I Want To Know
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What happens to Carissa metal debris at beach
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.16.08 under I want to know
Question: I want to know: Will there be pieces of metal and dangerous debris on the beach along the North Spit due to the removal of the New Carissa?
Answer: There shouldn’t be. Metal from the New Carissa will not be taken to the beach. The steel Titan Salvage crewmen cut from the New Carissa is lifted from the wreck with a crane and placed on the deck of either of Titan’s Karlissa A and Karlissa B jack-up barges on the north and west sides of the Carissa. The steel slabs are stored on the decks until they workers can transfer them from the barges onto a floating barge. Then, they take the scrap to Empire, where it is stored on the barge at the dock. Eventually, the scrap will be taken to a recycling facility.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can send questions to news@theworld link.com.)
How can a church get school food?
[ 1 Comment ] Posted on 08.14.08 under I want to know
Question: I saw a notice in The World about a vacation Bible school that said a lunch would be provided by the county school district program. I want to know why the county is providing food for a religious class. Whatever happened to the separation between church and state?
Answer: The meals were provided to students attending the vacation Bible school because they are available to all students. The food was provided to the school by Rhonda Hoffine, food service director of North Bend School District and coordinator of the USDA’s summer lunch program.
The vacation Bible school in question was sponsored by the First Baptist Church of North Bend. Ruby Wilmoth, a church secretary, said the church contacted Hoffine, who told them the food couldn’t be served with any religious ceremony and all the children in the program had to be younger than 18.
Hoffine said the First Baptist Church isn’t the first religious group that has asked her for meals. Sometimes church leaders go to one of the food distribution sites with their students, and other times they pick up food and take it back to the church site. Hoffine said the summer lunch program takes care to ensure no religious ceremonies are performed at the food distribution sites.
And she also noted that the only restriction to access to food is the age.
“Those meals are available to all students,” she said.
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Send questions to news@theworld link.com.)
What’s up at the Timber Inn?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.12.08 under I want to know
Question: What happened to the Timber Inn? Will it ever reopen? Why is it not up for sale?
Answer: The Coos Bay motel was taken over by the Oregon Pacific Banking Co. in June after its previous owners closed the business at the beginning of the year.
Oregon Pacific staff did not immediately return calls to the bank last week for an update. Coos County Commercial Appraiser Adam Colby said the foreclosure was completed June 9. On that note, he said his office has seen about one foreclosure a week over the past six months.
Leo and Donis Frare had owned the Timber Inn since 2003, having purchased it from Gordon and Elaine Joelson. Donis Frare told The World in January that the motel was closing because she and her husband were out of money. She also said her husband was in poor health and they wanted to focus on him getting better.
What can be done about loud truck brakes?
[ 1 Comment ] Posted on 08.12.08 under I want to know
Question: Semi-trucks that come into North Bend from the north use their engine brakes when they come into town. There’s a whole bunch of houses and motels along the highway here. They could get by this little strip without using them. I wonder why there’s not a sign here that says engine breaks aren’t allowed as you come into town?
Answer: It’s true. There is no sign to warn truckers to stop using those noisy brakes when they get into town, but that doesn’t mean they can.
North Bend City Planner David Voss says those loud, booming brakes aren’t allowed in the city. And thanks to the reader’s question, Voss is planning to work with the Oregon Department of Transportation to get a sign in place. He noted that the northern entrance to the city along U.S. Highway 101 is under the ODOT’s jurisdiction, so it would be up to that agency’s managers to decide whether one can be installed.
If you witness a driver using semi-truck brakes, also known as jake brakes, Voss wants you to write down the license plate number of the offender. Report it to the city’s police department. An officer then will pursue the matter.
“They can report violators — sign or no sign,” Voss said in an e-mail.
North Bend Police Capt. Ron Akers says that when a trucker uses those jake brakes, it’s against the law. City code 9.04.030, titled “Making Unnecessary Noise,” bans the practice because they create loud or disturbing noise.
“Most truck drivers don’t use it when they’re in the town area,” Akers said.
Those who do can be cited for the violation and upon conviction of this civil offense, a court may impose an up to $500 fine.
To make a report, call the North Bend Police Department at 756-3161.
— Staff Writer Jessica Musicar
What is happening at the rail bridge?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.12.08 under I want to know
Question: I saw a barge next to the Coos Bay railroad bridge in early July doing repairs of some sort. Is the Port of Coos Bay doing the work? I thought it decided to postpone repairs after Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad closed the rail line.
Answer: You’re right.
The current repair activities on the Coos Bay Rail Bridge are not part of the proposed phase II rehabilitation of the bridge, according to Martin Callery, the Oregon International Port of Coos Bay’s director of communications and freight mobility.
“Phase II has been postponed until such time as the ownership and future operations on the Coos Bay rail line are more definite,” he said in an e-mail Monday.
You’re also right that there is repair work happening on the bridge.
Workers are repairing damage to bridge components caused by two incidents when tug and barge tows moving through the open bridge bumped into the structure. Those occurred in July 2003 and November 2005.
Under the contract between the Port of Coos Bay and CORP, which is lessee and operator of the bridge, the railroad company has the responsibility to repair the bridge and collect for the damages from the responsible parties.
After several years of discussions, engineering inspections and analysis, and finally threat of legal action, CORP established an escrow account for the funds to repair the bridge, according to Callery.
“Port staff has been involved in an oversight capacity with several local firms and the railroad to complete the repairs and disburse the escrow funds,” he said.
- Staff Writer Alexander Rich
(I Want to Know is a regular feature of The World, offering readers a chance to anonymously ask questions and have reporters pursue answers. Those interested can send questions to The World newspaper.)
Many factors contribute to area’s gas prices
[ No Comments ] Posted on 08.06.08 under I want to know
I Want to Know: Why are gasoline prices so much higher in this area compared to the rest of the state? Who controls the distribution in the Bay Area? There are approximately 19 stations here that offer gasoline for sale. Who owns, controls and supplies these stations? Can representatives of these companies explain how you can buy gasoline 20 cents a gallon cheaper in Florence, Eugene, Roseburg, Medford, etc.?
Answer: It’s anybody’s guess. The complaint is not new. It’s something residents in the Bay Area have complained about for years, especially when, in 2004, prices started to rise significantly and hovered around $2.25 a gallon for regular gas. It was often a quarter or more a gallon higher in the North Bend-Coos Bay area than in surrounding communities and cities.
The Oregon Department of Justice at that time set up a hotline for people to call with reports of what they felt were unusually high prices. Attorneys began an investigation.
It took two years. The report was a mere 13 pages long and said little, even though attorneys said they interviewed local and regional wholesalers and retailers. Local fuel companies Dedicated Fuels, Goddard Energy and others were mum.
The report credited the price hikes to crude oil prices, seasonal demands, restricted refinery and pipeline capacity, foreign political instability and profits and costs embedded in the refining, distribution and retail sale of fuel.
It also said that coastal prices may be affected by a lack of a readily available supply, additional transportation costs and fluctuating demand in the summertime — a fact that Scott Bassett, president of Bassett-Hyland Energy company said could have been a factor then.
“On the basis of this investigation, insufficient evidence exists to conclude that high prices consumers experience on the Southern Oregon Coast during the period examined resulted from illegal anticompetitive behavior,” the attorney general’s report said.
On the Net:
AG’s report: No evidence of collusion on gas prices
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2006/07/21/news/news01072106.txt
Editorial: Why high? Don’t we wish we knew
http://www.theworldlink.com/articles/2006/07/22/opinion/editorial/edit01072206.txt
Rock station takes over eatery’s location
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.17.08 under I want to know
Question: What is the new building going in where King’s Table used to be?
Answer: It is the new home of KDCQ radio. The classic rock ‘n’ roll station plans to begin broadcasting from the former site of the Coos Bay buffet by the first of next year, said Stephanie Kilmer, general manager of the station commonly known as K-DOCK.
The 14-year-old company first began broadcasting from the second-floor offices of the Bay Cities Ambulance building on Ocean Boulevard.
Kilmer said station owner Bruce Latta wanted to move operations into a single-level building in part to ensure KDCQ could remain on the air in the event of an emergency or natural disaster.
The company purchased the Broadway property in February 2007.
The hope was to move directly from Ocean Boulevard to the Broadway site, Kilmer said, but prolonged foundation work delayed construction.
“We wanted to make sure the foundation was good enough,” she said, noting the property now features an extensive pier system.
Instead, K-DOCK moved operations into temporary quarters on Broadway Avenue in North Bend in January.
Once completed, the new building will have about 5,000 square feet of space and a lobby allowing visitors to look in on disc jockeys and radio personalities while they are on the air.
Although the building is not within the city’s historic district, Kilmer said the radio station will feature colors and a facade consistent with the area.
“We wanted to make it a showpiece and get others to do the same,” she said.
— Staff Writer Alexander Rich
Tell me about those free school lunches this summer
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.14.08 under I want to know
Question: Who pays for the summer lunch program?
Answer: The U.S. Department of Agriculture and the state of Oregon pay for the program to provide free lunches for children at selected schools during the summer months.
The USDA allocates funds to states each year for children’s nutrition programs. On the South Coast that includes summer lunches in North Bend, Reedsport, Coquille and Myrtle Point school districts, food service director Rhonda Hoffine said. In addition, Bandon and Coos Bay also offer the lunches.
“We have seen huge participation this summer,” she said.
The state of Oregon acts as a funnel, distributing the money to school districts. The districts are reimbursed for the cost of food, labor and fuel.
Another $200,000 USDA grant paid for the six food trucks that keep meals at the right temperature while delivering meals to local lunch sites, Hoffine said.
Program costs depend on participation. The number of children 18 and younger served can vary and no one in that age group is refused. Hoffine said the poor economy may be driving an increase in the number of children served this year.
— Staff Writer Jolene Guzman
Lunch locations
The North Bend School District’s free lunch service will be held through Aug. 22 at the following locations:
North Bend
• Hillcrest Elementary School, 1100 Maine St., 8:30 to 9 a.m. (breakfast); 11:30 a.m. to noon.
• Airport Housing Complex, on 11th St. in Airport Heights; 11:45 a.m. to noon.
• Airport Heights City Park, on Colorado Street in Airport Heights; 11:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• Simpson Park, 1220 Sherman Ave.; 12:15 to 12:30 p.m.
• North Bay Elementary School, 93670 Viking Lane; 12:30 to 12:45 p.m.
Lakeside
• Lakeside County Park, on South Eighth Street; 11:30 to 11:45 a.m.
• Dunes Mobile Trailer Park, on Spinreel Drive; noon to 12:15 p.m.
Reedsport
• Barrone Park Gazebo, 105 Forest Hills Road; 11 to 11:15 a.m.
• Forest Hills Apartment Complex, 2655 Frontage Road; 11:20 to 11:35 a.m.
• Circle Drive, 176 S. 22nd St.; 11:40 to 11:50 a.m.
• Henderson City Park, on U.S. Highway 101; noon to 12:20 p.m.
• Reedsport Activity Park, on U.S. Highway 101; 1:05 to 1:20 p.m.
• Hawthorne Complex, 1400 Hawthorne Road; 12:50 to 1 p.m.
Winchester Bay
• Philip Boe Memorial Park, on Windy Bay Road, 1:30 to 1:40 p.m.
Gardiner
• Jewett School, 325 High St.,12:50 to 1 p.m.
Coquille
• Coquille Community Center, 115 N. Birch St.; 12:15 to 12:45 p.m.
• Coquille Valley School, 1115 N. Baxter St.; 11:45 to noon.
Myrtle Point
• Green Valley Trailer Park, on state Highway 42; 11 to 11:15 a.m.
• Sunset Park, on Stover and 19th streets; 11:20 to 11:30 a.m.
• Lions Park, on Maple Street; 11:35 to 11:45 a.m.
• Flora M. Laird Memorial Library, 435 Fifth St.; 11:15 to 11:30 a.m.
• Rotary Park C; 11:35 a.m. to noon.
• Skate Board Park, on Spruce Street; 12:10 to 12:20 p.m.
Coos Bay
The Coos Bay School District’s free lunch service will be held weekdays through Aug. 13.
• Blossom Gulch Elementary School, 333 S. 10th St., from 11:15 a.m. to noon.
• Madison Elementary School, 400 Madison St., 11:15 a.m. to noon. The school’s library, computer lab and garden also will be open from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Wednesdays.
The Bandon School District will offer free lunches through Aug. 8.
Lunch will be served in the district cafeteria, 455 Ninth St. S.W., from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Riding in the beds of trucks — illegal?
[ No Comments ] Posted on 07.11.08 under I want to know
Question: Several times lately I have seen people riding in the beds of pickup trucks. What I want to know is if they can be cited for not wearing seat belts or is this not covered by the seat belt law?
Answer: Whether someone should be cited depends on a number of complex factors, said Carla Levinski, the occupant protection program manager for the Oregon Department of Transportation Safety Division.
Is the truck bed an open truck bed or does it have a canopy? Is the truck-bed rider underage? Are he and other passengers traveling between hunting camps or riding in a parade? Are all seats in the cab of the truck occupied by other minors?
“This is a difficult, convoluted statute that is often misinterpreted because people do not read its entirety,” Levinski explained.
According to ORS 811.205, which is not technically part of the seat belt law, minors are prohibited from riding in the open bed of a pickup unless they are in an organized parade. They can be traveling between hunting camps or hunting sites during hunting season if the youths have hunting licenses. They also can ride in the bed for work, provided the minors are transported in compliance with law and rules regulating transport of workers. But, all available passenger seats in the cab already must be occupied by other minors. The person or people in the back of the truck must be seated on the floor of the bed with the tailgate securely fastened.
“I review this law with traffic officers working safety belt overtime twice a year when I conduct training for them, and still I see it incorrectly interpreted as ‘It’s OK if all seats in the cab are occupied,’” Levinski explained.
That’s how the old law read prior to a change introduced by former Rep. Lane Shetterly, R-Dallas, about four years ago.
“You can imagine the difficulty of trying to enforce this when you have to go through a mental checklist of the above criteria backwards. First you have to observe where they are sitting. If the tailgate is closed, who else is in the vehicle? And then if there is a problem with one of those two, you have to pull them over and ask if they are hunting or working,” Levinski said.
In cases not involving minors, Oregon law states that people can ride in pickup truck beds only if all other seat belts are in use. They also cannot hang over the side.
The law requires all motor vehicle operators and passengers be properly secured, unless all seats equipped with seat belts are occupied. This applies to passenger cars, pickup trucks, motorhomes, and fee-based transports carrying fifteen or fewer people. Vehicle owners are required to keep seat belt systems in working order.
— Staff Writer Jessica Musicar
Crosswalk painting may encourage drivers to slow down
[ No Comments ] Posted on 06.30.08 under I want to know
Question: I want to know why, with all the grant money for crosswalk safety, we can’t get the crosswalks striped on Broadway by Sizzler?
Answer: Sometimes called Dead Man’s Curve by residents and City Administrator Jan Willis, the road next to the Sizzler in North Bend already has been striped.
In fact, personnel from the Oregon Department of Transportation completed the work in early April. That included striping the crosswalk, installing advance warning and pedestrian crossing signs, and clearing brush from the area to increase visibility, said Bob Sechler, the Region 3 lead traffic investigator for ODOT. Region 3 covers Curry, Coos and Douglas counties. The Sizzler Restaurant is located at 3390 Broadway Ave.
He said ODOT received a request sometime during the late winter asking for the change, and ODOT followed up by conducting a traffic study, in which staff videotaped the stripeless crosswalk to determine if markings were needed. They were, Sechler said, noting that ODOT wanted to provide a safer opportunity for people to cross Broadway, which often has more vehicles on the road.
“We felt that striping would help the motorists see the pedestrians crossing there,” Sechler said. “It will provide advance warning to the traveling public.”
To increase visibility of the crosswalk and pedestrians, ODOT excavated dirt and cut back brush on the site, said Wade Luckman, the assistant district 7 manager for ODOT. He agreed that the visible crosswalk would increase safety in the area.
“I think most of the reason it would be (needed is) that motorists have a tendency not to slow down when going around the corner. That would be my reason,” Luckman said.
North Bend Police Capt. Ron Akers said there have been three accidents this year near the vicinity of the curve. None involved a pedestrian.
— Jessica Musicar, Staff Writer