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C M C M Y K Y K NB GETS HOMECOMING WIN, B1 Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 SATURDAY, OCTOBER 20, 2012 theworldlink.com I $1.50 Two women’s Working on the RR fight for direct democracy BY DANIEL SIMMONS-RITCHIE The World COQUILLE — To their supporters, they’re heroes ushering in a new age of fis- cal responsibility. To their critics, they’re agitators who lack a basic understanding of American governance. This year, a pair of retired Fairview women have led a cavalry charge for changes to Coos County government. Their plan, a measure on November’s ballot that would alter nearly every aspect of county operation, has ignited a seething debate about the make up of local democracy. Relatively little is known about Jaye Bell and Ronnie Herne. The couple declined repeated requests to be interviewed for this article. SEE CHARTER | A10 Witnessing an industry’s rebirth BY JESSIE HIGGINS but they say the four years without serv- there weren’t enough trucks to handle The World ice took a toll. the volume of lumber being shipped. For example: American Bridge built a “We tried to service our customers hen the railroad $12 million steel fabrication facility out- that were being serviced on rail as well closed, hundreds of side Reedsport in 2003. The company as we could using truck carriers,” said felt it needed a factory that could pro- Brian Paul, the plant manager at Coos W jobs vanished. duce customized steel components for Head Forest Products. That “became Engineers had to find other rail West Coast construction projects. Its expensive because everybody else in the companies. Business that relied only other fabrication facility was near area was trying to do the same thing.” Pittsburgh, Penn. In the four years the railroad was on rail to transport goods con- “Douglas County made this site very embargoed, the trucking industry tracted, some considered clos- attractive,”said Fred Jacquot, American adjusted to fill local demand. But the ing. Bridge’s sales manager. He stood in the raised shipping costs wore down lumber Reedsport facility’s main office build- mills, already hurting from Great “It’s like I was on a two-week vaca- ing. Recession’s construction slump. tion for two years,” said Randy King, a “We needed a site that had water “It was a one-two punch,” Jacquot former engineer on the coastal railway access and rail access,” he said. “We said. And all he could do was wait and that connects Eugene with Coos Bay. chose this site because we needed rail see if rail service would come back. King left Oregon for another job after access.” At its peak, the company employed the line to Coos Bay was embargoed, due CBR Coos Bay Rail Link 1203 CBR to years of deferred maintenance, in about 100 people. Office workers placed 2007.Two years later he lost that job, so orders and handled contract bids. he returned to the South Coast to look General laborers hauled materials and Re-building a railroad for work and care for his ailing father. readied work areas. Welders shaped A few miles west of Mapleton on His story mirrors dozens of other metal sheets into enormous bridge Tuesday afternoon, construction work- South Coast residents directly connect- components. Thousands of tons of steel ers from Houston, Texas replaced ties at ed to the railroad. And like most of them, moved in and out of Reedsport on rail a railroad crossing. The afternoon sun By Lou Sennick, The World it ends happy. cars. peaked through the second growth tree Ronnie Herne,standing,and Jaye Bell,seated,were When the Coos Bay Rail Link re- For four years, the company climbed. canopy as an excavator pushed ties two of the Home Rule Charter proponents to speak opened in 2011, King got his job back. Then in Sept. 2007, without warning, beneath the rails. Men clad in bright during a forum on the Home Rule Charter measure “It’s like riding a bike,”he said, smil- the railroad folded. Almost overnight, orange used sledge hammers to position that also had proponents for the administrator the plant went quite. ing beside the CBRL’s bright blue loco- the ties. The foreman followed behind, ordinance talk about their ballot proposal “When we lost the ability to ship by motive. “You never really forget.” wielding a spike maul to secure the ties Wednesday during the weekly Chamber of rail, we couldn’t compete in the to the rail with rhythmic, rolling swings, Midwest,”Jacquot said. Commerce lunch. CBR Coos Bay “ping, ping, ping.” Rail Link 1203 CBR A rail car can carry four times the “This railroad, they had let it go for a tonnage a semi truck can, and costs far long period of time,” said Tom Foster, A sudden impact less to hire. Without rail, the company CBRL’s general manager. “They thought Expanding Rail workers could no longer afford to bid on large it wasn’t worth repairing, and they did- and customers projects, or any project outside the n’t care. They didn’t care about the may be immediate region. community.” marsh, shrinking happy American Bridge entered the Great Central Oregon & Pacific Railroad now, Recession already wounded. Within closed this line in 2007, declaring it months, 100 employees shrunk to 10. unsafe due to years of deferred mainte- middle ground “If we did not have a railroad,” nance. As South Coast rail customers Jacquot said, “we would not have been scrambled to adjust, the Oregon able to stay at this facility.” BY AMY MOSS STRONG International Port of Coos Bay looked The World It was a similar story at all the for a solution. It gathered $16 million local sawmills, except dollars from grant money, and in 2009 Ballot measure 6-145 proposes an sawmills used the railroad purchased the defunct line. expansion of the Bandon Marsh Nation- almost everyday, ship- The port then raised another $30 al Wildlife Refuge and has left some ping lumber around million in state and federal grants to people confused. the country. repair the railway. Foster came on as What exactly will the vote do? Why is When the CBRL manager in 2011, just as the port it on there? Will it stop the proposed rail completed enough repairs to restore expansion? closed, service to a few saw mills and American The non-binding vote is intended to Bridge. gauge public opinion. Whatever the out- The first train crawled from come, it won’t mandate what U.S. Fish Eugene to the Southport Forest and Wildlife Service does, merely send a Products lumber yard in Oct. message of support or nonsupport. But the specifics of the proposed SEE TRAIN | A10 expansion have not yet been worked out, so voters won’t know exactly what they are supporting — or not supporting. The measure was put on the ballot by members of the Coos County Watchdog Photos by Alysha Beck, The World Top: Workers from Balfour Batty Rail Inc.build a new crossing on the Coos Bay Rail Link off Pin Road SEE MARSH | A10 near Noti.Above: Workers load lumber onto rail cars at Southport Forest Products on the North Spit. Donald Broussard, North Bend Lola Fox, Lakeside Police reports . A2 Sports . B1 Warren Landles, Coos Bay Bunny Moore, Coquille T S S E Phil Pahalad, Coos Bay A H Daina Swanson, Coos Bay D South Coast. A3 Classifieds . C5 I C T Dale Courtright, Coquille Thomas Brewster, Bandon E A S Opinion. A4 Puzzles. C6 Mabel Hazen, Happy Valley Showers likely E R N Margie Brown, Coos Bay 58/46 I D Comics . A8 What’s Up. GO! Lester Schafer, Myrtle Point O F Weather | A10 Jenifer Sterling, Roseburg Obituaries | A5,A6 C M C M Y K Y K C M C M Y K A2 •The World •Saturday, October 20,2012 Y K South Coast City Editor Ryan Haas • 541-269-1222, ext. 239 theworldlink.com/news/local High school wants to Pets of the Week Thefts & Pacific Cove protect students Humane Society Mischief Pacific Cove Humane COOS BAY Society is featuring two dogs from sexual offenses Oct. 17, 11:32 a.m., criminal mis- of the week, available for chief, 1200 block of Newmark COOS BAY — Marshfield Coastal Center; Robyn adoption through its “Peo- Avenue. High School is bringing a Jacobson, Parole & Probation ple-to-People” pet-match- ing service. Oct. 17, 11:40 a.m., assault, 100 panel of professionals to Supervisor, OYA; Karen I Panda bear is a good look- block of North Ninth Street. address students and educate McClintock, Assistant them on the laws and conse- ing, neutered lab/pit/red Oct. 17, 12:12 p.m., burglary, 500 District Attorney; and quences of sexual offenses. healer/weimaraner mix who Panda bear Smokie block of South Seventh Street. In today’s society with the Detective Sargeant Eric was born Jan. 2012. He loves Oct. 17, 12:33 p.m., burglary, 1000 Evaluation required. availability of the internet, Schwenninger, Coos Bay going to the beach and playing avoids cats. He’s good with block of Ingersoll Avenue. cell phones and other tech- Police Department. with other dogs. He is OK I Smokie is a happy, kids of all ages and would neutered 7-year-old black lab Oct. 17, 1:00 p.m., dispute, 1000 nological devices, students with cats and is great with kids make a wonderful family pet. The panel will address mix. He loves to play fetch and block of South Fourth Street. are exposed to more informa- of all ages.