Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878
South Coast
Now Featuring
STRONG
COMING AUG. 29TH
Section B MOSTLY SUNNY 69 • 55 FORECAST, A8 | SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2020 | theworldlink.com | $2
OSAA delays fall sports to winter JOHN GUNTHER The World
The good news is that students who participate in the traditional fall sports of football, volleyball, cross country and soccer will get to have a season this coming school year. The bad news is they have to wait until next winter for that season to begin. The Oregon School Activities Association Executive Board decided Wednesday to postpone the
fall season until after the winter season, which also will have a delayed start. “The goal was to try to maximize opportunities for students, providing three distinct seasons for later in the year,” OSAA Executive Director Peter Weber said in a story for OSAAtoday. That was welcome news for North Bend athletic director Mike Forrester. “Everybody gets a season,” Forrester said. “It won’t be a
perfect season, but it’s better than no season at all.” The no-season-at-all scenario already played out in the spring when the golf, baseball, softball, tennis and track and field seasons were wiped out by the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic which led to no in-school learning for the final months of the school year. The new plan calls for all sports to have a seven-week regular season, followed by one
“culminating week.” What that week looks like for the various sports will be determined later, Weber said, and will be decided in alignment with large group gathering guidelines issued by the state. “We’ll have to work with our membership on what that would look like,” he said. “In our football contingency groups, they said that maybe that could be a bowl game. And that type of approach could be done in other
activities, as well. We definitely wanted to leave room for the opportunity of some type of culminating event.” The Executive Board’s decision follows one made by Nevada to also have shortened seasons (six weeks each) beginning with winter sports in January. Washington and California also have modified what their school sports years will look like. Please see OSAA, Page A7
Governor considers travel restrictions CLAUDIA ELLIOTT Curry Coastal Pilot
John Gunther, The World
The United States Golf Association flags fly along with the American and Oregon flags in front of the Bandon Dunes lodge this week in advance of the U.S. Amateur, which starts Monday at the resort.
U.S. Amateur starts Monday at resort JOHN GUNTHER The World
BANDON — Last summer, Bandon Dunes Golf Resort celebrated its 20th anniversary. This week, the resort hosts its seventh United States Golf Association championship — qualifying for the U.S. Amateur begins Monday on the Bandon Dunes and Bandon Trails courses and the
tournament continues the event for Bandon Who’s Playing? through Sunday. Dunes. “It’s someThe concept of thing we’re very Learn about the so many champiproud of.” field on Page A7 opnships is stagNo other facility gering, especially has hosted as many considering all seven USGA events in the have come in the past 15 years. 2000s as Bandon Dunes. Pine“It doesn’t feel like it’s that hurst Resort in North Carolina frequently,” said Jeff Simonds has hosted six. Few others have the resort’s director of golf, who hosted more than three. has been the lead coordinator of The U.S. Amateur continues
the great relationship USGA has with Bandon Dunes and its owner, Mike Keiser, who has been mentioned in the past as one of the best supporters of amateur golf in the country. “Our focus is the amateur golfer and those golfer who play for the spirit of the game,” Simonds said. Please see Amateur, Page A8
CB police monitoring Saturday event on Boardwalk Event advertised as “peaceful and friendly” AMY MOSS STRONG The World
COOS BAY — On Saturday Aug. 8, there is a BLM/Safer As One event scheduled to occur on the Coos Bay Boardwalk. The Coos Bay Police Department has received numerous inquiries, questions and concerns pertaining to this event, according to Police Chief Gary McCullough. “The Coos Bay Police Department has been closely monitoring this and at this time there is
nothing to suggest that the event is anything other than what it has been advertised ... a peaceful, friendly event,” McCullough wrote in a press release. The Coos Bay Safer As One Facebook page invites people to “Come join us as we fight for policy change in Coos Bay, Oregon. The current political climate of our country has only highlighted the lack of diversity, inclusion, and support of the black, brown and indigenous people established in Coos Bay. “We are coming together to show our local officials that we need them to mandate the use of police body cams, to bring jus-
tice to the victims of hate crimes and to reopen the case of Saraya Rees. Bring your whistles, signs and noise makers! We will not be silenced anymore!” The event, organized by Jay Brown, Julianne Ashley Jackson and three others will begin at noon on the Coos Bay Boardwalk. The group plans to march to the Coos Bay City Hall building where there will be speakers, then will march back to the original location by 4:30 p.m., according to the social media invitation. “Please wear comfy clothing/ shoes. Bring a smile. This event is 100% peaceful and educational. Feel free to bring the entire
family down to March,” reads the invitation. McCullough said the Coos Bay Police Department is asking that all participants respect everyone’s First Amendment rights to free speech and to assemble peacefully, and to respect everyone’s property, whether personal or business. “The Coos Bay Police Department will have a presence at the event,” stated McCullough. “Should any issues arise, the Coos Bay Police Department will address and deal the individuals or groups responsible. The Coos Bay Police Department is not asking for outside assistance from citizens or groups to assist them.”
Photo gallery: Message to 2020 graduates Photo gallery: Black Lives Matter demonstration Pellet
$10 OFF
W • Serving Oregon’s South Coast since 1878 • A Country Media Newspaper •
SOUTH COAST
A2
BROOKINGS — Oregon Gov. Kate Brown is in active conversations about the potential of travel restrictions to slow the spread of coronavirus between states, two state newspapers have reported. Coos and Curry Counties are among those counties that have reported travelers and visitors from other areas and states testing positive for COVID-19, with some of those cases reported from Curry County’s only hospital. The Oregonian/Oregon Live and Eugene Weekly both carried articles Tuesday indicating that Gov. Brown has communicated with state legislators about possible travel restrictions. In response to a request for a statement this morning, Gov. Brown’s Press Secretary Liz Merah responded: “As mentioned in recent press availabilities, in recent weeks, doctors, health experts, and case investigators have reported seeing cases linked to interstate travel. The issue of travel restrictions was raised by members of the Governor’s Medical Advisory Panel based on COVID-19 cases linked to travel in southern Oregon, which is troubling based on the spikes in case counts California is currently experiencing. County-level COVID-19 data from across the country likewise shows increasing case counts between linked communities across state borders. “We are asking the health experts at the Oregon Health Authority and the Medical Advisory Panel for more data on travel-related spread of COVID-19, as well as recommendations for health and safety measures to address such cases. In conversations with legislators today, our office also discussed the reality that many Oregonians in communities on the state’s borders often cross those borders for work, and that any restrictions must take economic and supply chain implications into account. As the Governor has stated previously, our focus is on restrictions related to tourist travel from hotspot states and communities. Conversations are ongoing about how those restrictions could work.”
OBITUARIES A5
OPINION Stove A4 SPORTS B1 or Gas Heating WEATHER A8 COMICS D1 AT THEWORLDLINK.COM Yearly Service Calls schedeuled Copyright 2015 Follow us online: and facebook.com/theworldnewspaper twitter.com/TheWorldLink in July August!
instagram.com/theworldlink
August Pellet Sale!
230
$
Per Ton
Delivery Available
Exclusions apply. See store for details. Valid through 8/31/20 CCB#49282.
Coos Bay
Coquille
(541)267-2137
(541)396-3161
Since 1916