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THE MPALIANCE & TV STORE TTRESS MONDAY, DECEMBER 16, 2013
Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
South Coast economy improving BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
Photos by Lou Sennick, The World
More than 130 motorcycles and a caravan of pickups and cars heads out from Coos Cycle on Sunday morning for the annual Bike for Tykes Toy Run. The convoy escorted bicycles and toys through Coos Bay and North Bend to the Salvation Army headquarters in Empire and delivered about $22,000 worth of gifts this year.
Bikers rev up for early Christmas 124 children will be getting bicycles this year because of Bikes for Tykes event BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
In front of Coos Cycle in Coos Bay, volunteers load up a pickup with some of the hundreds of toys and bikes being delivered to the Salvation Army. Walt and Sandy Evans have been coordinating the annual Bikes for Tykes Toy Run from the shop since 2000.
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A human conveyor line of volunteers unload thousands of dollars worth of bikes, games and toys to the Salvation Army headquarters Sunday.
BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World
COOS BAY — Law enforcement began a search following a robbery behind Walmart and a theft inside the store Saturday afternoon. Coos Bay police were on scene investigating a reported robbery around 1 p.m. Saturday behind Walmart when a theft occurred inside the store at 2:30 p.m., said Coos Bay police officer Steve Myers. “There’s nothing to indicate they are connected,” he said.
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Kevin Torres Berning, 31, was charged with first-degree robbery, second-degree assault, unlawful use of a weapon, menacing and second-degree theft. Myers said a person fled the store following the theft and Coos County Sheriff K-9 Neeko and his handler, Deputy Adam Slater, were casing the surrounding area, including woods, an apartment complex at Laclair Street and Thomas Avenue, and along Newmark Avenue. Neeko recovered the property stolen from Walmart — a computer microphone — in the brush behind the food bank on
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Newmark Avenue. During the search, a North Bend police officer recovered a jacket in the woods west of Walmart. Myers could not comment on whether there were any injuries in either incident. Coos Bay, North Bend and Coquille Tribal police, Coos County Sheriff’s deputies and Oregon State Police were all on scene. Reporter Chelsea Davis can be reached at 541-269-1222, ext. 239, or by email at chelsea.davis@theworldlink.com. Follow her on Twitter: @ChelseaLeeDavis.
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Walmart the scene of robbery, theft
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LAKESIDE — They’re sick of it. Literally. A task force met last week to try to cure Tenmile Lakes of its blue-green algae blooms, which cause illness to animals and humans. Officials said one of the main causes were sewers not being up to code, leaking into the lake. The task force hopes to vote on one of three options at their next meeting Jan. 16. One option would be to create an ordinance by order of the board of commissioners. Another, to form a special district by order of the commissioners. And third, form a special district by petition. The exception would arise if there was another health emergency, in which case an ordinance could be adopted at a single commissioners meeting. Some wanted more sewer inspections before they made a decision. Others said there was enough evidence. “I think our problem is clearly and easily identified,” Mader said, holding up a chart depicting toxin levels. He represented Tenmile
EMPIRE — Santa hats streamed toward Salvation Army on Sunday with bicycles and toys in tow. The 13th annual South Coast Bikes for Tykes rallied 130 motorcycles and several trucks loaded with bicycles and toys for families in need during the holidays. Bikers donned Santa hats and See the photo gallery at revved their engines outside Coos theworldlink.com Cycle Supply on Sunday morning. They zoomed out to Salvation Army in Empire and created an assembly line, unloading bicycles and toys into the gym. When it was all said and done, 124 bicycles — exceeding their goal of 110 — were lined up alongside heaps of games, skateboards, dolls and more. Everyone circled around organizers Walt and Sandy Evans, and Salvation Army Lt. Kevin Pope, who thanked everyone and led a prayer. “We’ve all come together to show this community what we can do to help families in need,” Walt told the packed gym. “We’ve done this as a group, not as individuals.” Kevin Pope brags about Bikes for Tykes everywhere he goes. While other Salvation Army centers in Oregon struggle to bring in enough toys for the holidays, “I sit here and go, well I’ve got Walt and Sandy.” “And I know Walt and Sandy have you guys backing them up,” he said. “Really, it’s something that doesn’t happen a lot. No other Salvation Army in the nation that I know of even comes close to this.” The Salvation Army will pull names out of a hat, and if a child’s name is drawn who hasn’t received a bicycle through the program before, they’ll get to take one home. This year there are more than 200 kids in the drawing. Last year 565 children received toys or bicycles. Walt takes advantage of sales and Black Friday deals. This year they used the more than $22,000 they raised to buy bicycles and toys on sale. “But I missed the Crayolas and Play-Doh deal at Fred
FORECAST
The South Coast enjoyed slight job growth and improvements in the real estate market this year, giving some hope for the future. At the Bay Area Chamber of Commerce’s 21st annual economic outlook forum Friday morning, state officials and economic analysts reviewed the past year with cautious optimism. Oregon Employment Department regional economist Guy Tauer said the South Coast has seen a “smattering of job growth” over the last year. There were hundreds of jobs added in professional and business services, natural resources and mining, education and health services, and manufacturing. “If you look at the sectors adding jobs ... they’re all high-wage industries,” he said. And manufacturing gains prove timber is still a vital part of the local economy, he said, with 80 to 85 percent of the industry’s growth in the wood products sector. “But we have had some losses, so I’m not going to sugar coat it,” he said. Local government took the biggest hit this year, with construction and leisure and hospitality on its tail. “Local government is really the one that’s dragging our overall employment numbers down quite a bit in Coos County coming out of the recession,” he said. Unemployment fell to 9.9 percent last month, but Tauer said that’s “at the expense of ... a declining labor force,” which shrunk by 1,000 over the year. Four years after the end of the Great Recession, Oregon has managed to add nearly 72,000 jobs. Coos County contributed to that number, but minimally, with an additional 180 jobs. “We’re contributing but we’re a pretty small chunk of Oregon’s overall recovery, so there’s definitely some room to increase our share of that pie,” he said. The recent economic downturn mimicked the recession of the 1980s, he said, with a quick
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