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TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 11, 2014
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New log shipping venture to hire 20
Well-deserved honors for veterans
BY DEVAN PATEL The World
Photos by Lou Sennick, The World
Donald Hasbargen holds up his Elkton High School diploma just awarded to him and 11 other new grads Monday morning. Marilyn Queener takes his photo with his diploma with Hasbargen’s daughter Susan Roland on the left and his wife Gladys on the right.
Elkton High School confers a dozen diplomas at ceremony BY LOU SENNICK
gym was filled in their honor. Several of the vets gently wiped away tears throughout the program. Their smiles lit up the gym when stuELKTON — Maisie Cox, a ninthdents brought each of them a handmade grader at Elkton High School, spoke of thank-you card for their service. honor to local veterans as she read an The highlight of the morning’s event essay written by Brad Meador. Monday came at the end, She spoke of the sacrifice when 12 veterans received and what it means to be an official Elkton High School American. diplomas. She briefly talked about the They were awarded now 9/11 attacks on the World since their service to the Trade Center, saying, “Ever United States prevented since that day, we have been More online: them from finishing up and more united as a people and See the gallery at receiving their diplomas more united as a country.” theworldlink.com. when they were young. For a little over an hour, the A few of the recipients dozens of veterans who were present to receive their attended the event at the high diploma during the ceremoschool in their honor sat and ny. As their names were read listened to essays and music. by school superintendent The vets stood at attention Andy Boe, board member as “The Star-Spangled King Phelps walked up to the vets and Banner” was performed by the school handed them their diplomas. band. They stood again as the military Those who could not attend the ceremarch for their branch of service was mony will have their diploma delivered sung by students. All sat with pride on their faces as the to them at home. The World
Kindergartners and first-graders from Elkton Grade School wave American flags as they sing “When the Flag Goes By”on Monday.
Veteran Joe Coons walks back to his seat Monday morning after receiving his Elkton High School diploma at the school.
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COOS BAY — With the retirement of its narcotics detection dog in September, the Coos Bay Police Department is looking for corporate and private donations to purchase a replacement for its costly, but effective, K-9 program.
Jay Brophy, Lakeside Joe Monsegur, Coos Bay Joe Birdwell, Coquille Mildred Spring, North Bend
Obituaries | A5
BY MATTHEW DALY The Associated Press
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SEE VETERANS | A10
Helping a veteran A war buff, who is also a seamstress, helps a World War II veteran restore a favorite possession — his bomber jacket. Page A5
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BY DEVAN PATEL
VA chief vows focus on service
Capt. Chris Chapanar said with narcotics agencies and taskforces putting more focus on Interstate 5, drug traffickers are shifting routes toward lesser-used highways. With drug traffickers using U.S. Highway 101 as a passageway, local law enforcement agencies have put
Lots of smiles erupted from veterans as kindergarten through fifth-graders from Elkton Grade School bring them thank-you cards they made in class.
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NORTH BEND — The North Bend City Council said goodbye to one of its own and welcomed a new furry officer to the police department Monday night. The council changed its regular scheduled meeting day from
Tuesday night to Monday because of Veterans Day, and members took the opportunity to recognize and say goodbye to councilor Barry Hayes. “Barry, I love you,” said Mayor Rick Wetherell. “I appreciate what you’ve done for the city. I knew you when you were a Bullpup, and it’s
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SEE SHIPPING | A10
WASHINGTON — On the eve of Veterans Day, the Veterans Affairs Department announced a reorganization Monday designed to make it easier for veterans to gain access to the sprawling department and its maze-like websites. VA Secretary Robert McDonald called the restructuring the largest in the department’s history and said it will bring a singular focus on customer service to an agency that serves 22 million veterans. “As VA moves forward, we will judge the success of all our efforts against a single metric: the outcomes we provide for veterans,” McDonald said. The VA’s mission is to care for veterans, “so we must become more focused on veterans’ needs,” he said. The VA has been under intense scrutiny since a whistleblower reported this spring that dozens of veterans may have died while awaiting treatment, and that appointment records were manipulated to hide the delays. As part of the restructuring announced Monday, the VA will hire a chief customer service officer and simplify the way it is organized to deliver health care and other services, McDonald said. For instance, the department
Councilor says goodbye, CB seeks donations to council welcomes K-9 officer replace its K-9 officer BY KURTIS HAIR
NORTH BEND — Oregon’s South Coast will see a boost in economic and timber activity as a result of Knutson Towboat Company and Coquille Economic Development Corporation’s agreement to create a new export venture out of Ko-Kwel Wharf. The venture, K2 Exports LLC, will see logs flowing from the port by the end of the month in order to meet the increasing demand of Asian markets. With a greater need for timber as China continues its urban development and Japan rebuilds its infrastructure after geological catastrophes, Knutson Towboat Company president John Knutson and CEDCO executive director of development Greg Aldridge saw an opportunity to improve the local timber economy while meeting the global demand for Oregon timber. “This was really in response to the demand from Asian markets, Chinese markets and all of the Pacific Rim,” Aldridge said.“There’s a tremendous amount of demand for logs in a country with over one billion people that has an economy where they’re using a lot of concrete and fiberglass.” In the past year,Knutson said the cost of goods and services for handling and timber for export has risen in Coos Bay compared with other ports, and some local log exports have moved to Longview, Wash. Knutson said the area has been underutilized after historically being a strong timber resource for countries along the Pacific Rim. “Back in the ’80s and ’90s, the Coos Bay wood basket area produced about 140 million board feet of logs, and all of that wood was sent to Japan with bark on, while China requires bark off,” Knutson said. “Coos Bay is especially attractive to the global market because for many
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