Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
Honors for NB, Coquille
Nazi graffiti in Coos Bay
Schools finish in top 10 in OSAA Cup, B1
Swastika scrubbed off bus shelter, A2
PARTLY CLOUDY 66 • 49 FORECAST, A8 | TUESDAY, JUNE 16, 2020 | theworldlink.com | $2
Mayor quits ORCCA board ZACH SILVA The World
SOUTH COAST — An explosive leaked email from Gold Beach Mayor Karl Popoff led to him stepping down from his position on the Oregon Coast Community Action board of directors last week. His email, sent to all ORCCA staff, included the statement that, “Black lives don’t matter to Black Lives Matter people.” ORCCA is a charitable organization that includes services such as South Coast Food Share and South Coast Head Start. The organization helps the homeless, veterans and children. Popoff was replying to
an email sent by the private non-profit’s executive director, Kim Brick. Brick’s email stated black lives matter, discussed deep levels of institutional racism in the country, and explained that nationwide community action programs like ORCCA stemmed from the Civil Rights movement. “The National Community Action values state, ‘We believe that all people should be treated with dignity and respect and recognize that structural race, gender and other inequities remain barriers that must be addressed.’ If we truly believe this, we must live it,” wrote Brick. Her email ended with #blacklivesmatter.
Popoff, who has served as the mayor for 16 years in Gold Beach, intentionally replied to everyone in response. “Kim, with all due respect, you can shove your racism bandwagon,” started Popoff in his email. “I am so sick of having people throwing up racism/white privilege at every turn,” he continued. “You want to know what is hurting blacks? The welfare system. NO dads at home. And, you know what? It is also hurting whites, and American Indians. Black lives don’t matter to Black Lives Matter people....” Popoff continued to say that “sensitivity training” and laws will not slow prejudice that peo-
ple have against one another. “Sorry, dear Lady, but I already know how to treat other people. I found that out through Christ,” said Popoff before concluding his email. “Now, if anyone wants my resignation from the Board after this, you can have it. My term is up this month anyway.” Popoff told The World he wishes he had “stated differently” what was on his mind. He stepped down from this position last week. His email, leaked to The World through an anonymous source, was privately criticized by those who read it. “I can’t comment on his email but we have a statement as an ORCCA that we are looking at next
steps and what we can do as an organization to promote social justice in our area and we want to provide equity and opportunity for all,” said Brick in regards to the email. Others called out his comments. “So when we talk about the lack of diversity in Southwestern Oregon, why people don’t want to move here, why communities of color are so small and so silent and so quiescent, how can we say anything when this is who is running Southwestern Oregon?,” said an individual who read the email and wished to remain anonymous to avoid backlash as the situation develops. Please see ORCCA, Page A8
Planning for the future of education
Lighthouse visit
JILLIAN WARD The World
tic today about the standard of living improving for the next generation than it has been in the past 25 years. Only 42% of Americans believe that when their children reach their age, their standard of living will be better. A solid 57% said that in 2018. Since the question was asked in 1994, the previous low was 45% in 1994. — Compared with surveys conducted after President John F. Kennedy’s assassination in 1963 and after the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, Americans are less likely to report some types of emotional and psychological
SOUTH COAST — School districts along the South Coast are making plans to reopen in the fall under the state’s new guidelines. And under these new plans, the average classroom on the South Coast may be too small for students to go back to the “old normal,” according to Tenneal Wetherell, superintendent at South Coast Education Service District. This means local schools will likely adopt an alternative or new way to do classes for the next academic year. Last week, the Oregon Department of Education released guidance to schools on how to safely plan for class in the fall in the face of the new coronavirus pandemic. “…(I)t’s a lengthy document that essentially outlines what needs to happen for every district in Oregon to open their schools in the fall,” Wetherell said. “… Each district will produce what is called a ‘blueprint’ to ODE by Aug. 15 after the local health authority reviews and agree to the implementation of the plan. Every district has to determine what type of reopening they will select.” The models available include an all in-person, all online, or hybrid model between the first two. “…The district has to review the health and safety guidance in the documentation and local context to determine which way they can open,” she said. “Smaller districts could potentially open for the all in-person model, but larger districts might not be able to open in that methodology.”
Please see Study, Page A8
Please see Education, Page A8
Amanda Linares, The World
A couple takes a stroll up to the Coquille River Lighthouse, located near Bandon, on Monday, June 15. After showers in the forecast this morning, beachgoers should enjoy several sunny days in a row.
No surprise in study: People are more unhappy ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Spoiler alert: 2020 has been rough on the American psyche. Folks in the U.S. are more unhappy today than they’ve been in nearly 50 years. This bold — yet unsurprising — conclusion comes from the COVID Response Tracking Study, conducted by NORC at the University of Chicago. It finds that just 14% of American adults say they’re very happy, down from 31% who said the same in 2018. That year, 23% said they’d often or sometimes felt isolated in recent weeks. Now, 50% say that. The survey, conducted in late May, draws on nearly a
half-century of research from the General Social Survey, which has collected data on American attitudes and behaviors at least every other year since 1972. No less than 29% of Americans have ever called themselves very happy in that survey. Most of the new survey’s interviews were completed before the death of George Floyd touched off nationwide protests and a global conversation about race and police brutality, adding to the feelings of stress and loneliness Americans were already facing from the coronavirus outbreak — especially for black Americans. Lexi Walker, a 47-year-old
professional fiduciary who lives near Greenville, South Carolina, has felt anxious and depressed for long stretches of this year. She moved back to South Carolina late in 2019, then her cat died. Her father passed away in February. Just when she thought she’d get out and socialize in an attempt to heal from her grief, the pandemic hit. “It’s been one thing after another,” Walker said. “This is very hard. The worst thing about this for me, after so much, I don’t know what’s going to happen.” Among other finding from the new poll about life in the pandemic: — The public is less optimis-
Photo gallery: Graduations on the South Coast. AT THEWORLDLINK.COM D • Serving Oregon’s South Coast since 1878 • A Country Media Newspaper • Copyright 2015 Follow us online:
SOUTH COAST A2 OPINION A4 WEATHER A8
facebook.com/theworldnewspaper
OBITUARIES A5 SPORTS B1 COMICS B3, B4
twitter.com/TheWorldLink
instagram.com/theworldlink
WE ARE STILL HERE FOR YOU!
Top Appliances, Furniture and Mattresses, All Under One Roof!
The Mattress Store
Bay appliance & TV
$
2579
$
2297
541.269.5158
$
769
$
685
$
685
$
999
$
999
253 S. Broadway, Coos Bay (Next to the Egyptian Theatre)