****Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards****
Article written by: Lee Littlefield
Individuals, organizations and projects that have made outstanding contributions to preserving Oregon’s heritage have received Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards.
The late Paul Quarino, the Egyptian Theatre’s beloved Wurlitzer Organ Wizard, has received a 2026 Oregon Heritage Excellence Award, the first recipient to be awarded, posthumously. His longtime friend, ETPA Board Member David Engholm, who attended The Awards Presentation and Dinner as part of the 2026 Oregon Heritage Conference held this past April, accepted the award for Paul.
Oregon Heritage stated:
“Paul Quarino (1942-2024) was recognized for his 44 years serving as steward and caretaker of Coos Bay’s Egyptian Theatre’s Mighty Wurlitzer, ensuring that the magic of this 1925 organ – the only theater organ in Oregon in its original location – could be shared with future generations.”
The Award recipients are representative of efforts and activities that are exemplary and go above and beyond for an individual, organization, and project, serving as a model for heritage preservation work in Oregon,” said Katie Henry, Coordinator for the Oregon Heritage Commission. “This year we had several nominations focused on the work of documenting, preserving, and sharing a more complete story of Oregon’s history.”
The Oregon Heritage Excellence Awards are a program of Oregon Heritage. Oregon Heritage is a division of Oregon Parks and Recreation Department that includes the State Historic Preservation Office and four State Commission/Committees: Oregon Heritage Commission, State Advisory Committee on Historic Preservation, Oregon Commission on Historic Cemeteries, and Historic Advisory Review Committee.
1925 - Happy “100th” Birthday to The Egyptian Theatre - 2025
On behalf of The ETPA Board of Directors, we would like to thank the community for sharing the Theatre’s 100th Birthday Celebration with us on Saturday November 15th. 2025. We would also like to thank the following organizations and individuals that sponsored the event helping us make the celebration special!
Restaurant O - Walmart - Pacific Power Foundation - Gib’s RV - Coos Head Food Coop - Engle’s Furniture - Banner Bank - US Cellular - Knife River - NW Natural Gas - Coos Bay Visitor Center - Mill Casino Resort- Three Rivers Casino - Peak Credit Union - Nichole Rutherford - Wildlife Safari - Ziply Fiber - McKay’s Markets- Liberty Theater - Coos Bay Chapel - Puerto Vallarta - Jackson-Osborn Insurance - 7Devils Brewery - Bigfoot - Doug and Twyla Veysey - Aspen Lace - First Community Credit Union - Joan Lease - Paulette Beliveau - Cheslock Optical - The Pottery Co. - The City of Coos Bay
We would also like to thank our celebration performers.
-Lee Littlefield, our long-time Resident Organist-
-Edward Torres, Renowned Theater Organist-
-Second Wind Quartet-
-Ripple Effect-
-Joel Mansfield & Ron Nelson-
-South Coast Trio-
and
-John Beane, our emcee-
A special thank you to all of our Volunteers for their time and dedication on this day and through-out the year, and to our Executive Director Jill Rasmusen and her Celebration Committee for two years of planning, hard work, and successful execution of the Egyptian Theatre’s 100th Historic Milestone!
The Egyptian Theatre’s Paul Quarino Receives an Oregon Heritage Excellence Award
Egyptian Theatre Preservation Association
Our Mission
”is to renovate, preserve and operate the historic Egyptian Theatre as a performing arts and entertainment center.”
Our Vision
“is for generations to come seeing an operational and vibrant Egyptian Theatre that beckons people downtown from the broader community,
and provide a multi-use community gathering place where people can have fun and participate in a living part of local history.”
Our Purpose
”as nonprofit corporation, is to restore, maintain, operate, and preserve the historic Egyptian Theatre.”
Would you like to help us keep the Historic Egyptian Theatre preserved for present and future generations?
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