C M C M Y K Y K NEW FBI BOSS Introducing... Ex-Bush official to be named to top post, A6 JUNE 2013 magazine LookLook Inside!Inside! Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 THURSDAY, MAY 30, 2013 theworldlink.com I 75¢ Agency: Spotted owls need more Olympic county land BY EMILY THORNTON tryout The World COQUILLE — Spotted owls are once again changing how Coos County harvests its timber. The federal government reduced total critical habitat for the spotted owl by 4.2 million acres in OCCI chef instructor Woojay Poynter has Washington, Oregon and California. But, local BLM lands saw an increase in habitat for the been selected to try out for America’s species, said Megan Harper, public affairs spe- cialist with the Bureau of Land Management’s elite culinary team to represent the U.S. Coos Bay office. “It affects what we can do in certain areas,” in the 2016 Culinary Olympics Harper said. “We have to protect the area.” A U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department decision last year deemed 52 percent of the local district’s land “critical habitat for spotted owls.” That’s a BY THOMAS MORIARTY 10 percent increase from land set aside for the The World species in 1992. As a result, the Bureau of Land Management’s COOS BAY — For the second year in a row, an Ore- Coos Bay office is revising its Resource Manage- gon Coast Culinary Institute instructor is fighting for ment Plan to maximize logging potential while the chance to represent the school in competition. still abiding by government protection for spot- Woojay Poynter, a baking and pastry instructor, is ted owls. leaving today for Denver to compete in a selection The BLM also aims to rewrite how it manages event for the American Culinary Federation’s 2016 wildfires and public land, said Harper. Culinary Team USA. “We want to provide as much land as we can” If he’s selected, it won’t be the chef’s first go-round for the spotted owl, Harper said. in major league cooking competitions — Poynter took The land in the district includes 325,000 acres home a gold at last year’s International Culinary Olympics. of Coos, Douglas and Curry counties. Poynter, a U.S. Air Force veteran The Fish and Wildlife Department is currently who came to OCCI from Portland in analyzing one way the BLM wants to log, called 2008, said competitive cooking can If this works “variable retention harvest,” Harper said. That be all-consuming. “ method includes leaving patches of trees and The chef said he prefers to cook shrubs every few feet instead of thinning or out, I’ll be food with Asian flavors, but competi- clear-cutting. pretty busy.” “We’re working with Fish and Wildlife doing tive chefs always have to take calcu- project planning now,”she said. lated risks with trying new approach- Chef Woojay Poynter The Fish and Wildlife Department set new es. OCCI Instructor guidelines that said the timber “could be His winning entry in the 2012 thinned, but cause no adverse modification,” International Culinary Olympics wasa Harper added. cold platter using ingredients from the Pacific Northwest and wasabi, SEE BLM | A8 kabocha squash and sesame seeds. Unlike chefs in other countries — who are treated similarly to Olympic athletes — American competitive chefs also work full- time. “That’s always the hardest part for American teams,” Poynter USDA: Modified said. “They’re all working chefs.” But Poynter said he doesn’t think he has it quite as bad as the restaurant and resort chefs he’s competed with. “It’s a lot easier wheat turns up when you know your schedule,” he said. Still, balancing a full-time teaching job with training for a major international competition will be no easy task. in Oregon field “If this works out,” Poynter said smiling, “I’ll be pretty busy.” Reporter Thomas Moriarty can be reached at 541-269-1222, ext. BYMARYCLAREJALONICKAND NIGELDUARA 240, or by email at [email protected]. Follow him TheAssociatedPress on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. PORTLAND—FieldworkersatanEasternOre- gon wheat farm were clearing acres for the bare offseason when they came across a patch of wheat thatdidn’tbelong. The workers sprayed it and sprayed it, but the wheat wouldn’t die. Their confused boss grabbed a fewstalksandsentittoauniversitylabinearlyMay. A few weeks later, Oregon State wheat scientists madeastartlingdiscovery:Thewheatwasgenetical- ly modified, in clear violation of U.S. law, although there’snoevidencethatmodifiedwheatenteredthe marketplace. Theycontactedfederalauthorities,whoranmore testsandconfirmedtheirdiscovery. “It looked like regular wheat ,”said Bob Zemetra, OregonState’swheatbreeder. No genetically engineered wheat has been approvedforU.S.farming.U.S.DepartmentofAgri- Contributed photo by Woojay Poynter cultureofficialssaidthewheatisthesamestrainasa Woojay Poynter, assistant professor at the Oregon Coast Culinary Institute in Coos Bay, has geneticallymodifiedwheatthatwaslegallytestedby been selected to try out for the American Culinary Federation Culinary Team USA in Denver, seed giant Monsanto a decade ago but never May 31 to June 2. Poynter will be creating a Pacific Ocean platter, which will include various approved.Monsantostoppedtestingthatproductin Asian-inspired preparations of salmon, clam and octopus. Oregonandseveralotherstatesin2005. How the modified wheat made it from a private company’s testing grounds to the Eastern Oregon commercial wheat field is a question investigators are trying to unravel in a mystery that could have globalimplicationsonthewheattradeintheU.S.and Photo by Alysha Beck, The World SEE USDA | A8 Police reports . A2 Sports . B1 T S S Teresa Stephens, North Bend E Kenneth McTaggart, Lakeside A H D What’s Up. A3 Comics . B4 George Thompson, Coos Bay I Faye Harris, Springfield C T E A S South Coast. A3 Puzzles. B4 Tyler Knapp, Roseburg Partly sunny E | Obituaries A5 R N Judy Wolf, Coquille 63/47 I D Opinion. A4 Classifieds . B5 O Rosemary Griffin, Coos Bay F Weather | A8 STTRIKERIKE IITT RRICHICH with COOS BAY COQUILLE 541-267-2137 541-396-3161 Metal Detectors A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS SERVING COOS COUNTY FOR OVER 97 YEARS. C M C M Y K Y K C M C M Y K A2 •The World • Thursday, May30,2013 Y K South Coast City Editor Ryan Haas • 541-269-1222, ext. 239 Weekend theworldlink.com/lifestyles y g a n d i O XPLORE O TOMP UDDLES O EE ALENT r G ! E G ! S P G ! S T u m t o a Take a hike along the Rogue River New troupe joins Gay ’90s parade Water colorists display work at CAM C S Scramble Into the center needs more TODAY SATURDAY Business After Hours 5-7 p.m., Free Fishing Day — sunrise to sponsors Painted Zebra Designs, 1997 sunset, statewide. Sherman Ave., contact Bay State Parks Day, free parking The Coos Bay Kiwanis Area Chamber of Commerce and camping. www.oregon- Club is announcing its at 541-266-0868. stateparks.org. annual Golf Scramble to be 2013 Texaco Country Show- Gay 90s all day Coquille — 25th held at 9 a.m., June 22 at down Qualifying Round 7 Annual Rendezvous Show and Bandon Crossings Golf p.m., Hales Center for the Per- Shine Car Show, motorcycle Course, 87530 Dew Valley forming Arts, 1988 Newmark display, family fun and Eagles Lane, Bandon. Ave., Coos Bay. Dinner and craft fair, free train rides, art The club is looking for show, $10 or show, $5. exhibit at Old City Hall, and hole sponsors and raffle KSHR.COM or KBDN.COM vendors in the community donations, as well as teams International Folk Dancing and building, all day; Kiwanis pan- to participate in the event. Music 7-10:30 p.m., Liberty cake breakfast, 7-10 a.m.; Funds from the tourna- Pub, 2047 Sherman Ave., Rotary River Run/walk, 9 ment will be used to sup- North Bend. Demonstrations, a.m., Parade, 11 a.m.; Beer port local Kiwanis Projects. Contributed photo Balkan singing, traditional folk garden and live music, 1-4 For more information Folk dancers perform at a recent dance at Greenacres Grange.The South Coast Folk Societywill host an inter- music jam — bring instru- p.m.; Rubber duck races, 2:30 call Don Harms at 541- national folk dance demonstration at 7 p.m. tonight at Liberty Pub, 2047 Sherman Ave., North Bend. Bring ments. 541-808-1002 p.m.; Button drawing, 4 p.m.; 954-2031. your feet to try a dance and an instrument for an international folk music jam to follow. Info: 541-808-1002. Cruise, 5-6:30 p.m. FRIDAY Explore Birds of the Estuary 8- Eagles Craft Fair all day, 10 a.m., meet at Charleston FRESH•NATURAL•ORGANIC•HEALTHY Visitor Information Center, F There’s plenty to Coquille Eagles Lodge, 581 N. R west end of South Slough H Alder, Coquille. E Bridge on Basin Drive. Dress S Tsunami Evacuation Drills 10-11 S for weather, bring scopes and E Savor the Flavor a.m., Voluntary tsunami evac- H binoculars. Guided, $1 each R do this weekend uation practice drills for Reed- F birder. 541-888-5558 • • sport, Gardiner, Winchester N of LOCAL Quality State parks host free day There’ll be music, prizes, Bay, Lakeside, Hauser and State Parks Day 11 a.m. to 4 Y A refreshments and photo North Bay. For more informa- p.m., Shore Acres State Park, T H Abby’s Greens • Oven Spring Bread Saturday is State Parks 89814 Cape Arago Highway, U ops. All ages are welcome. tion, contact your local fire T Day, and parking and camp- Charleston. Free parking. L district, visit www.Ore- Free Range Eggs, R ing will be free at all Oregon Advance tickets, $9 each A gonTsunami.org or call 503- A state parks. At Hughes available at Just Kids Early State Parks Day 10 a.m.-3:30 E 307-5734.