W102522

Accused killer to have charges dropped

Mental health woes make it impossible to pursue charges

By DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World

A North Bend woman arrested for killing her own mother will not spend any time in prison after it was determined she was too mentally ill to assist in her own defense.

Coos County District Attorney R. Paul Frasier announced Wednesday that Alexis Marie Bergquist will remain in custody at the Oregon State Hospital for the time being, but due to state law, he has no choice but to drop the second-degree murder charge she was facing.

Bergquist was arrested Dec. 30, 2019, and was charged with second-degree murder in

the death of her mother, Ramona Matthews. Frasier said at the time of her arrest, it was obvious Bergquist was suffering with some form of mental illness. During the inves tigation, law enforcement learned she had suffered with severe mental health issues for years.

Under state law, in order for someone to be prosecuted for a crime, they must be able to assist in their own defense. If the defendant is unable to assist in their defense, the prosecu tion must be halted and appropriate mental health care given. The goal is to provide care that will enable the defendant to assist in their defense.

If needed, a defendant can be admitted to the state hospital, but the law limits how long a person can be held in the hospital. In Ore gon, that limit is three years for second-de

gree murder.

In addition, state law requires any deten tion at the state hospital must stop if it is determined the defendant will never be able to assist in their own defense. In that case, all charges must be dropped with prejudice. That means if in the future, circumstances change and the person can assist in their own defense, charges could be reinstated.

In Bergquist’s case, it was determined shortly after she was arrested that should not assist in her defense. The court the ordered she be sent to the state hospital for treatment.

In July, the state hospital issued an opinion that Bergquist would never be able to assist in her own defense.

Because of the severity of the charges, Frasier asked for a second opinion from a qualified mental health expert. That expert

Fall festivities at Dragonfly Farm and Nursery

and dog-friendly.

By BREEANA LAUGHLIN The World

A mother/daughter duo who started out selling their plants at the Bandon Farmer’s market have grown their business into a full-fledged plant nursery – as well as a destina tion for community gatherings.

Daughter Jenine and her moth er Pam Manning are turning their farm into a year-round destination offering events and activities in every season. The latest community events at Dragonfly Farm and Nurs ery are a series of pumpkin parties. The first pumpkin parties were held on Oct. 15 and 16 and they will be held again from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 22 and 23.

“We are busiest in the Spring and we thought we need to figure out ways to get people in and keep the traffic flow – as well as we just love putting on community events,” said Jenine Manning.

The latest community

at

Dragonfly farm and nursery is located off Highway 101 on the east side of the highway, tucked away behind a forest of trees between Langlois and Bandon. It is children

agreed with the state hospital, ruling that Bergquist would never be able to assist in her own defense.

While the law requires Frasier to drop the murder charge, he petitioned the court to have Bergquist labeled an extremely danger ous person with mental illness. Frasier asked the court to admit her to the state hospital un der the supervision of the Psychiatry Security Review Board.

Last month, the court granted Frasier’s petition, and Bergquist was committed to the state hospital for two years. The commitment is renewable, and Bergquist can be kept in the hospital as long as she is considered extremely dangerous.

Bergquist was taken back to the state hospital last week, and Frasier has begun the process of dropping the murder charge.

The farm has “prewashed” pumpkins for families to pick out during the pumpkin parties as well as free games and face painting, drinks, popcorn and other goodies. Children who come to the pumpkin party dressed in costume get a free goodie bag and other kid-friendly surprises. Adults in costume will receive 31 percent off any one item in the nursery.

Jenine says fall is a great time for planting.

“People don’t realize that but it’s a great time to get your plants in the ground. The fall rains establish the roots so in the spring plants can focus on their leaves,” she said.

Dragonfly farm and nursery sells perennials, annuals, organic vegetable starts, herbs, berries, succulents, cacti, houseplants, shrubs, trees and more.

The owners said they realize many people come to the nursery from out of town – so they keep it well stocked so visitors can find everything they need.

The property has an interesting

Collaborative effort to take on homelessness

By DAVID RUPKALVIS For The World

Cities and counties working together may be the solution to the homelessness crisis in Coos County.

That’s the message representa tives from Coos Bay, North Bend and Coos County shared Tuesday while sharing how they are working together to the Coos Bay-North Bend Rotary Club.

“I’m very happy North Bend, Coos Bay and the county are coor dinating together to come up with some solutions,” North Bend Mayor Jessica Engelke said.

Drew Farmer, the executive director of ORCCA, explained the partnership in Coos County is thanks to House Bill 4123, which gave $1 million grants to eight counties in the state. The grants were designed to enhance the ability of cities and counties to work as one to come up with plans to combat homelessness.

Farmer said as the executive director of a nonprofit that works to find housing and other necessities for people, he can see the value of a coordinated response. He explained the county task force will work to bring nonprofits and others who work for the homeless together so they can have unified front and make money go further.

“I can think of about eight other organizations that were attempting to make a plan like this and coordi nate everyone,” Farmer said. “Many

people have ended up on the streets and the infrastructure to move them forward isn’t there comprehensively.”

Farmer said several years ago, a study showed there were 1,400 homeless in Coos County with few er than 100 shelter beds available.

Coos County Commissioner Me lissa Cribbins said the collaborative task force exists largely thanks to the efforts of the Coos Bay Home less Workgroup, which started in 2018 and was disbanded this month.

“That’s really how we ended up here today,” Cribbins said. “Coos Bay was really visionary. They had representatives from North Bend and the county. The Coos Bay Homeless Workgroup was doing great work and really coordinated our efforts.”

The new group will be led by Coos Bay, North Bend and the county, but it will be open to all of the county and even places like Reedsport nearby.

“This is really going to be a com munity-wide effort,” Cribbins said. “It has to be a community-wide effort.”

According to the legislation that approved the grant funding, the new task force must have a strategic plan completed by May 2023. The task force must also find a way to fund itself after the grant funding ends in two years.

“The Legislature will expect a report back,” Cribbins said. “They don’t give out money like this with out knowing what their money was

used for. I think it’s a real opportu nity. Homelessness impacts all our communities.”

Jill Rolfe, the community devel opment director for Coos Coun ty, said the plan the task force is working on a plan that will make a difference.

“It is really important when we build that strategic plan that we communicate with all our commu nities,” Rolfe said. “That plan is not something we want sitting on a shelf.”

Nichole Rutherford, assistant city manager in Coos Bay, said the task force has several goals in front of it. No. 1, will be to identify funding sources after the first two years, which the grant covers. Second, is to streamline existing resourc es. Others include to incorporate national-level best practices for ending homelessness, eliminating racial disparities in homelessness and creating a pathway that leads to

HOMELESS

Historic home to be torn down

By JULIE AKINS For The World

A once grand old home in Coos Bay now sits on the precipice of de struction within the coming weeks.

The once picturesque 1890’s home at 737 North Broadway facing highway 101 and the Pacific Ocean has five bedrooms and three bathrooms under its pitched roof and octagonal design feature which stretches out to nearly three thou sand square feet. It’s perched on a small bluff with large bay windows overlooking the march of time. During its existence those who lived at the home watched Coos Bay go from a single main street with horse and buggy and steamer vessels on the Pacific Ocean to a modern city with electric vehicles cruising the coastline and a 21st century port.

The home has been a constant on the landscape of Coos Bay for 122 years.

But sadly the grand old lady and her neighboring property at 765 will soon be demolished, by unanimous vote of the Coos Bay City Council on Tuesday.

It seems the home, which sold last July for $210,000, is not properly braced on the hillside which had a significant erosion issue causing the retaining wall and parts of the slope on which the house sits to fail and fall onto the highway.

Please

The city has determined that both the old grand dam and the smaller home with two bedrooms and one bath next door, will have to be de molished in order to secure the area safely from the homes collapsing when the next significant rains begin to fall.

The city argues if the homes are removed it will be easier to abate the falling hillside and it’s the city’s view that in their current form the homes represent a danger to the community.

“I’m glad that we can find solutions for the public’s greatest safety,” said Councilor Carmen Matthews.

The city’s cost to demolish the homes will not be offset by the Oregon department of Transporta tion according to the city manager but he does plan to seek a lien on the property in order to recover costs of abatement. The property owner has the opportunity to seek an appeal

Farm and Nursery are a series of pumpkin parties.

first pumpkin parties

they

again from noon

Coos Bay Assistant City Manager Nichole Rutherford explains some of the work that will be done by a new homelessness task force that is forming in Coos County.

Drew Farmer, the executive director of ORC CA, talks about the work that can be done to help the homeless get off the streets during a Rotary Club meeting.

Dragonfly

history which the family farmers are carrying on.

“It was a rare plant nursery back in the 1940s to 60s,” said Jenine.

Camellias and Rhododen drons that were planted over 50 years ago remain on the

property today. Pam and Jenine started Dragonfly Farm in 2014. Pam had just had her green house rebuilt and Jenine said she was ready for a change in her career.

“We found out we could sell plants at the Bandon Farmer’s Market. We were there one day a week and then two days a week and

then we wondered if people would to come out here and see this property,” Jenine said.

From there, Dragonfly Farms and Nursery has con tinued to blossom.

“We started with our tiny little shop that was open one day a week and now we have 8 employees in the off season and in the high season we

employ 15 people,” Jenine said.

“It’s really grown. Just getting that first person to help us out really gave us momentum and we have been really well received by the community.”

For more information about Dragonfly Farm and Nursery, visit www.dragon flyfarmlanglois.com.

North Bend recognizes police chief, captain

The city of North Bend recognized the police department command staff last week on their successful first year serving the community.

Among their key accomplishments:

- Transferred emergency dispatch services to the Coos North 911 Dispatch Center to address critical staffing shortages and public safety concerns, a move that is expected to save taxpayers $723,400 through the Fiscal Year 2025;

- Completed renovations to the police squad/report writing room;

- Remodeled former squad/report writing room for use as a multi-purpose training/con ference room;

- Developed and hired a Community Ser vices Officer (CSO) who assists and relieves law enforcement personnel in the perfor mance of various police duties;

most common form.

- Changed Computer Aided Dispatch and Records Management Systems to improve efficiency and accuracy in reporting crime statistics;

- Establishing relationships with communi ty members and opening up the lines of com munication through community engagement efforts, including community events and the recent “Talk of the Town” event at the Little Theatre on the Bay;

most forms treated

early detection, even the most aggressive forms can be treated and even cured!

- Implemented mandatory training in critical areas, including defensive tactics, firearms, and use of force training and recer tification;

- Utilized federal grant dollars to offset the purchase of new patrol cars to replace unsafe high-mileage vehicles with hefty repair bills;

- Eliminated mandatory over-time through restructuring of patrol shifts;

- Promoted two patrol officers to sergeant status to ensure each shift has supervisory oversight;

- Standardized uniforms for all shifts, including Class A uniforms, to communicate the level of authority and experiences of the officers in court and ceremonial events;

- Leveraged and sought additional federal grant dollars for a Community Resource Offi cer (CRO), who will work closely with com munity partners and the sources they provide to assist with outreach services to homeless individuals and families in our community;

- Top-down review of organizational strengths and weaknesses with extensive succession planning and staff development for future management positions;

- Significant improvements to efficiency, staffing, deployment schedules, overtime, and department operations; and

- Initiated a pay and analysis study of similar-sized agencies in Oregon, including associated incentives and benefits.

PPO

Ranch Rd.,

5th St. (East Wing), Coquille, OR 97423

5th St. (East Wing), Coquille, OR 97423

From A1

Photos by Breeana Laughlin/The World

Daughter Jenine Manning and her mother Pam Manning

turning their farm

destination offering events

in every

Dragonfly Farm was once a rare plant nursery owned by Donald Stryker, who was known for his large collection of Camellias and Magnolias that he grew at the farm in the 1940s through 1960s.

Dragonfly farm and nursery sells perennials, annuals, organic vegetable starts, herbs, berries, succulents, cacti, houseplants, shrubs, trees and more.

Contributed photo

Pictured from left to right are North Bend Police Captain Cal Mitts, City Administrator David Milliron, Library Director Haley Lagasse, Police Chief Gary McCullough, Public Works Director Ralph Dunham, Fire Chief Jim Brown, Main Street Manager Stephanie Wilson, Parks Superintendent Paul Thompson, and Finance Director Jessica Terra

North Bend chooses Dunning as community resource officer League of Women Voters offers web links to voter forums

Ballots are being mailed to voters this week, and the League of Women Voters of Coos County is providing information to voters about candidates.

Recordings of candidate forums are available on the League’s website at https:// my.lwv.org/Oregon/Co os-County, under the sidebar “Voting and Elections.”

The recordings on the website include these League sponsored debates:

Candidates for County Commissioner Position #3, Melissa Cribbins and Rod Taylor, and also the debate between candidates for Coos County Sheriff, Gabe Fabrizio and M.A. Kinnaird. This forum sponsored by the League took place October 13th at the Marshfield High School auditorium with an audience of over 100 in atten dance.

Candidates for the 4th Congressional District, which took place on October 6th in Lane County. The candidates who participated were Mike Beilstein of the Pacific Green Party; Jim Howard of the

CB Council

From A1

but at this point it will be post demolition. He has been contacted in case he would like a hearing, according to the city manager but “nothing has been done.”

The exact time of dem olition will be determined when the engineering report is completed but the city hopes to move quickly before winter weather makes the job more difficult.

In addition, the council gave a more encouraging nod to its history through its celebration of Native Amer ican history. It encouraged the community to join in celebrating Native American Heritage month in November.

The first, original tribes of Coos Bay include the Coos, Lower Umpqua, Siuslaw and Coquille tribes whom the City of Coos Bay have hon ored since 2020 in a month long celebration.

Councilor Lucinda DiNovo said she’s glad for the part nership the city enjoys. “I’m happy to acknowledge we are on their ancestral homelands. We’re incredibly lucky to be on the homelands of recog nized tribes.”

Councilor Carmen Mat thews agreed saying, “I’m really excited that Coos Bay has Heritage Month for No vember. I really want to focus on our tribal relationships and

Constitution Party; Val Hoyle of the Democratic Party; Levi Leatherberry of the Indepen dent Party, and Alek Skarla tos, of the Republican Party.

Candidates running in Or egon State House District 9, Jerry Rust and Boomer Wright. This forum was held in Springfield on October 3rd.

Also on the League’s website are interviews with candidates for Oregon House District 1, Bret Cecil and David Brock Smith, conduct ed by the League of Women Voters of Coos County.

And there is a recording of Dede Murphy, Coos County Clerk, discussing the election security measures in Coos County which protect against fraud. The program featuring Ms. Murphy was held in the North Bend City Hall on Sep tember 24th.

The League is adding more resources to the website for voters as they become available.

For more information, con tact Alice Carlson, LWVCC President, at lwvcoos@gmail. com or 541-756-7290.

I look forward to working together in the future.”

The City of Coos Bay will fly the flags of the confed erated tribes during for the month of November.

And finally, the City of Coos Bay Assistant City Manager Nicole Ruther ford spoke to the council about difficulty with audio in streaming city council meetings and also being able to hear them in the chamber both for the hearing and hearing impaired. “We need capacity to change configu ration. We have directional mics, and we can do better than that,” referring to the sometimes difficult to hear city council comments. Ruth erford also assured council while working on that issue she is additionally seeking ways for the hearing impaired to get boosted audio through their cell phones while in the chamber to better follow what’s happening.

The first several minutes of the council meeting on Tuesday were silent on the streaming platform on You Tube and Rutherford wanted to acknowledge that the sys tem is in the process of being upgraded and also to make it clear that the system has restricted settings that staff should not adjust without IT intervention.

“We will be talking about that in tomorrow’s depart ment meeting,” she assured the council.

The City of North Bend has assigned Shane Dunning as its Community Resource Officer (CRO), thanks to a U.S. Department of Justice grant. CRO Dunning will work primarily with our homeless population to help them find resources to locate permanent housing and gain stability.

Homelessness is a critical issue impacting multiple sectors of the North Bend community. To address this concern, the City of North Bend Police Department is expanding its current force by creating a Community Resource Officer (CRO) position that will provide outreach to homeless individ uals and families to connect them to community resource partners.

“The mission of the CRO will be to engage communi ty organizations, residents, homeowners, and business owners by building trust in a community-based process that works to reduce home lessness for individuals and families in North Bend,” Po lice Chief Gary McCullough said. “The CRO will engage in community-policing ef forts to address the underly ing causes of homelessness and lessen the negative

Homeless From A1

permanent housing.

Coos Bay Councilor Stephanie Kilmer was involved with the city’s workgroup from the begin ning, and she said even then the idea of finding answers for homelessness was over whelming.

“At the beginning, I was super concerned,” she said. “How in the world are we going to solve this problem? There are so many ways this needs to be attacked to come up with a solution.”

impact of homelessness on individuals, families, and the community.”

The U.S. Department of Justice awarded North Bend $125,000 in grant funding through the department’s Of fice of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS Of fice) COPS Hiring Program (CHP). North Bend is one of five Oregon law enforcement agencies to receive direct funding.

“The catalyst for the funding for our Community Resource Officer was North Bend’s congressional dele gation,” said Mayor Jessica Engelke.

“North Bend becomes an even safer place thanks to the advocacy of Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley and Representative Peter De Fazio, who helped secure the funding.”

CHP is a competitive award program intended to reduce crime and advance public safety through com munity policing. CHP direct ly funds law enforcement agencies to enhance their community policing capacity and crime prevention efforts. Of the 180 agencies award ed grants, nearly half will use the funding to focus on building legitimacy and trust

She said based on her experience in Coos Bay, she does know one thing. Answers are not easy nor are they fast.

“When you have an effort like this, it does take some time,” Kilmer said. “When you peel back the onion, you see other things that need to be done. It isn’t just a Coos Bay problem, it’s not a coun ty problem, it’s a national problem.”

Kilmer said the county task force will meet monthly with the other seven counties involved in the program to share ideas and thoughts. While that will be helpful,

Shane Dunning between law enforcement and communities; 30 agen cies will seek to address high rates of gun violence; 26 will focus on other areas of violence, and 28 will focus CHP resources on combating hate and domestic extremism or supporting police-based responses to persons in crisis.

every county will be respon sible for coming up with its own strategic plan.

“What may work here in Coos County may not work is Deschutes County,” Kilm er said. “So, it will be local.”

North Bend City Adminis trator David Milliron stressed that there is no easy solution. Court rulings and legisla tive action at the state level have limited with cities and counties can do to address homelessness. The task force must work within those rules to look for answers.

“Yes, we have a lot more folks in our communities,” Milliron said. “Our police

With the awarding of this grant and Council-approved Coronavirus State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds, a part of the American Rescue Plan, funds are available to sustain this position for up to five years before utilizing general fund or public safety fee revenues.

know who they are. Measure 110 plays a part in that. What the courts have said is you have to address time, manner and place. It is a Constitu tional violation not to allow people to sleep and stay warm and dry.”

Milliron said the job in front of the task force will not be easy, but he hopes a collaborative effort will pay dividends.

“In my time in govern ment, I’ve never seen a big ger challenge,” he said. “The communities are divided, there is no real solution and the courts have given no real direction.”

COOS COUNTY

AND

Letters to the Editor

Not wise

Regarding the front page of The World (Fri 10/14/22) requesting voters to pass the jail tax levy, I question the prudence (or lack thereof) of quoting John Sweet “ba sically, if you commit a property crime, you won’t serve any time whatsoever in jail, etc.”

Perhaps there are still a few potential thieves/criminals who haven’t tried this yet and are still thinking about committing some sort of property crime. Nothing quite like giving a valuable “heads up” welcome to those involved ?

Maybe John Sweet’s information can best be dispersed at “all” city council meetings if not already done so (Bandon was mentioned) instead of front page news.

Robert Barnes North Bend

Facts matter: Coos County voters deserve the truth

In today’s political climate, elections have become more con tentious in recent years, even at the local levels.

I have a long record of public service and my opponent often has twisted the truth to attack me. I can handle that, but he crossed a line the other day in his mailer to voters in Coos County. This mailer contained outright lies that have no basis in fact.

These lies are damaging to the fabric of our democracy, as the system only works when the voters have factual information with which to make decisions about whom they elect. First, my oppo nent’s claim of a $1.5 million water pollution lawsuit against the county during my tenure is patently false. There is no such lawsuit.

Secondly, I am not a lobbyist for the Coquille Indian Tribe. I was 10 years ago when I worked as an attorney for the tribe. The day I became a county commissioner, my only lobbying and advocacy has been on behalf of the people of Coos County.

He went on to accuse me of attending a WEF globalist con ference. I had never even heard of the WEF until I saw it in my opponent’s mailer. After a Goo gle search, I identified the group he mentioned, and I am certain I have never attended any of these conferences.

My opponent states that the county is facing three lawsuits. At least two of those suits are polit ically motivated attempts by my opponent’s allies to discredit Coos County’s election process. Indepen dent observers say Coos County’s process is extremely well-run and very secure.

His claim that Coos County ranks fourth statewide for crime also is incorrect. In fact, Coos County falls below the statewide average.

It’s an honor and a privilege to serve as a Coos County Commis sioner. Our citizens deserve better than candidates who use distortions and false accusations to try to grab power. I don’t run that kind of campaign because I take this job seriously. I work hard for Coos County every day, with honesty and integrity. That’s the kind of commis sioner that Coos County deserves.

Melissa Cribbins Coos County Commissioner

I support Schultz

I’m really looking forward to casting my vote for Barbara Schul tz for the North Bend City Council. I have worked with Barbara for many years, and couldn’t imagine a better person to have as a repre sentative of North Bend. Barbara is a special education teacher at Hillcrest Elementary School. I’ve always noticed that Barbara is a great communicator, friendly and direct. She really listens to people and will be a city councilor who is responsive to the public. For her

role as a special education teacher, she has to read and interpret com plicated documents and manage productive meetings. As a North Bend city councilor, she is going to bring fantastic ideas to the table and also work well with the rest of the council. She cares about the well being of North Bend resi dents, and we will benefit from her leadership.

I am truly thrilled to cast my vote for Barbara Schultz. She’s going to do an amazing job as a North Bend city councilor!

Martha E. Gregor North Bend

Rod Taylor Puts Us at Risk

I worked as a security person at Coos Bay’s Pride Festival, a small family event that attract ed around 250 local families for LGBTQ-friendly fun, activities, food, and access to helpful services. I know several people who chose not to attend because they were afraid of far-right extremists attack ing the festival. Their fears were not entirely unfounded, because Rod Taylor, a far-right extremist, Chris tian nationalist, and conspiracy the orist showed up with several armed goons, filming the families there without permission and intimidating them. Our security team responded and worked to safely remove them, with Rod himself getting easily sidetracked by one of our team who got him talking about election conspir acies. They eventually left, but the message sent was clear: Rod Taylor does not and will not represent the interests and needs of all of Coos Bay residents.

Rod Taylor is not a leader and community builder; he is a divisive culture warrior who lacks the civil ity, professionalism, and qualifica tions to lead our county. People in our community have been harassed and doxxed by him and his cadre of far-right extremists. He sent an unsolicited email bragging about his sexual prowess and sex life to a local woman who had inquired about his fitness to lead the county. He invited her to contact his wife for more details. He does not understand how our government works and prefers to fill in his egregious gaps in understanding with inventions of his own mak ing, imagining that the challenges we face in our community can be attributed to conspiracies involving his political adversaries.

I am honestly afraid of him. He is well-connected to people in our community who threaten violence against their political opponents. I fear being retaliated against for writing this.

But I fear him having political office even more. His divisive politics, unprofessional and creepy behavior, and proximity to violent extremists will put us all at risk and will cost our county in investments, opportunities, and civil litigation. Please don’t elect this dangerous and incompetent man. I will be vot ing for Melissa Cribbins for County Commissioner.

Israel Jurich Coos Bay

City Council needs authority to set utility rates

I am writing to express my strong support for giving the Bandon City Council the authority to set utility rates so that the City can make needed and timely improvements to our infrastructure.

With this authority, the City can apply for grants and low-interest loans that would not otherwise be available. The City needs to be able to respond in a more timely manner to meet ever changing needs and the increasing demands on our outdated water system.

Without rate setting authority they cannot take advantage of other funding sources, and this will cost the public even more, not to mention that our systems could fail while we wait for a city-wide vote to maybe approved. It just makes sense to give that authority to the City Council, not to mention predictable budgets so we have thoughtful planning instead of crisis management.

The City Council acts as stew ards of the City on behalf of the citizens, and we must allow them to do their work and enable the City Manager to move forward with needed infrastructure projects that serve us all.

I hope you will join me in voting in favor of giving the City Council the authority to take care of crucial improvements to the water system and utilities by giving them the au thority to set utility rates. I know you love Bandon as much as I do, and we must make sure we have the needed infrastructure to insure our future.

Deborah Maher Bandon

Briggs concerns me As a North Bend citizen and former member of the Coos Bay Downtown Association Board, I am concerned about some recent rhet oric shared by mayoral candidate, John Briggs as part of his competi tive platform.

John Briggs stated in his blog (found here https://northbendore gon.com/vote-for-john-briggs-fornorth-bend-mayor), that “though the city [North Bend] boasts its Main Street program, it comes at a great cost each year and alienates most local businesses, something” he says, “that didn’t happen when he was mayor.” I am afraid Mr. Briggs is not understanding the value of this program.

The Mainstreet Program creates growth for more than a handful of businesses in the downtown area. Though there is a direct service area set by the guidelines of Oregon Main Street Association, having a program such as this helps to revitalize the community at large by creating a thriving local econ omy with distinction that supports a welcoming atmosphere and diverse businesses for residents and visitors.

This is not just a Coos Bay or North Bend program, it is a national reinvestment in local small busi nesses and economies, which in turn provides opportunities for those outside the authorized service district.

Any growth in our area is growth for all. The Main Street program not only provides grant opportu nities but provides access to best practices in revitalizing small com

munities and creating collaborative spaces for people to connect. More information about Main Street American can be found at https:// www.mainstreet.org/mainstreetim pact.

Mr. Briggs insinuates that he wants to return North Bend to its 2002 “glory” when he was mayor –this is concerning for many reasons, but most of all romanticizing how great it was twenty years ago does not approach today’s needs with relevant solutions.

Progress is not found in moving backward. Progress is looking to ward the future possibilities for our community that will help us fund vital safety and social necessities. His comparison between today’s downtown North Bend and that of yester-year is not an applicable, nor useful, comparison as the world has changed vastly in the last 20 years.

Ultimately, Mr. Briggs did not have anything positive to say when he came to my door.

He spent the entire interaction diminishing Mayor Engelke and all the progress and growth we’ve seen since she became mayor. His nega tivity will not help us to excel and work with our surrounding commu nities in a positive and collaborative manner.

Romanticizing the past and diminishing progress and forward momentum is not what North Bend needs.

It needs Mayor Jessica Engelke to continue with the momentum we’ve gained since she has been in office.

Jennifer Silva North Bend

I have confidence in election integrity

By DeDe Murphy Coos County Clerk

Ahead of the 2022 General Elec tion, as your Coos County Clerk, I want to ensure that voters have trust and confidence in our system and are assured that every eligible vote will count. I have served as your clerk for the past 10 months and have worked as an employee in the Coos County Clerk’s Elections Department for more than 20 years, in total I have worked in public service for nearly 30 years.

Through my experience, I am confident in the integrity of our elections in Oregon. Oregonians have been voting by mail almost exclusively since 1998. Voting by mail is convenient, safe, and secure in Oregon.

In 2020, our state had a voter turnout rate of almost 80 percent – 79 percent in Coos County -among the highest in the nation.

Election Day is right around the corner and Coos County voters can expect to receive their ballots in

the coming days. Ballots must be received by 8 p.m. on Election Day, Nov. 8, or postmarked by Election Day, if you want your vote to count.

Oregonians are right to trust that their ballots are secure. We take election laws and procedures seriously in our office and work every day to ensure that they are followed. We have an incredible team who care as much as you do that your ballot is accurately and efficiently counted.

We can’t do it alone though. Coos County residents play an im portant role in ensuring the safety and security of our elections. After you fill out your ballot, don’t forget to sign the envelope before sending it back.

We match those signatures against the ones we have on your voter registration to ensure that the ballot has been returned by the vot er for whom it was intended. Each ballot also has a unique barcode, which helps us track it and make sure no one votes more than once.

Once your ballot is accepted,

we will count it using a certified and tested tabulation machine. We will follow up with a random hand count of the paper ballots to verify the results. Our office welcomes the public to observe these activi ties — ballot processing to include signature verification, and ballot counting — because we believe that transparency is the best way to build trust. Without a doubt, election security is a team effort that includes you, me and all of those who work hard to ensure that the elections we administer and the information that we communicate about them is accurate, secure and transparent.

As always, we’re here to help. Please do not hesitate to call our office at 541-396-7610 or email us at elections@co.coos.or.us if you have any questions, concerns or need additional information.

Our team wants Coos County voters to have confidence in our election process and we are looking forward to doing our part to make democracy work.

Opinion: Gen-Z Making Big Bucks From Dropshipping

By elaine Mallon InsideSources.com

The son of Romanian immi grants, 23-year-old Sebastian Ghi orghiu didn’t grow up with money.

We support Jessica

We have known Jessica Engelke for many years and really believe that she has the best interest of the city at heart. She has not bought into any national divisive politi cal agendas but looks to the local population for direction for the city. She listens when citizens speak about issues and tries to find solutions. The mayor position is not a paid position and her “volunteer ing” to help lead the city is greatly appreciated by us.

We support Jessica Engelke for mayor because she supports small businesses, public safety and listens to North Bend citizens.

Matt & Jamie LeDoux North Bend

HOW TO CONTACT YOUR LEGISLATORS U.S. SENATORS

Sen. Jeff Merkley (D) 107 Russell Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510

Phone: 202-224-3753

Fax: 202-228-3997

Website: merkley.senate.gov/contact

Sen. Ron Wyden (D) 223 Dirkson Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510-0001

Phone: 202-224-5244

Fax: 202-228-2717

Website: wyden.senate.gov/contact

CONGRESSIONAL DISTRICT

Sen. Peter DeFazio (D)

Five years ago, he began drop shipping while enrolled in commu nity college. After his first week, he found no success. But the next week, he earned $700 in profit. Since then, he has built a seven-figure ad agency, a YouTube channel with more than 500,000 subscribers. He recently began construction on a multi-mil lion-dollar home in Arizona.

“A lot of people shut down the idea very fast because it seems too good to be true, and I don’t blame them,” Ghiorghiu said. “It does seem too good to be true, but the reality is they’re not taking into account the amount of hard work, time and failure they’re going to have to go through. It’s not too good to be true, just like anything; persist and it’ll eventually pay off.”

What is dropshipping? In a sense, it’s the ultimate extension of the “just in time” manufacturing and delivering model developed before COVID hit — the same model now under severe stress as the nation’s supply chain struggles to connect supply and demand.

A dropshipper will go online and find a product — usually through the Chinese e-commerce platform AliExpress — that they think they can mark up and sell to U.S. shop pers. They use Shopify to create a website to sell this product and social media to market it. Maybe they post a Facebook page to try to

start a trend, or they go to online stores like Wayfair.

Once the order is in, the drop shipper buys the product from the Chinese site and sends it directly to the buyer — minus the markup. They never make, touch or ship the product. They pitch, sell and order.

For Ghiorghiu, the products he has found the most success with are usually the most boring items.

“Nobody wants to be known for selling fake rocks or rugs,” Ghi orghiu said. “They want to sell cool gadgets. But people want to buy boring stuff. If you can find some thing that is durable and functional, which lasts a long time, then you’ll have great customer satisfaction.”

And what could be more boring than paper?

David Shiminsky, 26, is finishing a degree in creative advertisement at Michigan State University. For the last four years, he and his childhood friend have been selling all-organic rice paper manufactured in China to marijuana dispensaries and smoke shops across the country.

“We are the Dunder Mifflin of the cannabis industry,” Shiminsky said. “We’re selling paper that they buy and burn. That’s the funniest part. They’re buying paper just to burn it.”

Shiminsky and his partner named their pre-rolled paper — or cones — Blue Jays. Dispensaries buy the pre-rolls and then fill them with their product.

According to Shiminsky, he would purchase the product from the Chinese-based manufacturer for five cents, then resell it to dispensa ries for eight cents — undercutting

all of their competition. One client, in particular, would place an order for 5 million cones four to five times a year.

“We made $130,000 for literally doing nothing,” Shiminsky said. “Just making a phone call, wiring the payment over, and that’s it. That’s just one order with one client.”

Shiminsky sold his share in Blue Jays this year and started Higher Manufacturing. Now he dropships customizable cones — allowing clients to include their logo

“The cannabis industry is so new that a lot of these companies don’t know how to brand themselves,” Shiminsky said. “The biggest pitching point is rather than having RAW on the tip — because they don’t care about you, they’re just selling you the paper — why not buy paper with your brand? It’s

Guest Column

Local Guest Column

Elaine Mallon

Commissioners issue proclamation for Make

Douglas County Commis sioners Chris Boice and Tom Kress issued a proclama tion at the weekly business meeting calling upon all citizens of Douglas County to observe Make a Differ ence Day, which is celebrat ed every year on the fourth Saturday of October. The proclamation was presented by Commissioner Boice, on behalf of the board and ac knowledged that “We know that volunteering in service of others is a powerful way to develop and spread unity and respect among all peoples, across all religions, beliefs, ethnicities, economic standings, or nationalities. We also know that volun teering in service of others

is a way to encourage pride, self-investment and a feeling of personal ownership in your community, as well as bring about joy, fulfillment, and an increased desire to continue voluntary service in your community.”

The commissioners recog nized that Make a Difference Day – Douglas County will take place on Saturday, Oc tober 22. This year marks the inaugural event for Douglas County. Since 1992, Make A Difference Day has been rec ognized on the fourth Saturday of October as a national holi day dedicated to volunteering. It is the largest national day of community service in the United States and is a cele bration of neighbors helping

neighbors. Several non-profit organizations, area businesses, and faith-based community groups have come together with the hope of revitalizing the spirit of volunteerism in Douglas County. This year they have secured 13 project sites with over 110 volunteers signed up to serve.

Commissioners present ed Make a Difference Day proclamation certificates to the Make a Difference Day –Douglas County Committee Chair Tim Juett, planning committee members, service groups and support agencies and project location sites. Planning Committee Mem bers in attendance: Jennifer Coalwell / JustServe.org; Sarah Pytalski / Ford Family

Foundation and Umpqua Val ley Farm to School; Chelsea Duncan / Roseburg School District; Karen McGuire / RSVP/UCAN; Rachelle Mills / AmeriCorps/UCAN; Bryan Trenkle / Greater Douglas United Way; Mike Schofield / The FISH Food Pantry of Roseburg; Billy Maddox / Kiwanis Club of Roseburg; Captain Rick and Edith Mabie / The Salva tion Army Roseburg Corps. Service Groups & Support Agencies in attendance: AmeriCorps (Julia Anselmo, Erik Wood); Girls of Scouts Oregon & SW Washington (Adrianne Moore, Kaylin Lister, Lenae Lister, Harper Lister, Ilian Lister); Great er Douglas United Way;

JustServe.Org; Kiwanis Club of Roseburg (Toni Rose); Roseburg School District; Roseburg Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP); The Ford Family Foundation; The Salvation Army Roseburg Corps; Thrive Umpqua (Jes sica Hand); Umpqua Valley Farm to School; Umpqua Community Action Network (UCAN). Also attending were representatives from the Project Locations: Roseburg School District; The FISH Food Pantry of Roseburg (David Graham); Saving Grace Pet Adoption Cen ter (Nicole Andreasen and Ernie Brown); Douglas ESD (Tanisha Reed); Phoenix School (Melissa Pickett, Joy Richardson, Tiana Oaks, Ben

Erickson and Hope Assink). “Many months ago, now Tim Juett came to me and said, ‘I have an idea. There is a national thing that happens and I think we should do it in Douglas County.’ Well, I think this is a great idea and we are encouraging as many folks as can and are willing to participate. Tim and his committee members have done a great job reaching out to the community getting willing folks together and committed to go out in the community to do this work. I think you (Tim) have done way better than either you or I anticipated. My hats off to you for kickstarting this thing.” commented Commis sioner Boice.

Oregon’s nonfarm payroll employment drops by 600 in September

In Oregon, nonfarm pay roll employment shed 600 jobs in September. Although a small decline, this was the first drop in jobs following 12 consecutive months of gains.

Losses in September were largest in other services (-1,500 jobs), government (-1,100 jobs), and financial activities (-700).

These losses were bal anced by gains in profes sional and business services (+1,400), health care and

social assistance (+1,000), manufacturing (+800), and leisure and hospitality (+600).

Oregon’s private sector added 500 jobs in September, reaching an all-time high of 1,676,100. This was 4,400 jobs, or 0.3%, above its pre-recession peak in Febru ary 2020.

Other services—one of the smallest of the major industries, employing 61,200 in September—has pulled down overall jobs in recent

months. It cut 2,700 jobs between July and September, following a spike upward of 4,200 jobs between April and July. In September, a diverse grouping of establishments cut jobs including civic and social organizations, reli gious organizations, and nail salons.

Health care and social assistance rebounded sub stantially this year following a lackluster performance in 2021. It added 10,800 jobs during January through Sep

tember 2022. Each of its four component industries added jobs during that time, with two growing at the fastest rate and adding the most jobs: ambulatory health care services (+4,500 jobs) and social assistance (+3,100).

Accommodation and food services continued to recover from the Pandemic Recession, adding 2,400 jobs in September and gaining 16,100 jobs over the past 12 months. Despite this re cent growth, it is still 6,500

Logging operation temporarily closes access to Doerner Fir Trail

The road that accesses the Doerner Fir Trail in eastern Coos County will be closed temporarily while forest management activities occur on nearby private lands.

Bureau of Land Management road 27-9-21.0 will be closed starting on Oct. 20. The

closure is expected to last approximately three months.

The Bureau of Land Management is closing the road in conjunction with the private timber company to protect visitor and operator safety. Though the trailhead and other facilities around

the Doerner Fir will be temporarily inaccessible, the logging will not affect the Doerner Fir Trail or BLM-managed lands.

The Doerner Fir Trail is a half-mile forested trail that leads visitors to one of the world’s largest coastal

Douglas-fir trees, measuring 327 feet tall. For more infor mation on the Doerner Fir, please visit blm.gov/visit/ doerner-fir-trail

Contact the Bureau of Land Management’s Coos Bay District Office with questions at (541) 756-0100.

Never miss a breaking news story

below its pre-pandemic high reached in February 2020.

Oregon’s unemployment rate edged up to 3.8% in Sep tember from 3.7% in August, and was above the recent low of 3.5% reached in May, June, and July. Meanwhile, the U.S. unemployment rate

declined from 3.7% in Au gust to 3.5% in September.

Despite slight differences in their movements in recent months, both the U.S. unem ployment rate and Oregon’s unemployment rate have each averaged 3.6% since March.

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Mass Incarceration Threatens American Democracy

By WILLIAM COOPER

Donald Trump’s threats to Amer ican democracy get lots of atten tion. And understandably so. His lies surrounding the 2020 presiden tial election imperil the American experiment.

But an often-ignored subject likewise threatens our democracy: America’s brutal, inhumane—and disturbingly bipartisan—approach to mass incarceration.

America locks up more people per capita than any other nation. Our criminal-justice system is riddled, top to bottom, with defi ciencies—including overburdened public defenders, draconian manda tory minimum sentences, inaccurate jury verdicts, unfair plea bargains, and overcrowded prisons.

Sure, sufficiently funded law enforcement must protect commu nities and the government should enforce the law. No doubt. The punishments, however, must fit the crimes. America imprisons far too many, for far too long, under condi tions far too harsh.

The effects are far-reaching. Mass incarceration doesn’t just harm those in jail. It handicaps for mer inmates, traumatizes impacted families, disenfranchises millions of citizens, and robs underprivileged communities of potential contribu tors with vast potential.

The human toll is unconsciona ble. But mass incarceration is more than a human-rights concern. It threatens all Americans—including the many millions who never bother to think about it. Any country that creates a system harmful to many of its own people and then shame lessly ignores them sows dangerous seeds.

An analogous scenario gave rise to Donald Trump’s presidency. Be cause of America-led globalization, millions of Americans lost their livelihoods. A vast array of prod ucts, like steel and electronics, were produced cheaply overseas and then imported at rock-bottom prices.

While globalization lowered prices for consumers generally, the human toll was severe: proud businesses were bankrupted, good families

went broke, and strong communi ties were ravaged.

Yet the very leaders who de signed the global economic system ignored those decimated by it. In stead of fairly redistributing wealth to those left behind, inequality rose to stratospheric levels. Instead of training workers to develop new marketable skills, the winners gorged on their spoils

While globalization’s architects ignored its victims, Donald Trump didn’t. He cultivated them. He spoke to them. He spoke up for them. “We can’t continue to allow China to rape our country, and that’s what they’re doing,” Trump said in Fort Wayne, Indiana during his first presidential campaign in 2016.

“We have a lot to overcome in our country,” he said in Dimondale, Michigan during the campaign, “especially the fact that our jobs are being taken away from us and going to other places.”

And Trump’s promise to help was a central part of his platform. “In this new future, millions of

workers on the sidelines will return to the workforce,” Trump said at the 2016 Dimondale rally.

The anger and pain resulting from American leaders’ cold indif ference to globalization’s human impact created fertile ground for a populist, wannabe demagogue to ascend to the presidency. America is making the same mistake, again, with a pathological approach to mass incarceration. Millions of Americans are injured and vul nerable. Yet their government is ignoring them.

With the right leader, they can be mobilized. And it can happen quickly. In 2015, nobody thought Trump would ever be president. As Chris Cilliza wrote in the Washing ton Post in June of 2015, Trump’s candidacy “was greeted with some thing between incredulity (Trump has flirted with running many times before) and amazement (Trump is Trump).

The prevailing sentiment seemed to be a collective eye roll and a laugh.” Cilliza then categorically asserted the consensus view: “Don

ald Trump will never be president. He knows that. We know that.”

Nobody thought Trump could win, until he did.

The struggles of all people ignored by their country have com mon threads. The steel worker in Pennsylvania without a plant is not unlike the former inmate in Queens without a degree. The opioid over dose in Tulsa is all too similar to the crack overdose in New Orleans.

Anger, hurt, and vulnerability cross political, social, and eth nic boundaries. And charismatic populist politicians—who may, or may not, be good for the country as a whole—can mobilize disenfran chised people of all stripes.

The era of overtly racist laws and express legal discrimination in America is over. But it has been replaced by a system of mass incar ceration designed by the same class of leaders now indifferent to the havoc it has wrought. This dynamic can only last without broad negative consequences for so long. The only thing worse than being persecuted is being ignored.

Property tax statements have been mailed

Coos County 2022-2023 property tax state ments were mailed on October 17. Property owners, who have not received their bill by the first week of November, should contact the Tax Office.

To avoid loss of discount, payment must be received or postmarked by November 15. In terest will start accruing after December 15.

Coos County will process all 2022-2023 property tax payments in our office again this year. No payments will be going to our former Portland Lockbox. Please make sure to update any saved addresses for payments.

Payments may be made by mail or in per son at the County Tax Office located at 250 North Baxter Street, Coquille, Oregon 97423.

free advertisement, free mar keting for themselves.”

Not that Shiminsky’s dropshipping success came without mistakes. He lost money on Instagram influ encers, had organizational issues with tracking receipts, and hit unexpected shipping delays due to the Chinese holidays.

And dropshipping has a horde of critics, some like the Michigan Attorney Gen eral Consumer Protection Division, which has labeled it a get-rich-quick scheme. Others say it is a market for counterfeit goods whose profits sometimes enrich criminal gangs.

Credit card payments are accepted in our of fice or online. Tax Office hours are 8:00 AM to Noon and 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

Contact information: Web site: http://www.co.coos.or.us/

Email and telephone numbers

Tax Payment Information

Email: coostax@co.coos.or.us

Telephone: 541-396-7725

Property Value Information

Email: dharris@co.coos.or.us

Telephone: 541-396-7900

Appeal of Property Value Information

Email: tdalton@co.coos.or.us Telephone: 541-396-7600

According to Ghiorghiu, dropshipping is a great busi ness to pursue for someone with free time but not a lot of funds. He said it is best for those interested in the business to do their research on products and to dedicate at least a few months to it before quitting their current job.

“To look at dropshipping and say, ‘I shouldn’t attempt it because it has a low success rate’ is kind of the wrong way to approach it,” Ghiorghiu said. “With any business you attempt, you’re going to have a low success rate because businesses are hard.”

Ghiorghiu has been docu menting it all on video since his start. He says he gets Twit ter direct messages every day from people who have found success in dropshipping, in

part thanks to his advice. He tells the story of a 19-year-old based in India who paid him $35 for a consultation call early in Ghiorghiu’s dropship ping career.

That same caller recently made $700,000 in a single day.

“These kids are buying supercars, they’re buying parents’ houses, they’re doing all sorts of traveling,” Ghiorghiu said. “They have like 600 followers on social media, no YouTube channel, no Instagram, no nothing. You’ll never hear about them. You’ll never know who they are. They’re just kids that are making millions of dollars.”

ABOUT THE WRITER Elaine Mallon writes about politics and public policy for InsideSources.com.

Powers finishes regular season unbeaten in football

The World

The Powers football team capped a perfect regular season Friday with a 52-6 win over Riddle.

The Cruisers, who are No. 2 in the Class 1A six-player coaches poll behind Triangle Lake, now wait two weeks for their first playoff game, which will be at home.

This is the first year the six-play er teams have had a playoff structure sanctioned by the Oregon School Activities Association.

In Friday’s game, Alex Mah moud had 177 yards rushing, with four touchdowns, and also had a touchdown pass.

Jayce Shorb and Lane Jones also had touchdown runs for the Cruisers and Charlie Shorb had a touchdown reception.

Michael Pedrick led the Powers defense with five tackles for loss.

Rene Sears returned a fumble for a defensive touchdown.

Powers, which was 8-0 in the regular season, are ranked first in the OSAA power rankings, which means the Cruisers would host until the semifinals, as long as they keep winning in the playoffs.

After an opening 14-7 win over Elkton, they won their last six games in easy fashion, all by at least 40 points.

Now Powers waits and will try to stay sharp for the playoffs, which

Bulldogs beat Marshfield to finish second in Sky-Em girls soccer

The World

North Bend’s girls soccer team beat Marshfield 3-0 at Pete Susick Stadium in the regular-season fi nale on Thursday to finish second in the Sky-Em League and clinch a home game in the Class 4A play-in round.

The Bulldogs won their last three matches to finish 4-2-2 in league play with ties against Marshfield and Junction City in the first round of league play. Marshfield finished 4-3-1.

Both teams lost matches to league champion Marist Catholic earlier this season.

Both teams have a good chance to host play-in matches — Marsh field is No. 12 and North Bend No. 13 in the most recent power rankings.

Pairings will be announced fol lowing Tuesday’s matches around the state.

Winners of the play-in matches advance to the round of 16.

BOYS SOCCER COQUILLE 6, GLIDE 0:

The Coquille-Myrtle Point DevilCats won their home finale with a shutout over the visiting Wildcats on Saturday and enter Tuesday’s regular-season finale against Umpqua Valley Christian needing a win or tie to take first place in Class 3A-2A-1A District 4.

Coquille is 12-1 on the season and UVC is 11-1-1, including handing the DevilCats their lone loss and winning 2-1 over Gold Beach last week.

The Monarchs topped the com bined Pacific-Bandon team 5-0 on Wednesday.

Coquille’s 12 wins is a new school record.

Following Tuesday’s match, the teams will learn their playoff fates. In all, 20 teams will be in the Class 3A-2A-1A playoffs.

MARSHFIELD 3, NORTH BEND 1:

The Pirates wrapped up their second-place run in the Sky-Em League win their home win over the Bulldogs in the regular-season finale on Thursday.

Marshfield finished 4-1-3 in league play, handing league champion Marist Catholic their lone blemish in a 2-2 tie with the Spartans back on Sept. 29.

The Pirates will host a game in the Class 4A play-in round, learn ing their foe when the pairings are announced following Tuesday’s matches around the state.

North Bend ended up winless in league play.

will include eight teams.

“That is the task before us,” coach Kayne Pedrick said.

MARSHFIELD 28, HIDDEN VALLEY 0: The Pirates capped their regular-season home schedule with a shutout win over the Mus tangs, bouncing back from their first league loss a week earlier to Henley.

Now Marshfield enters this week with a chance to share the league title, since Mazama beat Henley 4436 on Friday. The Pirates, ranked eighth in the most recent Class 4A coaches poll, visit top-ranked Mazama in Klamath Falls to wrap up the regular season Friday.

In the win over the Mustangs, the Pirates came to life in the sec ond quarter, with John Lemmons scoring on a 9-yard run and Landon Croff hitting David Bouska for a 14-yard touchdown. Qwentyn Petty converted both extra point kicks as the Pirates led 14-0 at the half.

In the third quarter, Austin Sause had a 36-yard touchdown run and Drake Rogers scored on a 39-yard pass from Croff. Petty’s kicks pro vided the final margin.

Marshfield is 4-1 in Class 4A District 4 play and 6-2 overall heading into the final week of the regular season.

NORTH BEND 33, ASHLAND 27: The Bulldogs beat their former Midwestern League foes in their

home finale to improve to 3-2 in District 4 play.

While North Bend dropped down to Class 4A this fall, Ashland is still a Class 5A school, but plays football at the Class 4A level.

North Bend won for the third time in four weeks, and is 4-4 over all heading into the regular-season finale at Henley.

COQUILLE 42, DOUGLAS 6:

The Red Devils celebrated home coming with a big win over the Tro jans to pick up momentum heading into a crucial regular-season finale against St. Mary’s this week.

Coquille is 5-3 heading into its home game with the Crusaders and can move into a tie for third place and clinch a playoff spot with a win over 6-2 St. Mary’s, which fell to Cascade Christian 56-13 on Friday.

If the Red Devils fall to the Crusaders and Lakeview wins at Sutherlin, the Honkers and Coquille will finish tied for fourth, with Lakeview getting the tiebreaker due to its improbable, last-play victory over the Red Devils. Coquille could still get into the playoffs with the one at-large spot for Class 3A — The Red Devils were 14th in the power rankings following Friday’s win.

BANDON 61, ROGUE RIVER 6: The Tigers broke out the offense in their road win Friday, improving to 4-2 in Class 2A District 3.

Bandon is third in the league, be hind Oakland and Gold Beach. The No. 3 Oakers upset the top-ranked Panthers 50-8 on Friday.

The Tigers have a huge final home game this week, hosting the combined North Douglas-Yoncalla team Friday when a win will give Bandon a spot in the playoffs. They are one game in front of the North Douglas-Yoncalla squad, which beat Reedsport 56-16 on Thursday.

MYRTLE POINT 68, ALSEA

12: The Bobcats, ranked sixth in the Class 1A coaches poll, rolled to another eight-player victory Friday

as they tuned up for the upcoming playoffs.

They finish the regular-season at home against Mohawk on Friday and, with their No. 5 spot in the power rankings, will have a spot in the postseason barring a big change in the rankings after their final game.

They are 2-1 in the District 1 North division, behind 3-0 St. Paul, which beat Myrtle Point, and 3-1 Perrydale, which the Bobcats beat easily.

In all, 12 teams will be in the eight-player playoffs.

North Bend will host in volleyball play-in round

The World

North Bend’s volleyball team lost its tiebreaker match with Marist Catholic in the Sky-Em League last week, but still hosts a game Tuesday night in the Class 4A play-in round.

The Bulldogs, who had a strong second half of the league season, fell to the Spartans 25-22, 25-18, 25-20 in a match played at Douglas High School. That gave Marist Catholic the league’s No. 2 seed and the Bulldogs the No. 3 seed into the Class 4A play-in round — they are tied for eighth in the most recent coaches poll.

But with the No. 11 power ranking, the Bull dogs got a home game in the play-in round against Astoria at 5:30 p.m. Tues day, the winner advancing to the 16-team final bracket and a match on the road Saturday.

North Bend, which won nine of 11 matches at one point, is 11-9 overall.

Astoria finished in a three-way tie for second in the Cowapa League with a 5-7 league record (7-13 overall).

Marshfield, which has the top seed for the play offs and is ranked No. 1 in the coaches poll, will learn its opponent after the playin matches are contested Tuesday.

The Pirates have a nonleague match Tuesday against Gaston, the No. 3 ranked team in Class 2A. The teams will meet at Cottage Grove High School.

RED DEVILS FALL:

Far West League champion Coquille lost in the title game of the league tourna ment at home on Saturday and will be on the road in the Class 3A playoffs.

The Red Devils, who ran through the league sched ule with a perfect 10-0 record, fell to St. Mary’s in the title game, 25-10, 2225, 25-23, 25-16.

St. Mary’s earned a home game in the playoffs, against Scio on Saturday.

Coquille will be on the road against a familiar foe, No. 7 seed Creswell,

in the second round of the playoffs on Saturday.

The Red Devils met the Bulldogs twice during the season, both times in Cre swell’s gym. Coquille won the first set in the opening meeting on Aug. 30 before Creswell won three sets in a row.

The second meeting came in Creswell’s tour nament, with the Bulldogs winning in two sets.

Both Coquille and Creswell have 17-6 records overall. The Red Devils are eighth and Creswell sixth in the most recent coaches poll.

Earlier in the Far West League tournament Satur day, Cascade Christian beat Douglas and St. Mary’s outlasted Cascade Chris tian in five sets for the second time this week.

Cascade Christian hosts Nyssa and Douglas is at Banks on Wednesday in the first round of the playoffs, when the lowest eight seeds among the 20 teams in the playoffs have matches.

SKYLINE LEAGUE: Myrtle Point came up short in the Skyline League tournament at Marshfield High School on Saturday and will be on the road for a long trip in the first round of the Class 1A playoffs on Wednesday.

Myrtle Point fell to North Douglas 25-13, 2517, 25-18 in the semifinals of the league tourna ment on Saturday. North Douglas went on to beat Umpqua Valley Christian in the championship match — UVC had beaten Days Creek in the other semi final.

Myrtle Point, 12-8 on the season, will play Adri an in the first round of the state playoffs. The Ante lopes also are 12-8 on the season and finished second in the High Desert League.

Adrian is located in Eastern Oregon, next to the Snake River and not far from Oregon’s border with Idaho.

VALLEY COAST LEAGUE: Monroe won the league tournament

Saturday at Southwestern

Oregon Community College, beating Oakridge 25-16, 25-13, 25-17 in the champi onship match.

The league tournament didn’t have any South Coast teams after Lowell eliminated

both Gold Beach and Bandon in a pair of matches Wednes day at Bandon High School.

The Tigers had finished second in the league’s south division, earning the right to host in the league playoffs, but fell to the Red Devils 25-

19, 25-17, 25-18. Lowell beat Gold Beach 25-14, 25-10, 25-9.

On Saturday, Lowell lost to Monroe in the semifinals and beat Oakland, the top team from the south division, in the third-place match.

County looking for VCB board volunteer

The Coos County Board of Commissioners will be accepting applications from anyone interested in applying for a position on the Coos Bay/North Bend/Charleston Visitor & Convention Bureau gov

erning board, as the Coos County representative. The initial term for this position is one year.

Interested parties must send a completed county application to: Coos County Board of Commis

sioners Office

225 N. Adams, Coquille, Oregon

Email: bbrooks@co.coos.or.us

Applications are available on the county’s website at www.co.coos. or.us and click on “county boards

and committees” or by contact ing the Board’s office. Deadline for submitting an application is November 9 at noon. Applicants should be available for interviews as soon as the following week.

Sunday 10/16:

North Bend

• 12:19 am, shots fired, Simpson Heights.

• 2:22 am, 47 year old male cited on a North Bend Police warrant, 2200 block of Newmark Street.

• 12:00 pm, 62 year old male cited on criminal trespass II, 3300 block of Broadway Avenue.

• 2:56 pm, 35 year old female cited result of a dog complaint, 2300 block of Sherman.

• 9:31 pm, dispute, 2000 block of Lincoln Street.

Coos Bay

• 12:31 am, 61 year old male cited on DUII, N 10th and Hemlock.

• 9:07 am, 35 year old male cited on Coquille Police warrant, 200 block of S 4th Street.

• 11:19 am, dispute, 200 block of Johnson.

• 11:23 am, fight, 1000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 11:36 am, disorderly con duct, S Schoneman Street.

• 11:37 am, juvenile prob lem, 1100 block of S 1st Street.

• 1:12 pm, missing person, 1700 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 1:19 pm, disorderly con duct, 900 block of N Front Street.

• 1:25 pm, 58 year old male cited for criminal trespass II, 1000 block of S 1st Street.

• 1:30 pm, disorderly con duct, 100 block of Central Avenue.

• 1:31 pm, 58 year old male cited for criminal trespass II and theft III, 200 block of Johnson Avenue.

• 2:05 pm, theft, 200 block of

E Johnson Avenue.

• 2:31 pm, shoplifter, 2000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 2:47 pm, 34 year old male cited for criminal trespass II, 1000 block of S 1st Street.

• 3:04 pm, dog at large, 1500 block of N 7th Street.

• 3:05 pm, runaway juvenile, 200 block of S Schoneman Street.

• 3:57 pm, assault, 1200 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 5:50 pm, 28 year old male served on a warrant, 1300 block of Airport Lane.

• 6:01 pm, disorderly con duct, Broadway and Elrod.

• 6:20 pm, male cited for dis orderly conduct, S Broadway Street.

• 7:34 pm, criminal mischief, 1300 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 8:13 pm, loud noise com plaint, 1600 block of I Street.

• 8:50 pm, burglary, 1200 block of Minnesota Avenue.

• 9:40 pm, dispute, 200 block of S Cammann Street.

• 11:22 pm, loud noise, 200 block of S Wall Street.

Coquille

• 12:26 am, juvenile problem, 400 block of N Central Boulevard.

• 1:06 pm, suspicious subject, 100 block of E 1st Street.

• 1:29 pm, Oregon State Police served a 55 year old male with a Coquille Police warrant, 1300 block of Airport Lane.

Monday 10/17:

North Bend

• 12:44 am, stalking, California Avenue.

• 8:14 am, shoplifter, 3600 block of Tremont Avenue.

• 8:36 am, 39 year old male

Police Blotter

cited for offensive littering, 1800 block of Virginia Avenue.

• 8:38 am, theft, Chinook and Roosevelt.

• 8:47 am, 75 year old female cited for criminal trespass II, 500 block of Clark Street.

• 9:03 am, neighbor dispute, 2000 block of Inland Drive.

• 9:14 am, misuse of 911, 2000 block of Union Avenue.

• 9:52 am, threats, Newmark and Broadway.

• 12:21 pm, juvenile problem, 1600 block of Virginia Avenue.

• 12:54 pm, juvenile problem, 1500 block of 16th Street.

• 1:05 pm, theft of services, 1300 block of Virginia Avenue.

• 1:52 pm, located runaway juvenile, 800 block of California Avenue.

• 3:57 pm, child related, 1900 block of Virginia Avenue.

• 6:13 pm, harassment, 2400 block of Sherman Avenue.

• 11:54 pm, 44 year old female cited for driving while suspended, Tremont Avenue.

Coos Bay

• 1:05 am, dispute with customers, 1000 block of S Broadway Street.

• 6:08 am, 34 year old male cited for disorderly conduct, 500 block of W Commercial.

• 8:27 am, burglary, 200 block of Laclair Street.

• 11:00 am, 34 year old male cited for criminal trespass II, 200 block of S 5th Street.

• 11:06 am, animal neglect, 500 block of S 4th Street.

• 11:21 am, dispute, 700 block of N 10th Street.

• 11:22 am, civil problem, 300 block of N Wall Street.

• 11:38 am, indecent exposure, Crocker Street and Empire Lakes.

• 11:39 am, criminal mischief, 1100 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 12:08 pm, theft of shopping carts, 2000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 12:18 pm, theft of mislaid wallet, 200 block of S Cammann Street.

• 12:41 pm, loud explosion sound, 3300 block of Pacific Loop.

• 12:43 pm, explosion, 2300 block of Seaway Drive.

• 1:30 pm, disorderly conduct, 1200 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 1:35 pm, bicyclist vs vehicle accident, 500 block of N Broadway Street.

• 2:10 pm, 21 year old female cited for theft II, 1000 block of S 1st Street.

• 2:13 pm, threats, 700 block of S 7th Street.

• 2:35 pm, 43 year old female cited on Coos Bay Police warrant, Douglas County Sheriff.

• 2:46 pm, disorderly conduct, Newmark Avenue and Schoneman.

• 4:06 pm, theft of mail, 500 block of 10th Avenue.

• 4:07 pm, 34 year old male cited for criminal trespass II, 200 block of S 2nd Street.

• 4:23 pm, Portland Police arrested 31 year old male on Coos Bay Police warrant, 1100 block of SW 2nd Avenue.

• 4:25 pm, 34 year old male cited for unlawful entry into motor vehicle and disorderly conduct II, 500 block of W Anderson Avenue.

• 5:07 pm, 34 year old male cited for criminal trespass I and theft III, 100 block of S 3rd Street.

• 5:38 pm, disorderly conduct, 600 block of Central Avenue.

• 6:01 pm, 48 year old male transported to Coos County jail on domestic harassment, 800 block of S 4th Street.

• 6:08 pm, misuse of 911, 200 block of S Schoneman Street.

• 6:49 pm, intoxicated subject, 200 block of S Schoneman Avenue.

• 6:53 pm, dispute, Monarch Mini Storage.

• 9:19 pm, runaway juvenile, 900 block of S 7th Street.

Coquille

• 9:31 am, dog at large, 1200 block of Shelley Road.

• 1:16 pm, juvenile problem, 400 block of W Central Boulevard.

• 5:59 pm, dispute, 100 block of E 1st Street.

• 6:20 pm, misuse of 911, 100 block of E 10th Street.

• 7:58 pm, juvenile problem, 100 block of W 6th Street.

Tuesday 10/18:

North Bend

• 8:20 am, 47 year old male cited for failure to register sex offender, 1800 block of Clark Street.

• 8:22 am, theft, 2300 block of Pacific Street.

• 8:24 am, fight, 2300 block of Pacific Street.

• 10:52 am, traffic hazard, Broadway and Newmark.

• 1:53 pm, traffic hazard, Highway 101 and Mill Casino.

• 2:34 pm, criminal mischief, 1700 block of Grant Street.

• 2:35 pm, dispute, 3500 block of Broadway Avenue.

• 2:53 pm, theft, 1500 block of Sherman Avenue.

• 7:25 pm, juvenile problem, 2000 block of Inland Drive.

• 7:46 pm, shots heard, Public Square.

• 9:20 pm, tires slashed, Montana between McPherson.

• 11:21 pm, 34 year old male transported to Coos County jail on criminal trespass II, 3400 block of Cedar Street.

Coos Bay

• 2:23 am, dispute, 1700 block of Thompson Road.

• 4:01 am, 48 year old male cited criminal trespass II, 1000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 6:01 am, criminal mischief, Mingus Park.

• 6:26 am, 26 year old male cited on Douglas County Sheriff warrant and Reedsport Justice Court warrant, 800 block of S 2nd Court.

• 6:57 am, theft, 1400 block of N Bayshore Drive.

• 7:08 am, criminal mischief, 100 N Morrison Street.

• 7:21 am, theft from vehicle, 1000 block of Pirates Court.

• 7:32 am, 60 year old male transported to Curry County jail on Curry County Sheriff warrant, 100 block of S 7th Street.

• 8:28 am, civil problem, 400 block of Johannesen Avenue.

• 8:45 am, disorderly conduct, 500 block of S Empire Boulevard.

• 9:01 am, shots fired, 1600 block of 7th Street.

• 9:21 am, disorderly conduct, 1700 block of Thompson Road.

• 9:34 am, juvenile problem, 200 block of 2nd Avenue.

• 9:42 am, narcotics investigation, 1200 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 9:58 am, located runaway juvenile, 700 block of N 10th Street.

• 10:40 am, SNAP fraud, 2000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 11:43 am, 32 year old female cited for disorderly conduct, 100 block of N Cammann Street.

• 11:54 am, 60 year old female cited on three Lane County warrants, 1000 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 12:26 pm, shoplifter, 100 block of S 7th Street.

• 1:24 pm, family dispute, 900 block of S 7th Street.

• 1:30 pm, unauthorized use of motor vehicle, 1000 block of Oakway Drive.

• 2:00 pm, 1600 block of Newmark Avenue.

• 2:33 pm, civil problem, 500 block of Village Pines Drive.

• 3:02 pm, 32 year old female cited on North Bend Police warrant, Curtis and S 4th Street.

• 3:34 pm, traffic signal malfunction, Broadway and Anderson.

• 3:41 pm, dispute, 1000 block of Newmark.

• 3:57 pm, dispute, 2nd and Curtis.

• 4:40 pm, restraining order violation, 200 block of W Central.

• 6:21 pm, juvenile problem, 700 block of S 7th Street.

• 6:23 pm, 32 year old female cited criminal trespass II, 100 block of S 7th Street.

• 7:05 pm, juvenile problem, 300 block of S 10th Street.

• 7:25 pm, dispute, 300 block of Ackerman Avenue.

• 7:38 pm, shots fired, 200 block of E Johnson Avenue.

• 7:44 pm, shots fired, Koos Bay Boulevard.

• 8:01 pm, shots fired, 900 block of S Broadway Street.

• 8:03 pm, intoxicated subject, 80 block of E Ingersoll Avenue.

• 8:52 pm, disorderly conduct, 1000 block of S 1st Street.

• 10:02 pm, theft of cell phone, 2400 block of Underwood Avenue.

Coquille

• 9:11 am, criminal mischief to vehicle, 200 block of N Baxter Street.

• 10:58 am, civil problem, 800 block of E 10th Place.

• 11:11 am, family dispute, 700 block of E 3rd Street.

• 11:14 am, juvenile problem 800 block of E 11th Street.

• 3:46 pm, suspicious subject, E 1st Street.

Reedsport

• 6:57 am, suspicious activi ty, McKay’s.

• 3:20 pm, suspicious ac tivity, 700 block of Masters Lane.

• 4:06 pm, animal problem, Reedsport Police Depart ment.

To the neighbors, friends and frontline heroes who have been in

corner this year,

than words can

CLASSIC PEANUTS

FRANK AND ERNEST

DILBERT

CLASSIC PEANUTS

FRANK AND ERNEST

CLASSIC PEANUTS

FRANK AND ERNEST

DILBERT

CLASSIC PEANUTS

FRANK AND ERNEST

est of the South Coast

Results will be published in a special “Best of the South Coast” publication inserted into The World.

SHOPPING

IN TOWN

Cynthia