April 26, 2022
NORTH BEND — As state and federal officials make plans for offshore wind energy, local leaders in Coos County are inviting stakeholders and local residents to share opinions, concerns and questions.
Former state Sen. Arnie Roblan will lead an informal roundtable discussion from 4-6 p.m. Wednesday, May 4, in the Salmon Room at The Mill Casino-Hotel & RV Park. Everyone is welcome.
“We’re hoping to bring people together to exchange information and see how the community feels about this,” said Coos County Commissioner Melissa Cribbins, one of the event organizers. “We want to make sure everyone’s voice is heard.”
The federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management and the Oregon Department of Land Conservation and Development are leading a data gathering and public engagement process, aiming to complete offshore wind planning for the Oregon Coast. Coos Bay, Bandon and Brookings have been identified as “call areas” for consideration as potential wind energy sites.
The decision-making process includes consideration of diverse factors such as fish and shellfish habitat, whales, migratory birds, sea turtles, marine mammals, vessel traffic, fishing and existing underwater cables.
The community roundtable is not an official part of the BOEM/DLCD process. Its goal is to promote local discussion and understanding of the process and the issues.
The event is sponsored by Coos County; the Coquille Indian Tribe and the Confederated Tribes of Coos, Lower Umpqua and Siuslaw Indians; the cities of Coos Bay, North Bend and Bandon; the Port of Bandon and the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay; and state Reps. David Brock Smith and Boomer Wright.
For more information, contact Commissioner Cribbins at 541-396-7535.
April 27, 2022
COOS BAY – The Coquille Indian Tribe’s new Ko-Kwel Wellness Center in Coos Bay has received accreditation from the Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care. Accreditation distinguishes the KWC among outpatient facilities for its adherence to rigorous standards of care and safety.
“We are very proud of how far we have come in less than a year,” said Kathryn Halverson, chief executive officer of the Coquille Tribe’s Health and Wellness Division. “2021 brought a lot of changes, including a new building and many new staff. Preparing for accreditation took a lot of collaboration and effort, and I am very grateful for our amazing team that contributed to this success.” The KWC, formerly the Coquille Tribal Community Health Center, initially received accreditation in 2001 and subsequently passed national reviews in 2004, 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016 and 2019.
Construction of the wellness center was completed in the summer of 2021 on the Kilkich Reservation near Charleston. KWC serves Coquille Tribal families, members of other federally recognized tribes, Coquille Tribal employees, and the general public as capacity allows. It offers primary medical care, dental care, behavioral health services and an onsite pharmacy.
Prospective patients can learn more at www.kokwelwellness.org, or by calling (541) 888-9494.
Status as an accredited organization means the KWC has met nationally recognized health-care standards. Organizations that earn AAAHC accreditation embody an ongoing commitment to high-quality care and patient safety.
Ambulatory health-care organizations seeking AAAHC accreditation undergo an extensive self-assessment and onsite survey by AAAHC surveyors – physicians, nurses and administrators who are actively involved in ambulatory care.
Founded in 1979, AAAHC is the leader in ambulatory health-care accreditation, with more than 6,100 organizations accredited. Accredited outpatient settings include ambulatory surgery centers, office-based surgery facilities, endoscopy centers, student health centers, medical and dental group practices, community health centers, employer-based health clinics, retail clinics and tribal health centers, among others.
May 7 event will honor Chief Don Ivy
NORTH BEND – The family of Chief Donald Boyd Ivy invites the community to honor his memory on Saturday, May 7, 2022, at The Mill Casino-Hotel.
Family members, friends and colleagues will celebrate Chief Ivy’s life and share memories, both in person and in a tribute film. The event starts at 1 p.m. and will be followed by a reception. Everyone is welcome.
Chief Ivy was born in North Bend in 1951 and grew up in the Empire area. After pursuing a career in retailing and sales, he returned to the Coos Bay area in 1991 to work for his tribe. He was elected as its chief in 2014 and served until a few days before his death on July 19, 2021, after a seven-month battle with cancer.
He is remembered as a dynamic leader and skilled consensus builder. He worked effectively to establish Oregon’s strong inter-tribal and inter-governmental relationships, and he relentlessly pursued economic and educational opportunities for Indian people. By researching and sharing knowledge about tribal culture and history, he encouraged understanding and respect for the heritage of Native American people in Oregon.
A public memorial for Chief Ivy was delayed during the COVID pandemic. Now, with restrictions lifted on public gatherings, his many friends can join his family for an afternoon of recognition and remembrance.
The family requests no photography or recording of the event.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations in Chief Ivy’s memory be given to the Donald Ivy Memorial Scholarship Endowment at Southwestern Oregon Community College. Donations also can be given to the Elakha Alliance, an organization he helped found to restore Oregon’s sea otter population, at www.elakhaalliance.org/donivy/.
Dental patients at the Ko-Kwel Wellness Center in Coos Bay are benefiting from a new approach to treatment.
The Coos Bay City Council has proclaimed November as Native American Heritage Month.
Nov. 2, 2011
The Coquille Indian Tribe has a new chief and a new secretary-treasurer after recent elections.
Chief Jason Younker, a University of Oregon faculty member, was sworn in on Oct. 29. Jackie Chambers, who previously managed the tribe’s community grants program, was sworn in as secretary-treasurer.
Younker replaces Chief Don Ivy, who died in July. As chief, Younker will hold one of seven seats on the Coquille Tribal Council, while serving as the tribe’s cultural and spiritual leader and voice.
Younker grew up on the shores of Coos Bay’s South Slough. He holds three graduate degrees, including a doctorate in cultural anthropology. He is an associate professor of anthropology at the University of Oregon, where he also is an assistant vice president and assistant to the president for tribal sovereignty and government-to-government relations.
He chairs the board of Oregon’s Chemawa Indian school and is past president of the Association of Indigenous Archaeologists.
Chambers, a lifelong Coos County resident, is devoted to serving and strengthening local communities. Before her election to the Tribal Council, she served the tribe as administrator of the Coquille Tribal Community Fund, which awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in grants each year.
She also is a co-founder and president of Charleston Fishing Families, a nonprofit that helps commercial fishing families in times of need. She graduated from the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Coos program in 2020.
She replaces former Secretary-Treasurer Linda Mecum, who retired after seven years on the Tribal Council.
Along with Chambers and Younker, two Tribal Council incumbents were sworn in for new terms. Chairman Brenda Meade and Rep. Laurabeth Barton both retained their seats in recent elections.
