The “Dirt” on Backyard Gardening 8th Annual Garden Seminar is scheduled for Saturday, March 28th, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Southwestern Oregon Community College in Coos Bay. Fertilize Your Mind is a day-long seminar offering practical, hands-on learning for home gardeners. Whether you are an experienced or novice gardener, new to the area or have lived here for decades, you can find plenty of ideas to make gardening easier, more enjoyable, and more successful.

* Eleven experienced and practical speakers will present classes covering a wide range of horticultural interest. * Information-packed displays are available for study all day. Registration Fee: $25.00 (sponsorships available from the CCMGA). Includes keynote speech, lectures and snack at morning break. No lunch will be served. Applications are available at Eden Valley Natural.

By Karen Saxton
One student from Coquille Martial Arts traveled to the Battle of the Champions, in Salem, Oregon, Saturday, March 7th accompanied by instructors Jim and Karen Saxton. Tasha Napier, age 15, placed 2nd in traditional forms at the tournament hosted by Daves TKD.

The tournament offers high level competition, with competitors traveling from all over Oregon, Washington and Northern California. Tasha’s achievement is especially noteworthy, because unlike most of the competitors who attended the tournament, Tasha doesn’t attend 2-4 martial arts classes every week. Instead she travels to Coquille Martial Arts for a week or a weekend to train intensively and then returns home to Eugene to practice what she has learned, on her own.

This takes a lot of dedication, as she also is active in band and debate at North High in Eugene. Born and raised in Coos County, Tasha moved to Eugene 2 years ago with her mother who was returning to University of Oregon to finish her own studies. She was within a year of earning her Jr black belt or poom rank from Coquille Martial Arts when she moved to Eugene. For its size, Eugene has one of the widest varieties and best collections of martial arts schools on the west coast.

It seemed logical that Tasha would join a school in Eugene to continue her training. And she did. As is customary in many schools, she started over as a white belt, and tested very quickly, regaining the rank she had attained in Coquille in just a few months. Her instructor was very pleased with her and held her up as an exemplary student. Unfortunately, this caused her classmates, some of whom had trained as long as Tasha, to become jealous and feel that they too deserved to be moved up as quickly as Tasha had. They could not understand that there is more to martial arts training, than simply practicing hard and learning new techniques.

Seeing herself in the middle of what could become a disruption to her new instructor’s school, possibly even causing enough students to quit, that it might put the school out of business, she left the school and continued her training with Coquille Martial Arts. It was an extremely mature decision for someone her age. Our society doesn’t value the type of honor Tasha showed, but it was a case of doing what was best for everyone, not just for herself. By making this decision, she put off attaining her black belt or poom belt for over a year.

Many adults in the same situation could not have made the same decision. Yet, Tasha was following one of the oldest traditions in martial arts: honor your instructor and your art above your own goals. Some of the reason for this value on honor and loyalty is simple: in order for the martial arts to continue and improve, there has to be a certain continuity of tradition as well as growth and innovation. If an established school fails, its traditions and teachings are lost.

Thus, once they attain black belt, martial arts students instruct at their instructor’s school until such a time as their instructor retires, or in larger cities, asks them to start new schools of their own. In doing so, they learn the nuances of the art, and experiment with changes in a controlled atmosphere, under the watchful eye of the head instructor. This not only preserves the art, but also protects the other less experienced students and promotes desirable change and improvement. In many cases, the only changes to some martial arts have been to deal with the increased technology ie guns and other modern weapons of our modern society.

It is one of the reasons we have martial arts practiced today continued with only minor changes for over 5000 years ago. Had the early practitioners of the martial arts not followed these values of honor and loyalty, it is quite possible that many of the oldest and most effective martial arts would now be lost to mankind.

It is not too early to be thinking about Coquille’s Gay 90’s Celebration! This year the Coquille Chamber of Commerce is reinstating the Costume Contest. There will be two contests; one for the business owners and one for the general public.

The judging for the businesses will be held on Friday, June 5th and the contest for the public will be held on Saturday, June 6th, 2009. Prizes will be awarded. To enter the contest, just pick up an entry form at the Chamber office. The costume must be in the style of the Gay 90’s era. You can make your own, shop at second hand stores, or go on line for ideas. Authenticity counts.

For more information, call the Chamber office at 396- 3414.

Coquille Chamber of Commerce

Motor Scooter Raffle


The Coquille Chamber of Commerce is raffling off a 2009 Roadrunner Scooter 50cc. It is a real gas saver at 102 miles per 1.5 gallon tank. Tickets are for sale at the Chamber Office and are $5 each, with no limit on how many you can buy! Winning ticket will be drawn at the Coquille Gay 90’s Button Drawing on June 6th, 2009. Ticket sales end June 6th and you need not be present to win!

This photo of the Centennial Log was found in the
family scrap book of Coquille resident Barbara
Willis who was kind enough to share the photo with
the Sentinel and its readers. Pictured in the photo
are her husband Preston Willis, their son, Mike,
who was five-years-old at the time, and their 15
month-old daughter, Mary Jane (Starks).
Barbara points out that Preston was about 6’1’‘ at
the time that the photo was taken and the photo
shows just how enormous the log actually was! The
family had made a special trip to Fairview in
February of 1959 to see the log and we thank
Barbara for sharing her family photo.

Dog Park Goal Gay 90’s

Members of Coquille’s future Dog Park are working hard to have the “Opening- Ceremony” during Coquille’s Gay 90’s this June. They are selling Dog Plaques to help raise the money and need approximately $2,800 to be able to have the fence erected, water available, rules posted and disposal receptacles. They have raised over $4,500. Donor slips and plaque information are available at Sterling Bank in Coquille, Dog House Dog Wash Grooming Spa and Coquille’s Gentle Groomer.

Items such as raised dog dishes, sweaters, dog beds, blankets, home-made dog treats and other assorted products can be purchased at the Dog House Dog Wash Grooming Spa and Coquille’s Gentle Groomer in Coquille. Please make a donation or purchase one of the dog items we are selling. All the proceeds will go to fund Coquille’s future Dog Park. Your support in this project is greatly appreciated!

Dog Park Members and their beloved dogs: (L to R) - Raleen Shrum & Baby, Linda Short, Valorie Rose & Jayden, Jessie Alvarado-Wert & Luke, Seiya Nishi & Kodi, Janet Nishi & Fred, Dawn Nugen & Chewy, Mary Graham & Will, Dennis Graham & Freddy

Members of Coquille’s future Dog Park are working hard to have the “Opening- Ceremony” during Coquille’s Gay 90’s this June.

They are selling Dog Plaques to help raise the money and need approximately $2,800 to be able to have the fence erected, water available, rules posted and disposal receptacles. They have raised over $4,500. Donor slips and plaque information are available at Sterling Bank in Coquille, Dog House Dog Wash Grooming Spa and Coquille’s Gentle Groomer. Items such as raised dog dishes, sweaters, dog beds, blankets, home-made dog treats and other assorted products can be purchased at the Dog House Dog Wash Grooming Spa and Coquille’s Gentle Groomer in Coquille. Please make a donation or purchase one of the dog items we are selling. All the proceeds will go to fund Coquille’s future Dog Park.

Your support in this project is greatly appreciated!