They Killed Uncle Henry!
Controversy strikes the coast, as the towns of Coos Bay and North Bend consider merging. R-G story here.
Coos Bay seems to be very gung-ho about this idea – on the grounds that the border between the two cities was arbitrarily drawn up as an afterthought to the treaty of Utrecht? – but the people of North Bend stand on the “Uncle Henry” principle, explained here by activist Pat Choat Pierce.
It’s very difficult to celebrate the life of a city when there’s no city to celebrate. That would be like continuing to celebrate your uncle Henry’s birthday, long after he’s gone.
Indeed. If I were them, I’d at least hold out for a better name than “Coos Bay-North Bend”. (Would it sweeten the deal if they went with “North Bend-Coos Bay”?) My suggestion: Methapotamia.
