Judge Robert Belloni was born 4 April 1919 in Riverton.  The 1920 census shows the Belloni family living in southeast Coqulle near the Knowlton and True families.  (Emma Pierce was the census taker!)  His parents were John Edward and Della (Clinton) Belloni.  He had an older brother, Roy, and older sister, Delores.  His younger siblings were Phyllis and J. Harold Belloni.  In 1930, the family was living on Railroad Avenue in Myrtle Point, according to the census and the father was in property management.  Judge Belloni's grandfather, George, had come to California from Switzerland about 1873, working on dairy farms in the San Francisco area and also starting up his own dairy until about 1896.  He ended up on a ranch in Floras Creek in Curry county in 1900.  He had married Celia Ottolini (also born in Switzerland) in 1882.  Judge Belloni's father was born in California about 1888 and came to Curry County before he was 12.  George and Celia had eleven children:  Cora, a typesetter and teacher living at home; Henry, married and a butter maker in Coquille; Lena, a teacher in Coos County schools; John, married and dairying, operating a creamery at Riverton; Nettie, teaching school and living at home; Thomas, George, Masie, Agnes and Mamie, all younger and living at home.  Hazel died when she was 15 months old.  Judge Belloni's father, John Belloni, left the ranch and went to work with a transport company in Myrtle Point.  He was a hard worker, involved with the Chamber of Commerce and the Lions Club.  When John died in 1942, all businesses in town closed to honor him.

John Belloni had encouraged his son Robert at school when he saw that he did well academically. "Bob" played basketball and football, participating also in track and field at Myrtle Point High School. He went to the University of Oregon between 1937 and 1941, studying pre-med.  He was the first in his family to graduate from college.  When the war broke out, Bob joined the Army, working in the medical department.  He attended officer candidate school and was sent to the South Pacific.  In charge of 190 enlisted men in a field hospital, he decided that he didn't like medicine.  He married Doris A. Adams on January 25, 1946.  He later used the GI Bill to go to law school after his discharge from the Army, graduating from law school in 1951.  He supported himself during this time, loving the study of law.  He returned to Myrtle Point and opened a law office and became interested in politics.  He was elected to the town council and later became mayor.  He had been practicing in Myrtle Point for five years when he was appointed to the circuit court of Coos/Curry counties in 1956.  During this time the county judges were eliminated, and the circuit court received the work of probate and juvenile cases. He worked hard with the youth, attempting to find solutions for troubled kids.  Judge Belloni helped write the first juvenile code and started the Oregon Juvenile Judges Association.  Judge James Norman created a boy's ranch which he named the Robert C. Belloni Boy's Forest Ranch, which is still in operation today.  The caseload was sufficient enough that more than one judge was seated.  Belloni and Norman worked together part of the time.

Judge Belloni was appointed to the United States District Court in 1967 with support from Senator Wayne Morris.  He took senior status in 1984.  In 1988, Jim Stassmaier interviewed Judge Belloni regarding his legal career.  This was developed by Heather Van Meter and can be accessed on the Internet by searching "Judge Robert Belloni: Entranced by the Complexities of the Law."  The article is three pages long, in about 9 point type.  The family is well documented elsewhere also.  Grandfather George Belloni has a long article in "The Centennial History of Oregon" regarding his operations as a dairy farmer about four miles above Coquille, coming to Coos county in 1903.  In addition, he had a farm at Riverton known as the Old Orchard farm and invested in real estate in various places.  Judge Robert Belloni belonged to the American Bar Association, American Judicature Society, Sigma Alpha Epsilon, Delta Theta Phi, Freemasons, Order of the Eastern Star, Elks, Rotary and the Episcopal Church.  He died of congestive heart failure at a San Mateo retirement  home in California on November 3, 1999 at the age of 80.

Dear reader,
We do not usually print a letter this long. In this case, it is evident the feelings expressed were from frustrations built up over a long period of time, and are deserving of our attention.  Outdoorsmen are, for the most part, men of few words so we appreciate this effort.
- Editor

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Letter to the Editor:

The reason I am writing this is because of the article in the paper about the study on our bait cure and the harm it does to fingerlings.  Another study so we get our tags and all pertinent hunting and fishing licenses hiked up again.  ODFW may be democratic in one way the governor is voted in and that's the last vote any tax payer gets to make on all the decisions on how our money is being spent.  The word has been tossed around lately, I think it is Socialism.  Our Federal government has had this said of the way they are doing business.  Also the number of clipped fish (only ones we can keep in Coquille) was reported at 3 hatchery fish to every native.  I believe I know where that information came from.  I have caught 9 Steelhead since late Dec. 09 up until now and 2 have been clipped.  Lots of hours and gas money and tag fees for two fish to eat.  Last year the first 25 Steelhead caught in my boat by myself and friends, only 4 were clipped.

We lost 9 miles of river to fish during Chinook season because of a lack of fish, and I was told by an ODFW employee that there were people snagging close to the forks, still In tidewater.  First, there was not a lack of fish in the coastal streams, they are still catching Chinook in the Sixes and Elk, and a few in the Coquille.  Simply amazing. I was also told by this employee that the main board of the ODFW said if our local office didn't close it down, they would.  I am not the only one having problems catching a clipped fish to eat.  Someone should ask the guides and fishermen about the ratio of 3 to 1.

I had a visit with a young man who is a kreel checker for ODFW late last summer at a fish ramp.  He said politely "I need to ask you a few questions on how your fishing went today on the river."  I, in return, said not quite so nicely, “I’m not telling you anything”, again he asked the question and said that I looked like a nice guy and that I help him, again, the same answer came from my mouth, with
the comment that if you guys would open the river back up above Coquille I would talk to him.  That brought the response; “Oh another one of those guys.”  Then he said that if a game warden were here he would give me a ticket (a ticket for not talking to someone about what you did on your own time in a free society) and I said, well if he were here I would tell him because he has a badge, next response was well you know we can give tickets too.  I stated, like the forest service I suppose?  It seems to me there are more Oregon revenuer's than people to ticket.

We talked briefly about the Coho's and being able to catch them. I know of a lot of people who fished the ocean and had to catch a lot of fish to find a clipped fish.  There are quite a few that die after the catch and release.  I was told by this young man that the kreel death was 13 or 14%.  To those of you who fished this fishery, maybe tell them the real number.  I had one last question for him, I asked him how many people who take courses to become a fish biologist and work for ODFW take snorkel and fin and mask classes?  He stated, Well none why?  Well, I state, hen Steelhead and buck steel head with adipose clipped fins swim up the rivers, lay and fertilize thousands of eggs each year.  I was wondering who clipped those fry when they come from the egg?  My answer from him was nobody does that.  I said, right, and if they make 2 or three return trips they can produce; lets be practical 100 new native steel head.  Thats after the trout, birds and strippers have had a go of them.  So you see the number of native fish, be it silvers, Steelhead or Chinook, continues to grow, not only by the native fish spawning but by the hatchery fish spawning native fish.  We are only given a certain amount of
fish each year to target (fin clipped).  So stop with the native/non native and let us catch a couple of fish to eat.

I just got a call from a fishing buddy, he and his fishing partner fished 7 hours today, had 12 hits and had 7 steelhead stay on the line and they had to return every one, all hatchery born native fish.  They had an adipose fin on them, 3 out of 4 clipped HA.  I see in the Director's message that they want to be sure to let the Portland people know of 50 places to fish within 60 miles of their homes.  Everything is based on three areas of the state Eugene, Salem and Portland.  Most of these people want to save everything and care less about the rest of the state.  I don't need to say which way the vote swings in these regions.

What is this study about cured salmon eggs? Spend our tag and license fees on something real.  I would like to know the total cost of this study, and if the 55 or so fingerlings were deducted from our yearly allowance.  I can't believe you would think that the fingerlings would gather around only cured fish eggs for a diet.  I believe when they are in that stage of life not too many people are using cured
eggs to fish because the season is closed.  I don't believe any baby fish or animal would take too kindly to 30 days of cured eggs and also have the chemical injected into their stomach's.  30% is really not bad considering the torture they went through; I believe they even injected the chemical into their stomachs.  Take the same 55 fish and put them in a hole you know has a good trout number and I know you will get a bigger mortality rate, so kill all the trout, birds etc.  In the wild there is no way this study can come anywhere near the findings.  I cure my own eggs as I have done for years and will continue to do so.  The only real harm will be to the company who makes the cure.  Maybe the one fish that died the first day couldn't pass the salmon egg.  You should be sorry for his demise.

One last thing... How does ODFW know when a fish has been spawned from a hatchery fish or native fish?  Is there a genetics test, they look the same except for the missing fin.  How does it hold up in court, I mean to prove it was not a hatchery born native fish?  Play on words boys but I am a Disabled Vietnam Vet, 101st Airborne, and an avid hunter and fisherman and retired logger, I can't keep quiet any longer.  I could take up a lot of space on how many creeks and draws I and my logging crews cleaned down to fir needles to have all the tax payers money used to put all the woody debris back in them, complete logs slabbed and bolted together with stainless bolts and bars and put in creeks.  Just sit down and think about it from our side, not the money making side and stop trying to protect California fish.  Oh and the famous fish radio transmitter in Steelhead's heads.  Netted, tagged, and followed up the river and back down with a couple of people in a nice government bought pickup with radios.  At the start of this study they were going to catch the fish with a pole but soon came out the net.  I lost Jim's cell phone over the side of the boat a couple of years ago and I was going to call fish and game and tell them if they wanted their fish to call in, there was a phone just above Argo boat ramp they could use and save gas and time.  The people who asked about the cured eggs were probably those who don't eat fish and use only fly's or artifical lures, with $300 poles and all the Cabelis gear money can buy.

Roderick Forty
Rink Creek lane

PS. Give us back our hatch boxes, they were not a dismal failure as one ODFW person stated at a Rotory meeting a few years ago.  I would like to get some more fish coming back into Rink Creek, so that the large family at the end of the road would have more fish to chase up and down the creek and take the spawned ones home for show and tell and the compost pile.  This is Oregon, we know about edible dandy lions and spawning salmon.  Study the salmon life cycle.  Walker Creek is bed rock and will not take to a spawning ground, hence, don't ask for taxpayers money to enhance with gravel that will wash away with high water.  I would clip my new fish also all 100% if I had a hatch box.  Maybe the commercial guys could make a few dollars in the summer.  Elk River hatchery only works at 30% and lots of hatcheries have been shut down.  With the higher prices on all our tags and licenses we should be able to open a few back up.  Oops, not our place to comment, we know nothing even if we have been doing these outdoor sports all of our lives.

Thank you.  We can't let them run over us like all government.  Would you ever in your wildest dreams think it would be mandatory to remove the female organs of a bear and send them in, also the head, teeth of your deer, ect. ect.

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To the Editor,

Recently I received a high gloss 'special election guide' in the mail which is very persuasive to vote yes for measures 66 & 67.  But examine the claims, starting with the huge headline 'vote yes to protect our schools, senior and children's services'.  Don't you get tired of being threatened that if we don't pay more taxes our services will get cut, and oh, the poor children.  Schools will crumble and seniors will be eating moldy bread.  I'm surprised it wasn't claimed that our police force would be slashed and wildfires might burn freely.

The truth is that state taxes are not specifically tied to any organization or service.  Legislators are able to budget our taxes however they see fit.  If there is a 'cut' to schools etc., it will actually just be less of an alloted increase.  And our state government shouldn't deceive the public about the need to raise taxes by concealing money already available to us in the reserve fund.

Secondly, it's claimed that less than 2.5% of business will be affected, and will just see a slight tax increase. Those would be the big, bad, large corporations - the ones that provide us jobs and services. Are they really making a huge profit in this economy?  Shouldn't they make a profit so they can maintain their business and perhaps even expand and provide more real jobs?  The largest percentage that will be taxed are small businesses.  All will be taxed on their gross income, not net income.  And to top it off, these measures are retroactive to January 1, 2009.  Who in the world would save up for a year's worth of taxes they had no warning would be coming?  The statement about a $10 corporate minimum tax increase is very misleading.  Research it.  If measure 67 passes our corporate minimum tax will be 5 times higher than our neighboring state of Washington.  No company that's not making a profit should be taxed, anyway.  Let's keep pushing businesses out of Oregon.

Next it is written that 'If your household makes less than $250,000 you won't pay a penny more'.  Should we penalize the people that are already paying most of our taxes because our wasteful government won't tighten it's belt like the rest of us but instead increases it's spending year after year?  And don't think you 'won't pay a penny more'.  The cost will trickle down, and you'll be paying more for your groceries, more for your gas, more more, more.  Limited government.  Free enterprise.  Individual freedom.  Traditional American values.  A strong defense.

Marsha Long
Coquille

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Hi --
I was as surprised to see that Jean Ivey's Sentinel printed my letter as I was surprised to see the M.P. Herald did not.

I would have expected the Herald to be ahead of the Sentinel.

Ronnie Herne
Fairview

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Editor’s note:
Well, now we are all surprised.  I am surprised that Ronnie would insult me, The Sentinel or The Herald for providing her with free space in which to voice an opinion to the public.

In cooperation with a number of other organizations in the Coquille Valley area, the Coquille Valley Elks Lodge will be handing out some Christmas food baskets to needy families before Christmas. Food collected by the high school, middle school, and elementary school in Coquille, along with the high school in Myrtle Point, was picked up recently to be sorted and gotten ready to fill boxes. Each family will also receive a $15 gift certificate to purchase turkey, ham or food of their choice.

These pictures show Elk members loading food into the pickups at the Lincoln Elementary School, which had over 1200 pounds for us. This is a program that we do every year at this time, and we certainly appreciate the involvement we get from the schools.¤

Coquille High School held their winter blood drive on Monday December 14th.
Students in the National Honor Society organized the drive and worked with
the Red Cross staff on the day of the drive. The drive was a great success, with
a total of 41 units of blood collected. All of the donors were high school students.
As the Red Cross reminds us, giving blood saves lives.¤

DECEMBER 13, 2009
1:48 a.m. Fairview Rd. Animal at large. Report of cattle at large in roadway.
3:18 a.m. Fairview Rd. Residence alarm sounding. Re: Reporter recalled to cancel.
4:25 a.m. Hwy 101/Epping. Out with disabled vehicle. Re: Vehicle removed from roadway.
10:41 a.m. Winchester Bay. Deceased subject. As a result of a search, subject was located and is
deceased. Re: North Bend Chapel removed victim.
4:09 p.m. SW 4th St. Assist public works. Reese Electric hit sewer line with backhoe. Re: Advise public
works.
5:19 p.m. Albacore Ln. Intoxicated subject. Report of intoxicated male in a pickup. He is refusing to
give reporter her things back. Reporter left in taxi, male will stay overnight with port permission.
6:36 p.m. Lower Norway Ln. Suspicious subject is possibly at location. Re: Logged for information,
no Probable Cause on subject.
7:10 p.m. Wildwood Rd. Domestic assault. Victim of assault at Bay Area Hospital. Son attempted to
strangle her. Re: Report taken for Harassment. Victim contacted by Women’s Crisis Center.
7:12 p.m. Cedar Point/Hwy 42. Traffic stop. Hannibal Engelhorn arrested on a Lane County Warrant.
Vehicle towed by Mast Bros.
7:20 p.m. Hwy 101. Civil problem. Caller reports having an argument with husband and he has since
left with their three children. No divorce/custody paperwork.
7:31 p.m. Sitkum Ln. Juvenile problem. Caller wants grandson picked up for being “out of control.”
He has not assaulted anyone and is not on any formal parole and probation. Re: Paged Juvenile
Department, they will call the parties involved. If deputy is needed they will advise.
8:17 p.m. Fifth Rd. Non-injury accidents. Caller reports a vehicle rollover. Female is out of vehicle,
refused medical. Nicole Judkins arrested for Driving Under Influence Intoxicants. Transported to the
Coos County Jail. Vehicle towed by Mast Bros. at owners request.
8:49 p.m. 1st St. Open door. En route to citizen report of an open door.
DECEMBER 14, 2009
2:00 a.m. Sitkum Ln. Rape. Coquille Police Department relayed incident that occurred last week. Re:
Victim contacted and investigation continuing.
3:55 a.m. Oregon Coast. Weather notice. The National Weather Service issued a high wind warning
for south of Bandon.
10:54 a.m. Duling Rd. Domestic assault. Juvenile is at reporter’s residence reporting that his father just
assaulted his mother. Re: Verbal only.
2:33 p.m. Fairview Rd. Phone harassment. Parties contacted by phone.
3:18 p.m. Green Acres Ln. Littering. Trash dumped on reporter’s property.
3:44 p.m. Twomile Ln. Report of a suspicious vehicle in the area.
9:45 p.m. Trinity Ln. Suspicious conditions. Caller reports that neighbor lady shot at him.
DECEMBER 15, 2009
1:29 p.m. Sitkum Ln. Abandoned vehicle. Male reports abandoned camper along the river, fears that
it will be washed into waterway during high waters.
1:38 p.m. 18th St. Burglary. Caller discovered lock on her shed has been broken into.
2:02 p.m. Seven Devils area. Assist public. Reporter and her friend are lost, unable to get back to their
vehicle. Re: Subject located and returned to their vehicle.
2:49 p.m. Shelly/Crest Acres. 2 vehicle non-injury accident. Information not exchanged. Reporter
request information logged for insurance purposes.
3:02 p.m. Anchorage Ln. Family dispute. Caller reports problems with ex, he won’t let her get her
belongings and he called her names in front of her 5 month old daughter, also smelled marijuana in
residence. Re: Reporter contacted by phone, advised to refer information on odor of drugs to Children
Services and contact courts regarding writ of assistance.
3:15 p.m. Chicken Point Rd. Suspicious conditions. Reporter can’t tell if subjects are dumping garbage
or salvaging something, will check back in a while and recall to let us know. Re: Reporter recalled, not
as reported, subjects were not dumping.
3:38 p.m. E. 2nd St. Equipment repair. Intercom not working from any work station.
4:28 p.m. Coquille area. Suspicious conditions. Subject called wanting to complain about the Coquille
Police Department. Re: Was referred to Coquille Police Department and City of Coquille.
5:46 p.m. Pemberton Ln. Dispute. Caller advises that subjects are yelling and breaking glass; house is
all the way at the end, at top of the hill. Re: Checked area, unable to locate any disturbance.
6:27 p.m. Sandstone Ln. Suspicious subject. Subject walking around threatening subjects. Re: Subject
warned, told to go home.
7:22 p.m. W. Central. Accident. Officer Webley request Coos County Sheriff’s Office deputy to investigate
accident involving officers son. Re: Report taken.
7:39 p.m. Robertson Ln. Civil problem. Subject threw all victims belongings out in the yard and told
her not to come back.
8:37 p.m. Luscombe. Assault - Domestic. Re: No assault occurred. DHS contacted and advised that
children can stay in the home. Report taken.
DECEMBER 16, 2009
3:06 a.m. Travis Ln. Assist public. Caller reports that brother is abusing their mother. Re: Reporter
contacted by phone, unfounded. Reporter is mental.
6:49 a.m. Arago-Fishtrap Rd. Suicide. Amling-Schroeder removed victim.
7:07 a.m. Robertson Ln. Runaway juvenile. Caller reports that son ran away. Last saw him yesterday
morning. Re: Obtained signed runaway.
8:56 a.m. Meade Ave. Assist public. Elderly female having problems with water pipes.
10:52 a.m. Easy Ln. Theft of items from property. Reporter does not want to file a complaint just wants
items returned. Re: Investigation continuing.
11:56 a.m. Harriet Rd. Welfare check. Women’s Safety & Resource Center request a deputy standby
with a subject who is possibly in danger from estranged husband who threatened to kill her. Safety
worker is en route to escort her to safe housing, just needs a deputy to stand by.
2:32 p.m. Hwy 101. Deceased subject. Reporter just discovered a dead male lying in driveway of residence.
2:54 p.m. Ellen/Howard. Timber complaint. Anonymous female advises that subject cut down 30’ trees
on property across the street over the weekend, are using it for firewood. Property is possibly owned
by SCBEC or GP.
4:17 p.m. W. Catching Rd. Suicidal subject. Caller reports that girlfriend is suicidal. She called him
intoxicated stating that she needs help. Re: Subject transported to Bay Area Hospital on mental hold.
4:44 p.m. Auction Barn Rd. Dog at large. Neighbors rottweiler is in his yard and killed his chickens.
Re: Dog being taken to shelter.
5:34 p.m. Myrtle Creek Rd. Suspicious conditions. Reporter is at boyfriends residence, saw 2 or 3
flares go off, unknown where from.
10:22 p.m. Coquille area. Assist public. Caller is attempting to get ahold of subject. Has been concerned
for her welfare as subject left her baby in Washington. Re: Contacted subject and she will call
her mother-in-law.
11:16 p.m. Hwy 42/Powers Hwy. Injured animal. Female on a cell phone reports that there is a dead
deer in the road. Re: Deer is deceased, was removed from roadway.
DECEMBER 17, 2009
12:25 a.m. Non-injury accident. Observed what looks like the remains of a non-injury vehicle accident.
Re: Tow is on scene already.
2:01 a.m. Red Dike/Pansy Rd. Non-injury accident. An anonymous female reports that there is a vehicle
in a ditch, people are on scene trying to pull it out. Caller states that there is a large party going on
at a nearby residence. Nicholas Chalmers arrested and charged with Driving Under Influence
Intoxicants. Vehicle was secured and marked at the scene. Subject transported to the Coos County Jail.
7:34 a.m. Hwy 42S. Driving complaint. Caller reports that a blue or silver van ran past a school bus
with its red lights on and continued towards Coquille.
8:24 a.m. Wildwood Rd. Caller reports being bitten by a dog yesterday, didn’t seek medical treatment.
Re: Issued written warning. Dog is quarantined at home.
11:43 a.m. Old Broadbent Rd. Criminal trespass. Report of unknown subjects in reporter’s residence
refusing to leave. Phone went dead prior to finishing phone call. Re: subject left prior to arrival. Call
cancelled.
12:05 p.m. Myrtle Crest Ln. Report of dogs running at large near school.
2:16 p.m. North Bank Ln. Assist public. Victim is mental and upset. Needs officer to talk her into going
to hospital. Re: Deputy request that Bay Cities Ambulance be dispatched. Not a police matter.
3:53 p.m. Sitkum. Traffic hazard. Report of a slide blocking one lane of roadway.
3:57 p.m. Hwy 42. Theft. Caller reports seeing a subject with what the caller believes to be a Salvation
Army shopping cart. The cart has been missing for two weeks. Subject is a tall, slim, male with brown
hair. He is pushing a red shopping cart. Re: Subject located near Norway Cemetery, stated that he had
found the cart in the slough near Coos Bay. The reporter request that it be left at Safeway in Myrtle
Point and someone will pick it up there.
4:36 p.m. Rice Rd. Suspicious conditions. Caller found garage door open and believes that neighbor
is opening it while she is gone.
5:17 p.m. Seven Devils Rd. Deceased subject. Caller reports that a friend was sleeping off an intoxication
in garage and now they can’t wake him. Re: Victim removed by Nelson Mortuary. Report taken.
7:22 p.m. Fairview Rd. Animals at large. Report of four cows at large.