WEEKEND EDITION
Friday March 6, 2020
www.currypilot.com
SERVING CURRY COUNTY SINCE 1946
Brookings, Oregon
High-speed internet may be in South Coast’s future H
Linda Pinkham Staff Writer
igh-speed broadband through fiber network connections may soon become a reality for all CoosCurry Electric Coop (CCEC) customers. The company has spent the past couple of years exploring the feasibility of the project, including town hall meetings in the communities of Gold Beach,
Port Orford and Coquille last week. CCEC’s service territory is 2,475 square miles. A full build-out of a fiber-to-thehome system would make service available to nearly 15,000 households and businesses. “Coos Curry Electric is very member-focused,” General Manager and CEO, Brent Bischoff said. “We want to ensure that if we are going to provide this
broadband service, we make it available to all our members. It will be a future-proof option that’s high quality and high speed.” “What prompted the discussion was the observation that a lot of our members are outside the more urban areas and are either underserved or have zero connectivity,” said Jacob Knudsen, CCEC marketing and member services manager. “I think it’s obvious
to everyone, the impact that has on the urban-rural divide and the economic impact on our area.” “The benefits are not just the revenue stream that could potentially come to the cooperative and its members,” said Paul Recanzone, special projects manager at CCEC. “The other benefits to members are the increase to property value, the opportunity for live and work
chances, the opportunity to grow education, the opportunity to extend health care into individual’s homes through broadband, and opportunities we can’t even imagine right now.” “The response has been overwhelmingly positive, both in identifying a real need in the community and in our members’ support of CCEC fulfilling that need,” Bischoff said. “Our research
City of Port Orford to receive $10,000
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ight Curry County organizations will share more than $40,000 in grants from the Coquille Tribal Community Fund for programs addressing hunger, historic preservation and other community needs. The tribe announced its 2020 grants this week, distributing money to 71 community groups in five Oregon counties. This year’s grants total $366,126. Since 2002, the fund has distributed nearly $6.1 million. Here’s a list of this year’s Curry County grantees: • The Brookings Harbor Education Foundation will receive $4,300 for its STEAM program in Brookings-Harbor public schools. • Curry Watersheds Partnership will receive $5,000 to replace an undersized culvert at Greggs Creek. • Brookings Harbor Community Helpers Food Bank will receive $5,000 for snack Sunnie Dimmick (left) and Braden Curtis receive instruction from Jock Headlee about how to correctly cross through a fence with a hunting partner. Photos by Linda Pinkham.
Hunter Safety is a hands-on learning
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packs for youth. • CASA of Douglas County will receive $7,500 for children’s mental health diagnosis. • Christian Help of Gold Beach will receive $2,000 for its food pantry. • Gold Beach Community Center will receive $5,000 to prepare and deliver food to home-bound seniors. • The City of Port Orford will receive $10,000 for its new trail and overlook at Fort Point Bluff. • The Agness Illahe Rural Fire Protection District will receive $1,929 for new equipment including brush jackets, pants and helmets. Curry County is one of five counties designated as the Coquille Tribe’s “service area,” because a substantial number of tribal members live in the area. The tribe’s Community Fund solicits applications each September and distributes grants each February. The fund is supported by revenue from the tribe’s Mill Casino-Hotel and RV Park on Coos Bay. To learn more about the tribal fund, visit coquilletribe.org and click the “Community” tab.
Meet Sunny Lescinskas, new citizen and Realtor
opportunity tudents in Jock Headlee’s most recent ODFW hunter safety class were excited about the hands-on, live-fire component held Saturday, Feb. 29. The students recently completed 14 hours of classroom instruction. The field day was the last step before receiving certification, which enables youth age 17 and under to obtain a hunting license, and adults to learn the basics of firearm safety and qualify for a concealed weapons permit. Debbie Rotter, one of the adult students, took the class because she was interested in buying a gun, but had never fired one before. The group met for breakfast at 7 a.m. at Indian Creek Cafe in Gold Beach, then headed into the hills on private property above Indian Creek. They learned how to safely take a rifle out of a vehicle’s gun rack; cross through a fence with a rifle, by themselves and with a hunting partner; and how to safely load and shoot a .22 rifle. Firing a shotgun was an optional opportunity. “A bullet will go right through this truck,” Headlee pointed out. Students were instructed to always keep the barrel of the gun pointed up while taking it out and putting it back in the rifle rack. “Place the rifle in the rack upside down because it could fall out if the vehicle hits a bump,” Headlee said. “This is important,” Headlee said before the fence crossing exercises. “People get shot crossing fences all the time.” During the partner exercise, students were taught to unload and later reload their guns while always standing back to back. One partner holds both unloaded guns while the other crosses
More Future on Page A3
Coquille Tribe grants $40,000 to 8 groups in Curry County
Aiming toward safety
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indicates that we can provide a better service for a similar or lower cost than the incumbent internet providers.” In addition to the town hall meetings last week, the coop has conducted two formal surveys and held one-on-one discussions at open house events. “We expect the CCEC Board of Directors will have
Braden Curtis (center) and Collin Pendleton take their turn at shooting under the supervision of Jock Headlee (left). through the fence. Students also practiced crossing through a fence without a partner. Finally, it was time to actually shoot the rifles. “Load the bullet, slide the bolt, put the safety on,” Headlee said. “Get ready to fire. When you are ready, take the safety off. Don’t touch the trigger until you are ready to fire. Breathe, take a breath, let half of it out, squeeze the trigger.” Student Collin Pendleton hit the kill zone of the target with all five of his shots, although hitting the target at all wasn’t actually a requirement for passing. Handling the guns safely was the key takeaway. Each student in the class shot five rounds with a .22 rifle. “Good job! Remember a deer heart is this big,” Headlee said about all the students’ efforts, holding up his fist. “Those are all dead deers,” pointing at all of the students’ targets. Two students, Braden Curtis and Sunnie Dimmick, also opted to shoot the 20-gauge shotgun. Curtis, who will be going turkey hunting soon, opted to try the 12-gauge. Each student in the class received a temporary certificate, hunting hat and hunting knife at the end of the class.
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alomeja Lescinskas, who goes by the name “Sunny,” recently became a U.S. citizen and a newly licensed Realtor, now working at Century 21 Agate Realty in Brookings at 1016 Chetco Ave. Sunny moved from Lithuania seven years ago to be with her husband, who is a commercial fishing boat Sunny Lescinskas captain, working out of Port of Brookings Harbor. “He was working here and coming home (to Lithuania) between seasons. One day we discussed ‘should he leave his job? or do I have to come here?’ and I came here,” Sunny said. Sunny and her husband grew up in the same small town in Lithuania on the Baltic Sea, went to kindergarten together, and now are both U.S. citizens. They still have family in Lithuania, including Sunny’s parents, a grown daughter, sisters and brothers. They brought their youngest daughter with them to the U.S. She was 12 at the time and graduated from high school last year. They return to Lithuania every summer to visit family and friends. When the couple flew to New York a few years ago, they toured Ellis Island. More Sunny on Page A3
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