When Ron Westbrooks bought his home in 1990, the hills west of him were empty. Now, they are filled with houses. "They built all these roads," Westbrooks says, "and people started building homes." For 31 years Westbrooks was a driver for UPS. Looking back on his job he says, "They were good to me."
John Rosman
John Rosman
After 15 years working as a logger, Patrick Belleci decided it was time to start looking for a new career. At 54, he felt that he was "too old and too slow to log." So Belleci turned to a passion he had been practicing his entire life: cooking. With the help of culinary classes, Belleci found a job in April that he says he loves. He makes cookies at Kruse Farms Market.
John Rosman
John Rosman
"We miss Italy," Debbie DeNino admits. After leaving their Italian restaurant, Dino's, in the hands of their children, DeNino and her husband went to Italy for three years. Their friend owned a third-generation Italian restaurnt there. The couple eventually returned to help their kids run the restaurant in Roseburg's tough economy, bringing back recipes from their travels.
John Rosman
John Rosman
A retired mill worker, Larry Swelly moved back into his childhood home to live with his father after his mother passed away. But now that his father has also passed, Swelly is cleaning the home to sell it. The memories of living inside the same home of his youth, mixed with memories of his deceased parents, are too much for Swelly. "It's creepy to be here anymore. I'm ready to get out," he says.
John Rosman
John Rosman
Mike Wildey says he learned an important lesson about life in Roseburg: compromise. "People are going to have their beliefs and you can't change that," he says. As a Democrat, Wildey says he was increasingly finding himself in heated arguments with neighbors and friends. "You can't talk politics, you can't talk religion," he says. Wildey believes it's more important to "find the common ground."
John Rosman
John Rosman
Gary McFarlane is in charge of technology for the Roseburg School District. "It's a struggle to keep up," he says. McFarlane says while technology is fundamental to education, he's happy it's not at the expense of a teacher's job. "It's a balance; you need to prepare kids for the future... but the most important aspect of a child's education is the teacher."
John Rosman
"The world's in a bad place; I hope it will be better after the next election." Del Bryan is visiting the Roseburg National Cemetery, a place he comes to every two to three months. A few people he knows are buried here. "We lost a lot of good people... the only real heroes are the ones that didn't come back," he says. Bryan served in the special forces for both the Korean and Vietnam Wars.
John Rosman
John Rosman
Rudi Toledo is a performer. Although never a professional musician, in Hawaii, Toledo says he was good friends with the late Don Ho, and played a few performances with Judy Garland. Now, living in Roseburg, you can still find Toledo playing his ukulele and singing with his wife, Elaine.
John Rosman
"People watch out for each other here," says Susan Breier. She's raising her grandkids in the same place she raised her kids: Rosewood Park, which is HUD housing. After leaving the neighborhood for a few years, Breier ultimately returned because she believes it's a good place to raise children. "I stay because it's safe," she says.
John Rosman
John Rosman
Working as a wild land firefighter, Matthew Putnam blew out his knees. In the three years since, Putnam says he's been having a hard time finding employment. For some income, Putnam collects cans business owners and neighbors leave out for him. "By cleaning up cans, I am able to buy shoes, socks, some food," he says. Putnam estimates he makes $40 a month from collecting cans.
John Rosman
After finding a job as an English teacher at Roseburg High School, April Bauguess says she likes living in a smaller community closer to the outdoors. But in the four years she and her husband have lived here, he has still not been able to find full-time employment. "It's not ideal," she admits, "but he's been able to consistently find part-time work as an instructional aide."
Roseburg sits in the middle of a timber gold mine. The small city lies within 100 miles from three Oregon national forests. After World War II, for a time, Roseburg was labeled as the Timber Capital of the Nation.
Off of I-5, Roseburg is home to 21,790 people. Stretching nine miles, the city is a diverse landscape, full of rolling hills, valleys, farms and a growing downtown. And cutting through the forests and concrete is the Umpqua river.
View the slideshow above to meet some of the people and see the diverse landscape that make Roseburg a unique place to live.
More to Explore
Our Town: Roseburg
Listen: Live from Joe Monkey in downtown Roseburg, Think Out Loud discussed everything from the boom and bust of the timber industry to the importance of culture in the city.
