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Located on the coast, North Bend is one of the communities that surround Coos Bay, Oregon’s largest natural deep water port.  Edging the Pacific Ocean, with beautiful beaches and gorgeous sunsets, it’s a small town of approximately 9,855.  But being a small community, surrounded by beauty, doesn’t shield this town from the ugliness you find in larger cities… And sometimes, even in the dead of the night, there needs to be a place to hide…

“Jane’s House” is a very old building located in North Bend and it provides shelter for women that are escaping domestic violence.  Next to the building is a residence that is also for battered women.

Jan Willis, City Administrator, says that even though North Bend is a small town, it is not immune to the drug and alcohol problems that are seen everywhere in society and those problems ignite domestic violence.  Referring to the two safe-houses, she said, “I wish we didn’t need them, but we do.”

The “Jane’s House” project is out for bid right now and includes major remodeling within the existing structure and construction of a small addition to the existing residence located next to it.

I asked Jan about the significance of the name of the building, “Jane’s House”.  It is named for ‘Jane Doe’.