughter was visiting from the Chicago area this summer; and after working very hard on the Free Flight fundraiser, which was also the work of our Bandon High School students, she was invited to play fugitive. She had a great experience! She met a number of Bandon students, learned a lot about what is where in Bandon, and had great fun.

It appears that this game provides healthy exercise, a lot of fun, and a great way for teens to blow off steam at the end of summer vacation without getting involved in either alcohol or drugs. It strikes me as a much better evening pastime for young people than cruising around in speedy cars and looking for something to do. Once again our Bandon students have shown that they are the cream of the crop!

Patricia Soltys

Bandon

Thanks to Umpqua Bank

Oregon Coast Community Action wants to thank the North Bend Umpqua Bank for hosting Toy Tales from Aug. 17 to 28. We appreciate their willingness  to support local children’s programming by providing space during regular business hours for Toy Tales, an ongoing fundraising event sponsored by Oregon Coast Community Action.

Programs receiving support through Toy Tales include: Great Afternoons, South Coast Head Start, Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA), and Share Bear Snack Pack. The generosity of Umpqua Bank and the community’s support through the donation and purchase of gently used toys provides vital resources that help all South Coast children to thrive.

Oregon Coast Community Action feeds, houses, warms and educates vulnerable children and families throughout the South Coast. For more information, visit www.orcca.us.

Mary Schoen-Clark

CEO, Oregon Coast Community Action

Coos Bay

Bill could have positive impact

Oregon’s senior Senator Ron Wyden issued a press release on June 25 to announce that “U.S. Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and John Barrasso (R-Wyo.) have introduced the Rural Health Clinic Patient Access and Improvement Act of 2009, which addresses long-standing underpayments to rural health clinics, introduces a quality improvement program to RHCs, and provides incentives to recruit and retain medical professionals to rural areas.”

The content of this bill would be critically important to the viability of the Bandon Community Health Center. The improved reimbursement for rural health clinics would go a long way toward ensuring that the goal of a sliding fee schedule would be possible. BCHC has set a goal to provide primary care to all, sliding the fee to match the ability of the patient to pay; all the way down to zero if need be.

This cash flow improvement would be accomplished by extending the schedule for Medicare and Medicaid reimbursement that is now paid to federally qualified health centers to rural health centers. An equally important cost cutting provision is to protect providers in RHCs under the Federal Tort Claims Act, which removes the need for malpractice insurance.

It is important that a companion bill be introduced in the House, so I am asking you to phone Rep. Peter DeFazio’s office in Coos Bay (269-2609) and urge the congressman to introduce such a bill.

Bill Russell

Bandon

Thanks to the Keisers

The Bandon School District would like to give a big thank you to Michael and Lindy Keiser of Bandon Dunes Golf Resort for their enormously generous donation of $91,000 this year for college scholarships!

In addition to the many contributions they make to our community, Michael and Lindy feel an investment in the future of our youth is one of the most important ones they can make; therefore, for the last four years, they have donated tens of thousands of dollars to make it possible for dozens of Bandon graduates to attend a two-year or four-year college or a trade school. Without this tremendous help, many students may not reach their post-secondary dreams.

Thank you again, Michael and Lindy. You are truly an asset to our community!

Rheta Thompson

Bandon High School

Bicycle Rodeo 2009 a success

On behalf of the coordinators for the Bandon Bicycle Rodeo 2009, we would like to thank the local donors and volunteers who made this event possible. Thank you to our Bandon Police Department, which who was primarily responsible for coordination of this community event. More than 70 local children participated in bicycle safety training and received new multipurpose bicycle helmets.

Thank you to local donors who supported the event monetarily so helmets could be purchased: Joseph Bain of Bain Insurance Agency; Oregon First Community Credit Union; Umpqua Bank; Dan Farmer of State Farm Insurance; Begin Agains Consignment; Hardin Optical; Bandon Dunes Golf Resort; Henry and Johnna Hickox; Maryann Longworth; and other silent donors.

Thank you to Dave Ledig, Kay Vincent, Beth Ridenour, Mary Webb, Michelle Whitney and family, Bandon by the Sea Kiwanis, Southern Coos Hospital, Bandon Police Department and supporting staff for volunteering their time at the event. Thank you to the Bandon School District for supplying sack lunches through their lunch program for all the kids.

Thank you all for making this event a successful one! See you next year for the Bandon Bicycle Rodeo 2010!

Erin Robertson

Bandon by the Sea Kiwanis

Mary Webb

2009 Bandon Bike Rodeo commitee

Telephone town hall planned

Thanks to all who recently attended one of my 14 town hall meetings.

Many of you expressed legitimate concern about what is in the various drafts of health care reform legislation.  While it’s clear from my town hall meetings most people agree the current health care system needs to be changed, there is disagreement about the best way to do it.

I urge everyone to remember all of the proposed bills being discussed nationally are works in progress.  There are many ways to improve the proposals, and I think it will take time to craft workable reform legislation.  When I return to Washington, D.C., in September, I will share the ideas and concerns I heard from my constituents.

For those of you who weren’t able to attend one of my town hall meetings or who attended and weren’t able to get in, I will also be conducting a telephone town hall meeting on Sept. 3. To join in on the telephone town hall, e-mail me or call my office at (541) 465-6732 or (800) 944-6403 to sign up. I will need your phone number no later than Sept. 2. There is no fee for participating.

Thank you for being part of this important and necessary debate.

Peter A. DeFazio

Member of Congress