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THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 5, 2013
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Explosive device is disarmed
School district is tardy
Investigation of downtown chapel fire may fall under federal jurisdiction
Myrtle Point has to delay the start of school two weeks BY CHELSEA DAVIS
BY THOMAS MORIARTY
The World
The World
MYRTLE POINT — Delays in construction at Myrtle Point High School have given the district’s students an unexpected extended summer vacation. When construction began on the high school the last week of June, it was slated for completion before Tuesday, the first day of school. Now, however, the entire district won’t resume classes until Sept. 16, said superintendent Bruce Shull. Planning for the high school’s seismic and HVAC upgrades began a year ago and bidding recruitment began in May. The project was supposed to be “substantially completed” by Aug. 30, according to Chambers Construction’s specs. But several delays mean construction won’t be completed and allow students to return to the school until October. “But teachers are flexible and kids are resilient,” said Jennifer Sweeney, principal of the high school. Shull said sub-contractor recruitment, asbestos abatement and the substantial amount of infrastructure upgrades all led to a slow-moving project. And when crews began digging to place the main power switch gear and transformer, they found a 70-year-old fuel tank, which Pacific Power said has to be removed for safety reasons. On Aug. 13, the school board voted to delay school almost two weeks. In the end, it comes down to dollars, Shull said, and it would have cost more to expedite the process than to let it run into the school year. Paying construction crews overtime would have tacked another $200,000 onto the bill. “I didn’t think that was a good use of district money,” he said. “That’s a substantial cost and I don’t want to do that if we don’t have to.” But the project is still over budget, he said. With the unexpected fuel tank discovery and several other change orders, the bill ran up to $3.2 million. But Cham-
COOS BAY — Federal agents are now actively involved in the investigation of an explosive device found at the Prayer Chapel in downtown Coos Bay on Tuesday afternoon and are weighing whether to take over the case. “We’re actually working jointly with Coos Bay police,” said Holly Fauerso, a spokeswoman for the FBI’s Portland field office. “The bombing could fall under state laws or under federal laws under Title 18.” Title 18 of the U.S. Code gives federal law enforcement broad jurisdiction over explosives and arson investigations, including church arsons, which were specifically criminalized under the Church Arson Prevention Act of 1996. An FBI agent and specialists from Oregon State Police assisted local law enforcement in disarming the device just hours after emergency personnel responded to a report of a fire at the location. In a press release Wednesday, Capt. Chris Chapanar of the Coos Bay Police Department said the device was discovered by firefighters arriving at the chapel shortly before 5 p.m., after a passing beverage delivery man noticed smoke coming from inside the building. Firefighters had the blaze contained within an hour, and the building incurred no
SEE TARDY | A8
Photos by Lou Sennick, The World
Myrtle Point School District superintendent Bruce Shull stands in the chemistry classroom at the school Wednesday. Behind him are the school’s offices. Summer renovation work is taking longer than thought, delaying the start of classes until Monday, Sept. 16.
SEE DEVICE | A8
Will project bring more mosquitoes? Inside the gym at Myrtle Point High School, the seismic retrofit is being done. The wooden beams are being reinforced with steel rods and laminated sheeting and the structure is being strengthened where windows used to be on the wall.
BY EMILY THORNTON The World
COQUILLE — Could there be a another mosquito problem after the completion of the Winter Lake Marsh Project? Some living near the proposed project believe it will be another Bandon Marsh National Wildlife Refuge, with clouds of mosquitoes plaguing the area. Coos County commissioners listened to residents’ concerns Wednesday at an emergency work session. The project covers 407 acres of the Beaver Slough Drainage District’s 1,702 acres, near Roseburg Forest Products. The project, part of which will add three or four muted tidal regulators, is in its design and bid stage for engineering, according to Tim Walters, with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife. Walters said residents shouldn’t be concerned about having the same mosquito outbreak as Bandon. “If we have a problem at a specific (water) level, we’ll change it,” Walters said in a phone interview Wednesday. “If we see a mosquito problem, we’ll fix it.” Walters said one of the adjacent properties, Beaver Slough, regularly flooded and had no mosquito problem. Sharon Waterman, a landowner near the
Kitzhaber may call special session
INSIDE
PORTLAND — Saying “it’s time to call the question,” Gov. John Kitzhaber told state lawmakers on Wednesday to prepare for a potential special session of the Legislature to deal with tax and pension questions. The governor said he’ll only call lawmakers back to Salem on Sept. 30 if it’s clear he’ll find success with his push to cut pension costs and increase tax revenue. “Time is short,” Kitzhaber said in a statement. “Unless we act now, students returning to school this week will continue to face cuts in the classroom.” Kitzhaber has been trying for months to reach a deal that would raise revenue to boost funding for schools and mental health treatment while lowering the cost of public employee pensions. Kitzhaber said
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Schools, pension cuts would be on agenda he’s also committed to including support for small businesses — a key demand from Senate Republicans. Kitzhaber said he’s meeting with House and Senate leaders from both parties this week in hopes of securing a deal that would lower long-term pension costs by $5 billion and secure $200 million in new revenue. A successful compromise will require support from both parties because the Democratic majority in both chambers doesn’t have enough votes to raise taxes without some support from Republicans. “There is still a lot of work to be done to determine if the votes are there,” said House Speaker Tina Kotek, D-Portland.
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Senate President Peter Courtney, DSalem, said he’ll work as hard as he can to find a compromise that can win passage. “There’s a lot at stake. We can have a longer school year and smaller classes. We can have dedicated funding for mental health,” Courtney said in a statement. “We can do this.” Rep. Mike McLane, the House Republican leader, said Oregon needs leadership on reforming the Public Employees Retirement System, and he hopes Kitzhaber can provide it. “If he can’t, our schools and public safety will suffer,” McLane said. Kitzhaber told The Associated Press he’s travelling to Washington on Monday to meet with Anthony Foxx, the new U.S. Department of Transportation secretary, about a proposed light-rail and Interstate 5 bridge linking Oregon and Washington.
Sharon Kibby, Coos Bay Robert Heath, Myrtle Point Allan Johnson, Coos Bay Leslie Stout, Woodburn Randy Franck, Coos Bay
SEE MOSQUITOES | A8
FORECAST
The Associated Press
DEATHS
BY JONATHAN J. COOPER
Deloris Vaughn, Dora Ruth Meredith, Reedsport Jessie Saporito, North Bend
Obituaries | A5
Chance of rain 67/57 Weather | A8
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