Cheers and Jeers

Huzzah! Er, ho-ho-ho!
Santa made multiple appearances last weekend, first making time for families at Pony Village Mall, then heading to Coos Bay for downtown’s annual Christmas festivities. Cheers to Old St. Nick and his trusty companion, Mayor Crystal Shoji, who accompanied him during Friday’s procession.

Coos County’s got talent
Cheers to all of the talented regional artists who were featured in the Coos Art Museum’s “Western Regional 2011” display. The display continues from 1 to 4 p.m. today and features everything watercolors to oil paintings. The art show is becoming a holiday tradition in its own right.

Hey kids, we’re hiring
The Marshfield Times has won more awards for its excellent student newspaper. Cheers to the young and talented journalists who put their heart and soul into producing a newspaper that makes their school district proud. (Feel free to send us your resumes.)

Warming wins
Cheers to the organizers of Project Hope, a team of volunteers who drive around Coos Bay and North bend looking for people who need to stay warm. The group delivers blankets and coats to the area’s most needy.

Warming woes
Neighbors In Need is slowly working on plans to bring a warming center to the Bay Area. Critics say progress is too slow; organizers point to a litany of issues that have to be addressed before such a center is brought online. Jeers to the reality of the situation that make a warming center unlikely anytime this winter.

100 years young
Cheers and a happy birthday to Verland Reavis, who taught math at Marshfield High School from 1945 to 1975. His birthday party on Tuesday was well-attended, a testament to the impact Verland had on his students, friends and family.

Drive, she said
She’s the sheriff of Chevies, the Pied Piper of Pontiacs. Cheers to North Bend resident Susan Karstetter, campaigning to beautify her hometown by ridding its streets of derelict vehicles. The city council should back her crusade.

Honoring a hero
Cheers and a whoop of the siren for the Jeff Common Foundation, selling commemorative coins in honor of the fallen Coos Bay firefighter. The money will support training for local fire departments.

Rainbow turkeys
Cheers to the 347 kids who entered The World’s Thanksgiving coloring contest. Special cheers to a 72-year-old who sent her handiwork. Though technically ineligible, she said she loves coloring. Hmmm. Maybe C&J needs some crayons.

A little lift
Cheers to Kent Couch, Oregon’s lawn-chair balloonist. He’s planning a flight in Iraq to raise awareness about that country’s orphans. A silly stunt? Sure. The world needs more silliness and less bloodshed.

Fear of commitment?
Turning the downtown Pedway into a bus station is one of Coos Bay’s brightest ideas in ages. But the city council is dithering about optional locations. Jeers for indecision and second-guessing.

Serving those who served
A small gesture of thanks means much to an aging GI. Cheers to the Ladies Dew Valley Club, which sewed two-dozen quilts and lap robes for veterans at Roseburg’s VA hospital and nursing home.

Hang together
Jeers for vindictive voices in Reedsport’s chamber of commerce, threatening to undermine crucial festivals because the chamber fired its events coordinator. Community solidarity and economic health should trump political disagreements.

We report it, you solve it
World readers have come through again. After we reported Floyd Robinson’s stolen tools, donors gave tools, gravel and plants. It’s all for the private park Robinson is building for disabled people. Cheers to him, and to the donors.

Clean bill of health
Cheers to Bay Area Hospital, after a self-audit showed a relatively trouble-free third quarter in 2011. It’s reassuring to know the hospital routinely administers checkups of its adherence to various rules.

Big fun yields big money
Cheers to everyone who helped make the “Bootleggers Bash” a success for the Boys & Girls Club. People donated $160,000 to support the B&G Club’s important work for local kids.

On a silver platter
Jeers to inept criminals. A North Bend cop spotted three young rocket scientists burgling a business this week — within view of the police station. On second thought, cheers. Smart crooks are harder to catch.

Be prepared — to give
Boy Scouts will gather canned food for the Salvation Army from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. today. Cheers to both of these great organizations. Also, cheers to you, for raiding your pantry to help.

Digital democracy
Oregon election officials keep finding ways to make voting easier. Now they’re deploying iPads and printers to help disabled voters fill out ballots on touch screens. Cheers.

Cash for critters
Cheers to local ranchers and others who plan a voluntary co-op to pay for animal damage control. Voters are unlikely to approve a new tax, so do-it-yourself is the only viable option.

A 24-hour park
Cheers to the Coos Bay City Council for keeping Mingus Park open 24 hours a day. Night owls and early birds alike should be able to take advantage of parks throughout the city.

[jerrs]Shady tactics
Jeers to promoters of the anti-abortion film “180” for distributing the movie on school property without permission. When perplexed students asked what the movie was, the promoters didn’t even have the courage to tell them the plot.

[jerrs]Thanks for that
Jeers to the Arizona attorney general’s office, for taking nearly a month to deliver a “no comment” on a consumer case. Coos Bay native Amber Steenbock raised $25,000 for a guide dog that wasn’t delivered. Does Arizona care?

A safe state of mine
Cheers to Coquille’s Hoover Excavating & Trucking Inc., for 11 years without an accident. With the U.S. Mine Safety and Health Administration cracking down on unsafe mines, Hoover deserves praise for taking employee welfare seriously.

Keeping streets safe
Cheers to citizen patrols in Hauser, Coos Bay and elsewhere for stepping up. Police can’t be everywhere, and these patrols show powerful things can happen when neighbors look after one another.

Show on the road
Cheers to local couple Peggy O’Neal and Larry Watson, for designing a mural for a Native American museum in Oklahoma. Their fine work with murals and dioramas does our area proud.

Lost and found, alive
Cheers for the rescue of 86-year-old Susie Maenaka Oi, found half a mile from her Myrtle Point home. She survived a three-day ordeal, thanks to the efforts of 30 searchers.

Drag out your drug dregs
Cheers to you, if you clean out your medicine cabinet today. Bay Area Hospital and local police are collecting unused prescription drugs that could wind up being abused. Take them to the Coos Bay Fire Station, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today.

Best foot forward
Can faith move mountains? It’s certainly moving Dave Strege. The 62-year-old Coquille man wants to cross the continent on foot, raising money for orphanages. His goal is $600,000. Godspeed, Dave, on your ambitious pilgrimage.

Let the sun shine
We hate to kick them when they’re down, but jeers to Southern Coos Hospital leaders, for illegally discussing the hospital’s financial trouble in a closed-door meeting. We hope they work things out, but please — do the public’s business in public.

No zombies on the road
Cheers for fears. Specifically, cheers for the spooky fun of haunted houses and Halloween parties. Dressing up to become someone else for a night is a treat. The trick is, make sure the someone you become isn’t a drunken driver.

Hunt responsibly
Jeers for shooting first and thinking second. Last week an Oregon hunter saw something moving in the brush. He fired, not realizing his target was a hiker. Christopher Ochoa, a Marine Corps reservist visiting from California, is dead at 20.

No wimps need apply
Jeers for America’s distressingly flabby population, including the majority of recent recruits for the Oregon State Police. Of 38 who took OSP’s fitness test, only 14 could manage the pushups, sit-ups and two-mile run. Off the couch, people.

Running man
More than a quarter-century after his death, Steve Prefontaine is still Coos Bay’s most famous export. Cheers for the idea of celebrating him with a downtown mural. His image will greet tourists and inspire the rest of us.

Medical advance
Bringing dialysis machines to BayArea Hospital will improve the lives of dozens of South Coast residents. No longer going to Eugene for life-sustaining treatment will mean convenience, cost saving and peace of mind. Cheers.

Winds of progress
Cheers to Coos Bay officials for progress on wind energy rules. Even if no one wants to erect a turbine right now, the city can’t afford to let its moratorium go on indefinitely. It breeds an anti-progress reputation.

Lakeside, again
Jeers for the continuing stalemate in the Lakeside City Council. Petty stubbornness risks the wrath of disgusted voters. Worse, it perpetuates the divisiveness that holds back the city’s ability to serve residents. Councilors must get past their grudges.

Bowing out
Cheers and best wishes to Oregon’s attorney general, John Kroger. The AG says he won’t run for re-election, citing an undisclosed medical condition. Despite a couple of recent political embarrassments, Kroger’s an honorable guy. Good luck to him.

And free popcorn, too!
Cheers to Coos Bay’s rookie school boss, continuing her campaign of asking citizens for opinions and ideas. Superintendent Dawn Granger’s next event is at 5:30 p.m. Wednesday in Pirate Hall, asking key questions about the community’s expectations for schools.

Learning to lead
“Politics” is sometimes used as a dirty word, and that’s too bad. Though imperfect, politics is how people collaborate for mutual benefit. Cheers to the Zonta Club’s “Women in Politics” workshop today, helping prepare potential candidates to serve productively.

Jump into fitness
Cheers to the hundreds of local kids who joined in a full minute of jumping jacks this week, as part of First Lady Michelle Obama’s childhood fitness campaign. Extra cheers if this event inspires youngsters to be active every day.

For wiser stewardship
Cheers for a timber management experiment being planned on the South Slough Reserve. After winning state Land Board approval on Tuesday, the reserve hopes to buy 1,500 acres, to study the balance between logging and conservation.

Promoting poverty
Speaking of timber management, jeers to the protesters raising yet another stink about logging on the Elliott State Forest. Sustained harvesting on state land is essential for school revenue, not to mention much-needed jobs in rural Oregon.

Well-earned rest
Cheers and lots of chew toys to Niels, a Coos Bay police dog moving into retirement after a distinguished seven-year career. He’ll finish his days as a pampered pet, savoring proud memories of apprehending evil doers. Good boy.

Bittersweet blaze
The arson that permanantly closed Dave’s Pizza was a sad event. But this week’s controlled burn to raze the building made way for the Walgreens pharmacy chain. Once again, economic progress rises from the literal ashes of previous ventures.

Lemonade from lemons
Jeers to the thief who took a generator and pile of hand tools from a retired Bandon man who is building a trail system for his handicapped wife and others. But cheers to all who are rallying behind him.

A good paddling
Cheers to the paddleboarders and kayakers who will cruise the bay today. They’re raising money to monitor water quality and help other projects. Keep warm, folks.