The Carolers
by Boyd Stone

It was Aunt Verna Finley who first thought of caroling Christmas morning instead of the traditional Christmas Eve. Those who joined her that Christmas morning of 1923 were her brothers Cince and Zed and her sister Bess. Her oldest sister, Minnie Finley Stone, was within a little over a month from delivering her first child, this writer, so couldn’t be there, but she was there for many Christmas mornings after that. Christmas morning caroling became aFinley Family tradition that lasted over 40 years. Only two songs were used; two verses of “Song Of The Angels” and one or two verses of “Silent Night, Holy Night.” “Song Of The Angels” used the words of “It Came Upon A Midnight Clear” with a different tune and a chorus of its own. It was sometimes called the Finley Song and had been
found in the ancient shaped-notes hymnal “Harvest Bells.” The second generation of Finleys joined the Christmas morning carolers in the 1930s. They were Cecil and Glennis Finley, Wilfred Wasson and Boyd Stone. A few years later we were joined by Jeanette Stone and Susan, Bette and Georgie Wasson, and Virginia and Edwin Cox. Aunt
Verna’s husband, Darrell Cox, also became one of our faithful carolers. The third generation included Sharon Stone and Terry Casey. Those outside the Finley Family were welcome to join in if they so desired.

Garden with
Brook Settle

Garden Thoughts For This For me, this is no ordinary day. I am a pastor, and this is a Holy Day, not an average day for a gardener. But perhaps, if you will allow, I can expose enough of my heart that you, the one who reads a gardeners column, will find the garden in this space?

I do not think of gardens on this day. I think of common men, working an average night in a cold outdoor field someplace, being overtaken with awe at something they could scarce verbalize, and because of that, be able to pursue hope. How often I have had an average day, and been overtaken by awe at something, even in my own garden. Today, I think of a tired young woman who gave birth without benefit of a doctor,hospital, or even a clean, sterile and safe environment. Her very willingness to accept and deal graciously with a hard beginning to life instructs me in the face of others who must face hard lives, and I cannot withhold my help from them, as simple as my help may be with a garden shovel. I think of men who gave their entire lives over to studying the greatest mysteries even those of cultures not their own, and due to their expectant pursuit of promises, were willing to travel far and give greatly, wise enough to do no harm. I wonder how expectant I am? In the garden, expectancy is important.

In life, expectancy is important. Finally, I am astonished at God. His very best was given in the mud, in the harshest and hardest of circumstances. Gardening reminds me every day of his grandeur and greatness. Yet He thought nothing of humble beginnings. Perhaps my garden shovel’s work is a form of recognition of the one who planted the very first garden and continues His work still.
Holy Day

Coquille High School Honor Roll Trimester 1 - Grading Period

12th Grade - Senior Honor Roll: 4.00 GPA - Matthew Johnson, Caleb D. Kupersmith,
Mauro Sakuma, Trevor S. Waldien. 3.83 GPA - Leah T. Adams, Ashley Britton, Lindsey
Cooper, Portia R. Cornell, Ashly Revelle. 3.80 GPA - Alex Ford. 3.67 GPA - Daniel L.
Crunk. 3.63 GPA - Teanna Engberg. 3.60 GPA - Evan D. Beck, Trenton G. Stone. 3.57
GPA - Blake Holmes, Mia S. Toskala. 3.50 GPA - Michael R. Hall, Stephanie Jones,
Mareike Langenbach. Prinicipals List: 3.49 to 3.00 GPA - Merissa Fare, German Ferrer,
Ashley Jordan, Geramy Ogle, Toey Oulansakoonchai, Lisa van Gaal, Michael Minor, Alex
Dingus, Zachary Smith, Brady Coady, Joshua Morris, Sean Grotting, Charlene Ramsey and
Kyle Steen.

11th Grade - Junior Honor Roll: 4.00 GPA - Heston A. Altenbach, Carrie Hager, Reece
M. Miller, Bailey R. Moody, Jenna Stone. 3.86 GPA - Kayla Zimmerman. 3.71 GPA -
Jalina H. Hanson. 3.50 GPA - Travis L. Abbey, Martin Gonzalez. Prinicipals List: 3.49 to
3.00 GPA - Rachel Felsheim, Hailey Hilding, Seth Steen, Johnathan Binford, Carly
Isenhart, Jennifer Minter, Haley Stephens, Amanda Clemens, Kaila Daniel, Chance DeMain
and Hailie Huffman.

10th Grade - Sophomore Honor Roll: 4.00 GPA - Brittney Bissonnett, Christopher
Cooper, Colby GeDeros, Ryann M. Jack, Tyler J. Martin, Ashley L. Sargent, Tessa N.
Schwass, Julia Scolari, Hannah Swenson. 3.86 GPA - Allison Cook, Rex Dixon, Ellen M.
Duke, Chelsy L. Forbes, Nicole Hall, Karlie Libby, Taylor Ryan, Megan S. Sullivan. 3.71
GPA - Christie L. Andy, Mickie Carter, Joseph Nichols, Anthony Scott (Williams), Rushal
C. Sedlemyer, Heather Simpson - Kelley. 3.57 GPA - Staci Daniel, Courtney M. Davis,
Alek A. Elmer, Shayla B. Lee. Prinicipals List: 3.49 to 3.00 GPA - Chelsee Church, Tyler
Pelc, Stephen Mast, Abbie Nidever, Franklin Smith, Nathan Gray, Nathan Huffman, Alex
Meichsner, Joelle Wheeler, Chelsea Evans, Billy Tatom, Jared Waldien and Danielle
Workman.

9th Grade - Freshman Honor Roll: 4.00 GPA - Kaitlyn A. Altenbach, Chelsie Baker,
Kaitlyn J. Cornell, Camille Fisher, Ivy Hallmark. 3.86 GPA - Shayla M. Coleman,
Alexandra Fisher, Frank R. Moreno, Whitney L. Shelton, Jacob Skretting. 3.71 GPA -
Melody V. Dependahl, Andres Esparza, Jenna Frederick, Kelsey A. Hill, Bailey Richardson,
Cole L. Waddington. 3.57 GPA - Joshua J. Hollenbeak, Brittany A. Royal, Taylon Sherrill.
Prinicipals List: 3.49 to 3.00 GPA - Shelby Jones, Tyler Stephens, Trevor Wright, Alex
Gwartney, Jonathan Dotson, John Hall, Tanner Howard, Krystin Phelps, David Sypher,
Marshall Kinnaird, Jacki Riley, Jessica Leaton, Nikita Sedlemyer, Mardell Deardorff and
Danielle Wilson.

Devil’s Kitchen Diner Excels
By Ken Duke

Now I know I write the commentary for the sports page, so what am I doing talking about a local diner? Well, I’ll tell you why,

Ulmer faces charges

On December 16, 2008 this office filed a District Attorney’s Information with the Coos County Circuit Court charging former Coquille police officer Randy John Ulmer with two crimes.

The charges are:
1. Theft in the First
Degree. The charge alleges
that the defendant took over
$5000 in US Currency that
had been in the Coquille
Police Department evidence
locker; and

2. Official Misconduct in
the First Degree. The
charge alleges that the
defendant, being a public
servant, improperly took
property from the police
department evidence locker
and that he also obtained for
personal use funds from at
least one police department
related checking account.

Theft in the First Degree is punishable by a maximum sentence of five years in prison and/or a fine not to exceed $125,000. If convicted the actual sentence will be determined by the Oregon Sentencing Guidelines. Official Misconduct in the First Degree is a class A misdemeanor punishable by a maximum one year sentence in the county jail and/or a fine not to exceed $6,250. The defendant appeared in Coos County Circuit Court for arraignment on the chargeson Wednesday, December 17, 2008.