Chinook Bend Resort News

“The Adventure Continues..”

July 30, 2007

 Written by John Telban

Greetings from the Chinook Bend Resort staff, were off and running in the 2007 camping season. We are a little more prepared this year, but are still learning the fine art of campground ownership. To say the least, it is an experience and an adventure. Just ask anyone who knew us when we took over 13 months ago.

The staff of Chinook Bend Resort worked non stop after the November flood to bring the resort back to what I would describe as “pristine” (although I am a little biased) The park looks great. Donny and his crew have worked day in and day out removing debris, burning brush and what ever else washed up on our banks of the Siletz River. The crew should be very proud on what they have accomplished. I arrived in March and again in June and could not believe what they had done in such a short amount of time. I know the members would be grateful for their efforts.

 We have accomplished a lot over the last few months, especially since the weather has been mild.  (Kyburz Bob did tell me he will never stay in a camp trailer during a wind storm again at Chinook Bend) Chinook Bend members will be proud of what their dues have done to bring this beautiful park back to life.   

 Some of the many wonders of the park are still present; Bud the Blue Herron still claims dock #4 as his own roost. He has let us know recently that he does not appreciate dogs on his dock.

 The Elk herd (I would estimate about 60 head) are still living and feeding on the property. They enjoy the tall grass which allows them to graze and hide, and we have seen several moms with their calves in tow.

 The Raccoons are as happy as ever and of course they are happy camping season is here. The ice coolers and garbage cans always offer a delightful meal to their long day. We have only trapped one and then felt sorry for him so we let him go. I think he has told the others about the trap, so they avoid it which really frustrates the crew.

 We recently had the pleasure of hosting several bird watchers at Chinook Bend. They have informed us that we have at least two rare breeds of finch. Don’t ask me the proper names for them, but I know they look like bright yellow and bright orange Canaries. I guess I need to brush up on my bird species.

 The families of Otter are back. They have increased in size from last season and mom seems just as proud. She lines the babies’ up on the dock and then feeds them fish as they eagerly await their breakfast.

 The two Bear that were photographed last year swimming the river toward the dumpster have not been spotted as of yet. We have been told that the Bear have been spotted up river earlier in the season, but have not visited us yet. And that is OK with me.

 Tonya and Corry have befriended a mother seal and her two young babies. They have named her Samantha and family. We have informed the girls that the seals are not good for Salmon fishing, so they have made a deal with Samantha that she needs to leave when fishing starts.

 The Beaver Dam and Beaver survived the flood and are hard at work screwing up the rest of our creeks. (Not really) Martine keeps them in line. They appear to have some young ones also, and they are hard at work damming up the waterways and pissing off the staff. 

 The Llama are doing well. Sandi and Diego possibly are going to be parents. Either that or Martine is over feeding them. The staff attempted to give Sandi a shot of antibiotics but she was not happy. If it wasn’t for steel toed boots, knee pads and helmet, she would of won.

 The six Baby calves of last year are now 300 pound eating machines. As you might recall, they were going to be this years BBQ, but Martine’ and my wife collaborated against me, so now there “pets” Tonya has also named them all. Norman was the runt last year, but now he is the ring leader, usually leading the escape by walking across the bridge, opening the bungi cord gate, slipping under the wire fence, or tip-toeing past the office to be chased down Highway 229 with golf carts in pursuit.  The followers are now named: Scarface, Sweetie-Pie, Fuzz, Sad Eyes and jack.

 The Chinook Bend staff is as dedicated this year as the day we took over. They were just telling me in March how quiet the place was. Now they work 15 hours a day and haven’t had a day off since May. That will teach them to whine about being bored. 

Martine’ is doing well. He has the place looking great. He works every day improving the park and takes great pride in keeping all the machinery running. Also, we discovered recently he can sing. Next time your around the campfire, ask him to sing “Labamba” It may cost you at least one beer however.

Donny has recovered from his injuries when motorcycle meets traveling tourist. He is recovering from knee surgery and is very proud of his new Harley Davison. He has not gotten to ride it yet  but he does stare at it through his motor home window. (No riding yet per doctors orders)

Kyburz Bob is hard at it, you can usually see him on the tractor mowing or grading. That is his life these days. Bob keeps the resort running, working on plumbing to golf carts, or helping a member back his rig in, he always has a smile and is ready to help when needed.

Tonya and Corrie joined us this season. They are hard working and fun loving. Tonya is currently testing to be a Folsom Prison Guard and decided to come up and work at Chinook Bend until she gets the nod. Corrie, her best friend worked in San Diego at the county hospital and both are having the time of their lives living and working at the resort. They have discovered crabbing, and now you can set your watch to them heading out into the bay after work to supply us with fresh crab.

Cousin Bill is doing well, he was just up for a couple of weeks, fine tuning the computer and still cursing the wi-fi system. He brought his wife Karla, and daughter Olivia up for the first time. He had Olivia driving the tractor and mowing lawns before she was even out of the truck. Bill is planning on coming back up sometime in late August.

PROJECTS:

     ELECTRICAL UPGRADE

The electrical upgrade has been completed on the back row of R.V. sites. These spaces are now 26 feet wide and 60 feet long allowing the campers to pull-thru. They can accommodate the largest of R.V.’s or 5^th wheels. They are equipped with cable TV, water, sewer and 50 amp service. The first layer of road rock was installed and it will have to settle some before we add some smaller size gravel to it. This has caused the sites to be a little rough for walking but it is temporary.

We have also finished bringing in additional power for the resort. We worked with Consumer Power to upgrade the electrical and make Chinook Bend a safer environment for employees and members. The staff did a spectacular job working with Lincoln County and the power company to get this project finished before the 2007 season started.

    ENTRANCE ROAD

We have added road rock to the main resort entrance road. The road rock was a larger rock to be used as a base. This was due to the flood which washed most of the gravel into the bay. After a month or two of driving on this larger rock and it packs down, we will come back in and add a smaller rock over the top which will smooth out the ride. (Thanks for your patients with this issue)

    CONCRETE PADS

Their coming, I promise. The hold up on beginning this project is: my best friend, Dave Sandor who is a concrete contractor had a bit of a problem. His house burnt down about six weeks ago. So, he is still planning on pouring concrete for us, but it is temporarily delayed. It will be worth the wait, he does great concrete work.

    RIVER CABIN

The River Cabin is complete and set up for use. It is equipped with a refrigerator, microwave oven, T.V. and heater. It has a loft for children to sleep and a small table and chair set up inside. The outside patio has a B.B.Q. a fire pit and some patio chairs. Stop by and take a look. This cabin is available for members use at a discounted rate. Talk to the office staff if your interested in it for family or friends.

    PORTI-POTTIES

Until we build another bathroom and shower facility, we have brought in porti-potties for use by guests. They have been set up near the walking trails and the tent camping areas. They are pumped and cleaned each week by T&L Septic Company.

    BICYCLES

Some of the bicycles are in and available for use by members. Additional bicycles will be delivered by the end of August.

    LAUNDRY ROOM UPGRADE

The laundry room upgrade has been completed. We added new washers and dryers, a coke machine and a new pay phone. Stop by and take a look and let us know what you think.

    PICNIC TABLES

Some new picnic tables have been built. They will be delivered in late August. Several of the old table have been refurbished and seem to be holding up, especially after being under flood water.

    BAIT SHOP DECK

Martine’ built a beautiful steel and wood deck that sets at the front door of the bait shop. I am pretty sure this steel deck will not float away in the next storm. It is larger than the old stair set up that was there previously. It added a nice touch to the bait shop.

WE LOVE OUR VOLUNTEERS!!!

 Just a quick note to mention a couple of volunteers who have really helped us out over the last few months. With some of our staff out of action, we were in a bit of a bind hosting the pancake breakfast and a few of the functions that the members have come to expect. Jack Sigler, Rosa Sigler, and Dorothy. Came to the rescue.

Fortunately for us they were camping that week and were able to take over. Upon the staff's  return, they were still feeling a little under the weather, so the Siglers and Dorothy returned from their home on at least two more occasions to help us out. They are great people and they actually cook pretty good. Thanks you Jack and gang, for all you have done for us this year.

 Another volunteer I would like to mention is Jim Raley. He is an icon at Chinook Bend. He has probably mowed more grass in his life than what we will ever see. At least two times a week, if not three, he is tending to the golf course, mowing and grooming the grass to the proper length. (We usually mess it up). Jim’s only nemesis are the Elk. We refer to the Elk as helping Jim out with fertilizing, but he sees it different, not to mention that they leave hoof prints in the green. Thank you Jim, for what you do for us and the members.

Pat Peery, Barbara Shannon and Marilyn Craig have been hard at work also; Pat brought in potted flowers and decorated the River Deck and entrance to the resort. Barbara brought flowers and placed them around the Chinook Bend entrance sign. What a difference the fresh growing flowers make when you drive up. Marilyn was busy cleaning and weeding the resort fountain. After the flood, it was a mess. Stop by and take a look at the fountain and pond, it turned out beautiful.

Jim Burnett has been working with us on stoking the bait shop. He has offered us advice on what to buy and not buy for salmon fishermen. He has been a big help, keeping us rookies from buying stuff we don’t need. Thank you Jim.

Jason Ringhouse has been busy cutting, splitting and stacking firewood for the guest who likes to have a campfire. This is time consuming for staff and it really helps us out. 

And last but not certainly least is Tex, who so far this year has not run over any of the creatures of Chinook Bend. By the way Tex, the Owl survived last year’s road rage incident.  

There are numerous other volunteers who help us on a regular basis, and I do appreciate what you do for Chinook Bend. The resort could not run as smoothly as it does without your help. 

    MEMBER MEETING:

Chinook Bend staff would like to hold a membership meeting on August 20^th at the Big Red Barn Club House. The meeting will be hosted by the resort staff and will start at 5:00 P.M. We will be serving dinner (on us) from 5:00 PM to 6:00 PM with the meeting to follow. It will be an open discussion forum on the resorts finances, future projects, goals and any related issues. A question and answer session will follow. Please call or E-mail chinookrv@chinookbend.com if you plan to attend so we can have a rough Idea of how many of you we need to feed. Hope to see you there.  

    OWNER COMMENTS

It has been over one year and I cannot think of a better investment for Nat and I, not so much financially but for friendships. We have met people at Chinook Bend that have become very close to us. Chinook Bend has also caused me to reconnect old friendships with people I had not seen in years.

You also learn who has talents that you never knew of. Cousin Billy is that person. He has been a strong supporter of Chinook Bend from the start. He is talented beyond compare when it comes to computers and such. The backbone of any business in the 21^st century is technology. Billy is right there to bring his knowledge forward. He monitors the web site, answers his personal phone “support desk” and is constantly upgrading our Computers, printers and fax machines. Thank you Bill, I owe you a cold beer.

Chinook Bend is a very unique place. It kind of grows on you. From the beauty of the resort to the majestic forest that surrounds it, I feel a calm and sense of pride when I am there. I hope you also feel at home here. Have a great summer God Bless, and will be looking for you to stop by and say hi during the camping and fishing season.

  Sincerely.. John Telban