Document text
0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories District board says it won't levy maximum tax rate after all Ashland gets new city parks director Man who tried to blow up DA's office faces 15 years in prison All evacuation advisories lifted for Rogue River Drive fire Jackson County plans low-cost pet vaccination clinic Crime, Courts and Emergency Services All evacuation advisories lifted for Rogue River Drive fire Emergency Services Fire levels historic Phoenix house Medford rainfall hits record, halts fire Short, masked man with a sickle robs Mini Pet Mart Politics and Elections Commissioner Skundrick plans final four town hall meetings Medford eyes electronic sign visual pollution Medford council veterans plan exit Medical marijuana patients run for council seat Former colleagues laud Atiyeh's 'practical' leadership Education Middle schoolers get a taste of college living Abraham Lincoln Elementary parents raise money for new playground State treasurer stumps for educational endowment measure Free meals program expands in Grants Pass Migrant student numbers soar Environment Stressed but off life support Rogue watershed councils plan to merge West Nile Virus found in mosquitoes collected near Central Point State news Nation - World Obituaries Michael Francis Cole Jr. Homer K. Kessler Death Notices Charlotte Beeson Toon Mary Louise (Dickey) Simpson Weather Photo Galleries Videos Web Cams Sports Latest Stories Manfred elected the next MLB commissioner (No heading) Beavers have a heated red zone session (No heading) Thompson Tradition Varsity 541 College Sports Beavers have a heated red zone session Thompson Tradition SOU men picked first, women second in CCC Freshman Hawkins catching on at OSU Running down Heisman contenders not named Jameis Pro Sports Manfred elected the next MLB commissioner (No heading) (No heading) Record Pace Controversial call helps Giants top White Sox Community Sports Results / Standings Second season a success for Rogues Runners defend titles in Mt. Ashland Hill Climb Locals shine in Dwarf Car Nationals opener Mustangs rout Alaska in opener Business Latest Stories If there's a way to fund energy savings, they'll find it Oregon's unemployment rate holds steady Blog: Big boy investors chasing after Grocery Outlet Blog: Once Upon A Time... Blog: AmericanWest owners seeking ways to cash out Real Estate News Median residential housing prices rise 10.7 percent, but may begin to level out People In Business People in business Transportation Medford airport has second-best June ever Agriculture Hail has local pear growers checking for damage Del Rio plans to add 50% more plants Harry & David sets sights on year-round operations Opinion Latest Letters to the Editor, Aug. 14 Our View: Cheers and Jeers George Will: Is the U.S. leaping into a new void? Dana Milbank: Golfing as the world burns Letters to the Editor, Aug. 13 Editorials Our View: Cheers and Jeers Our View: Police body cams provide a valuable tool Other Views: Curbing campus assaults Our View: Dark money flows into Oregon Our View: Cheers and jeers Letters to the Editor Letters to the Editor, Aug. 14 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 13 Letters to the Editor Tuesday, Aug. 12 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 11 Letters to the Editor, Aug. 10 Guest Opinions Who I am and why I want to serve on the City Council City council members should be paid Lifestyle Latest stories Community blog: Spur quicker consumption with quick pickling Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Dutch ovens are a versatile way to cook outdoors Matt’s Favorite Pie Crust Peach Pie Food Community blog: Spur quicker consumption with quick pickling Dutch ovens are a versatile way to cook outdoors Matt’s Favorite Pie Crust Peach Pie Southwestern Baked Chicken Home and Garden Lawn talk Tips for keeping backyard birds cool this summer Bath time for the birds: You can help them stay cool and clean Learn to pick produce at the peak of ripeness Support the mycorrhizae! It could help your plants Health Community blog:Can We Define Quality Health Care? Patient numbers double at local clinics Shaking that plumb-tuckered feeling Community blog:Maybe the Movies Will Lead the Way Asante plans to open big outpatient clinic in Grants Pass Faith Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East - Part three of four Religion briefs Community Blog: Is Peace Possible in the Middle East part 2 Religion briefs Community Blog: Peace: The inward passage - by Bonnie Greenwell Milestones and Achievements Century Club New Arrivals Wedding: Schulman-Nadolny Stuss-Bones Births Tempo Latest stories 5 Things to Do This Weekend Third Fridays art walk in Medford Film festival kicks off annual 'Daedalus Project' Review: The joy of 'Godspell' is infectious Delta Halos and The Lures at Club 66 Theater Film festival kicks off annual 'Daedalus Project' Review: The joy of 'Godspell' is infectious Randall Theatre opens 'Godspell' Entertainment 'on the bricks' at OSF 'Shrek' comes to the stage as a musical Music Review: Béla Fleck pairs his banjo with Britt orchestra Ottmar Liebert & Luna Negra at Pear Blossom Park Duke Street: 'On the Fly' Fleck to perform banjo concerto Sweet Ghosts at Oberon's Community Events 5 Things to Do This Weekend Dining Basil & Berries India Palace Taco Riendo Uber Herbal Tempo Videos Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » Obituaries TV Listings Movie Listings Oregon Outdoors Oregon Healthy Living Magazines & Special Sections NEWS NOW SOUTHERN OREGON JOURNAL Southern Oregon Journal: What am I bid? By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2014 @ 12:01 am By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2014 @ 12:01 am » Social News Some of our neighbors provide a valuable service, run an honest business and before they know it, by the sweat of their brow, 50 years have flown. Duane Brood (pronounced Brud) climbs up on the auction block wearing his signature white cowboy hat, picks up the microphone and takes center stage every Thursday night at 7 p.m. He is the patter-pilot who flies the Red Barn Auction at 5421 S. Pacific Highway in Phoenix. He and his good wife, Nita, will soon celebrate 50 years together — not as man and wife, they passed that mark three years ago, but 50 years of holding auction sales at a Rogue Valley landmark. The couple took over operation of the then-5-year-old establishment on Sept. 1,1964, and have given it their all ever since. Duane graduated from auctioneer school in Mason City, Iowa, in 1957; just one year after Leroy Van Dyke made “Auctioneer Song” a hit. Duane’s class picture adorns the office wall for proof. Some folks have their destinies spelled out plainly. When I asked Duane what made him choose that route, he said, “Three people told me the same thing — a dairyman I worked for told me I ought to become an auctioneer. So did my mother, and so did an uncle. I was trying to decide what to do with my life, so I went to auctioneering school.” I enjoy a personal history with auctions — and with the Red Barn in particular. After Mom passed away, Dad needed a diversion. We loved antiques, so we shared a booth in a local mall and became two of the regulars who haunted the Barn every Thursday night searching for buried treasure. “Somebody give me 10 dollars and walk it!” He called. I waited. It was a stealthy game of patience and subtle bidding. There were times we struck it and most we didn’t, but the gold nugget was our time together. I can understand Duane’s frustration when he deals with an utter lack of appreciation from the audience. It must be irritating to ask for a low opening bid and see nothing but blank faces. I squirm in my seat when that happens. That’s when he firmly tells us to, “Stop sittin’ on your paddles!” A paddle refers to your bidding number, which is actually yellow card stock. Then there was the time when he had this mustache cup. He could not wheedle or cajole a bid from our lethargic souls. He held the cup aloft with his right hand and poised the gavel in his left. “I’m going to break her. You just see if I don’t.” He did, too. One night there came a raging thunder and lightening storm, and the lights went out. No lights and no power for his microphone. But we heard him shout loud and clear, “The auction must go on!” And it did. An endearing part of the Barn for me is the signage they have posted high for the audience, so people can understand that the Red Barn is “not responsible for loss due to ire or heft.” I’m not sure what miscreant made off with the first letters of the two incomplete words, but I’m glad they’ve never found it necessary to replace them. I asked Duane whether he still enjoyed the work. “The last six years have been hard. I still get lots of merchandise, but I’m not getting much for it.” He still answers many calls and travels all over the area scouting estates and helping seniors to downsize. “I’m slowing down,” he tells me. I know Duane and Nita to be honest and kind individuals. You don’t buck 50 years of a turbulent marketplace without satisfying buyers and making many friends along the way. It’s a buyer’s market there — perfect for newlyweds, college students or anyone needing good, used tools and other necessities. So, enjoy a different flavor of an evening out. A gritty, down-to-earth type. It IS a barn, after all. But, whatever you do, get your paddle in the air! Peggy Dover is a freelance writer who works from a 1900 farmhouse in Eagle Point. Reach her at [email protected]. By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Peggy Dover for the Mail Tribune Posted Aug. 10, 2014 @ 12:01 am » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with MailTribune.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services Home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Announcements Obituaries Story ideas Since you asked Alerts Email Alerts RSS Feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Local Media Group Publications Original content available for non-commercial use under a Creative Commons license, except where noted. MailTribune.com | P.O. Box 1108, Medford, OR 97501