DISTRICT TRACK
GLOBAL WARMING
Area athletes qualify for state, B1
Worsening fires may be a sign of the future, A7
MONDAY, MAY 19, 2014
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Murrelets surveyed at Elliott land sale
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BY THOMAS MORIARTY The World
COOS BAY — The new owners of a controversial tract of South Coast forest land auctioned off this spring may face new obstacles to harvesting its timber. Coast Range Forest Watch, an environmentalist group that conducts marbled murrelet surveys in the Elliott State Forest, says it’s recently detected murrelet nesting behavior in the East Hakki Ridge parcel. The parcel was recently auctioned off to Eugene-based Seneca Jones Timber. The Department of State Lands cited the declining value of the state’s Common School Fund, fed by timber proceeds from the Elliott, as its motivation for the sales. Forest Watch volunteer Amanda St. Martin said that in order to determine marbled murrelet nesting behavior, surveyors need to witness murrelets flying at or below canopy height in that area. She said that May 13 and 14, volunteers saw just that. “Two surveyors on two separate days saw them flying below canopy height,” St. Martin said. “That’s a pretty good indication that they need that area to SEE MURRELETS | A8 Photos by Thomas Moriarty, The World
NBHS band wins first state title BY CHELSEA DAVIS
The World
SOUTH COAST — Thousands of dollars pass through local politicians’ hands during election season. And where the money comes from and how it gets spent is always of interest. Across Coos, Curry and Douglas counties, the campaign to record spending the most money this primary is Tim Freeman, who is running for commissioner in Douglas County. He has spent the most, $150,917, on his campaign so far, according to campaign paperwork filed with the Oregon Secretary of State. Following by a large margin is Roger Hartman, who is running for assessor in Douglas County. He has spent $17,849 on his campaign. Matt Rowe and Monte Smith, who are running for Explore the data using Coos County comthe interactive graphic missioner and at theworldlink.com Douglas County c o m m i s s i o n e r, have spent about the same amount, according to the state’s website. Curry County’s Home Rule Charter supporters have spent $8,606, in comparison to the opposition, which has used $4,285. Candidates who say they won’t spend more than $750 per calendar year on their campaign do not have to announce their contributors or expenditures on the state’s website. If they wish to spend up to $3,500 per calendar year they may file a certificate of limited contributions and expenditures, said Jan Flowers,
INSIDE
SEE CAMPAIGN | A8
Police reports . . . . A2 What’s Up. . . . . . . . A3 South Coast. . . . . . A3 Opinion. . . . . . . . . . A4
NORTH BEND — In just two months, North Bend High’s symphonic band went from despair to domination. The 61-member band took home first place in the 4A division at the OSAA 2014 Band/Orchestra State Championships on Wednesday night at Oregon State University, beating out 12 other schools. “In the school’s history, this has never happened,” said Amber Yester, the band’s director. But just two months See the video for this ago, the band wasn’t story online at theworldlink.com/video on track to take home top honors, despite placing higher and higher every year since Yester took over, even landing in second place at state last year. “At a band festival at the end of February
The North Bend High symphonic band will play at 7 p.m. Tuesday, in the high school gym. The band will perform one of its state-winning pieces, “Of Sailors and Whales,” as well as “On Cloud Nine!” by Richard L. Saucedo. The event is free.
at Oregon State University, it was our first competitive event (of the year) and we just got hammered,” she said. “They were all disappointed and everyone wondered what happened, since we did so well last year.” It was the lowest score a band of hers had received in her teaching career. The band played two pieces: “Of Sailors and Whales,” by W. Francis McBeth, and “Heartbeat Five,” by Gary P. Gilroy. “Sailors” is the toughest of the two. It’s a collegiate-level piece Yester chose from the 6A list that includes a huge range for each section, extremely technical runs, a key
SEE STATE | A8
What’s at stake in Oregon’s primary BY JONATHAN J. COOPER
Here is a rundown of what is at stake:
The Associated Press
PORTLAND — Oregon’s Tuesday primary features only a couple of major races and ballot measures of statewide interest, but they are important ones — including choosing a Republican opponent to run against Sen. Jeff Merkley in November and deciding on the future of genetically modified crops in the Rogue Valley of Southern Oregon.
Comics . . . . . . . . . . A6 Puzzles . . . . . . . . . . A6 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . B1 Classifieds . . . . . . . B5
DEATHS
BY EMILY THORNTON
that’s difficult for tuning, and sections that are sung by the students. Yester was thankful for choir director Ken Graber’s help teaching the band to sing in three- and fourpart harmonies. Besides all of this, the band needs a lot of endurance to make it through: It’s 16 minutes long. After the punch in the gut at OSU, Yester considered tossing out the piece and starting over. The kids convinced her, though, that they could do it. Each section worked on its own to master the piece, putting in hours upon hours of practice on their own without Yester asking. A month later at districts, the band won. “That reinvigorated the kids,” she said. “They worked their butts off.” On stage Wednesday night, the band raised the bar even higher: They earned the
Your chance to see them
The World
Pediatric neurosurgeon Monica Wehby of Portland has tried to stake out moderate positions that won’t hurt her with Democratic and unaffiliated voters come November. Her chief rival, state Rep. Jason Conger of Bend is running to her right, hitting her especially hard on social issues.
U.S. Senate Republicans around the country are hoping to take over the majority in the Senate. While they face long odds in Oregon, they hope President Barack Obama’s unpopularity combined with the disastrous rollout of Cover Oregon, the health insurance state’s exchange, can make the race here competitive in November.
Dr. Jack Flanagan, Coos Bay Robert Smith, Coos Bay Helen Long, Coos Bay Bob Schroth, Winchester Bay Thomas Watson, Coos Bay
Governor The primary seems merely a formality for both John Kitzhaber, the Democratic
Steven Moen, North Bend Merle Moody, Bandon
Obituaries | A5
FORECAST
Campaign money: How is it spent?
Violinist Erin Bytoff accompanies members of the flute section during band practice at North Bend High School on Friday afternoon. Top, Band Director Amber Yester directs band members during practice. The band recently won its division at the OSAA State Championships for the first time.
and Dennis incumbent, Richardson, a Republican state representative seeking to unseat him. Neither is facing a serious challenger for his party’s nomination. With the primary out of the way, the campaign will begin in earnest.
State legislature A fight for the soul of the Republican Party is playing out in a handful of state House priSEE PRIMARY | A8
Rain 62/50 Weather | A8
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