Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 Speech season cut short Back to work in Bandon MHS students miss chances for state page A10 School district has plan for staff, students PAGE A2 SHOWERS 48 • 37 FORECAST A8 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020 | theworldlink.com | $2 Regional airport ‘will survive’ pandemic JILLIAN WARD sees most of its revenue from The World businesses and organizations renting space on its property. NORTH BEND — The last Right now, the airport has 33 time Helen Mineau saw flights renters. This includes office canceled like she is now, it was buildings for Oregon State after 9/11. Police, Department of Human As chairman of the Coos Services, Bureau of Land County Airport District for Management, FedEx and UPS. Southwest Oregon Regional “We have a very stable base of Airport and owner of Globe tenants,” Cook explained. “In Travel in North Bend, Mineau the long term, we have some has a front row seat to another businesses that aren’t essential economic crisis. Except this services and will feel an impact.” time, it is being brought on by She pointed out that some of the novel coronavirus, which she these non-essential services said is different than the 2001 might face trouble making rent terrorist attack because, “Now if the pandemic and restrictions we have no idea what’s going on continue. … But the reality is it will proba- “Right now the Federal bly take another month or two Aviation Administration doesn’t before it goes back to normal have an allowance for us to give because people are still getting waivers for airlines or airport sick.” users, but we will look at it if — JILLIAN WARD, The World Southwestern Oregon Regional Airport remains stable at this point through the ongoing pandemic, though it may be more Though the stay-in-place in the long term — it becomes an impacted if it continues. orders have taken a toll on travel issue for them to pay rent,” she and local businesses, SORA said. Executive Director Theresa Cook Though the airport isn’t see- almost a year and a half ago. Due might have been shut down,” be looked at more favorably and said the airport itself is stable for ing an impact in loss of revenue, to the government shutdown Cook said. “Now when (the have less competition to get now. it has been working to establish last year, the grant wasn’t pandemic) is over, the airlines flights to Portland more regular- “In the short term … it flights to Portland. It received a approved until recently. that survive — hopefully all but l y.” doesn’t affect how we manage $750,000 grant from the “… In a way that is fortunate I’ve heard smaller ones might But Mineau sees startling sim- the airport," Cook said. Department of Transportation, because we might have negoti- not — they will look for airports This is because the airport which the airport applied for ated a route by now and that that have capital. So we might Please see AIRPORT, Page A9 Precautions in place at senior living centers ZACH SILVA to them in their room to do,” the state public health lab The World said Diane Mason, the exec- and those are our priority utive director at Ocean individuals right now,” he COOS BAY — The March Ridge. said on Monday afternoon. calendar at Ocean Ridge “It’s totally different. I’m “They don’t have to check Assisted Living was jam- not sure any of us know what every box on the symptom packed until the novel normal is any more.” profile. I don’t have to get coronavirus shut activities For now, those at assisted permission, it’s more of a let down. living homes like Ocean me know, I ask you to get the The calendar had some- Ridge or any of the other sample, get it up to the pub- thing called “Flexercise” retirement communities and lic health lab and I let the every Wednesday, Saturday senior living centers in the state public health lab know and Sunday, not to be con- area have all been working it’s coming.” fused with “Stretchercise” through a new normal. These Hoping to avoid the spread each Friday. There was chair populations of older resi- of the coronavirus, extra yoga, ukulele lessons, after- dents living in close quarters measures have been taken at noons of bingo and a trip to with one another have been Ocean Ridge that include no the casino all on the sched- taking extra precautions longer eating in a group and ule. while there has been a close not allowing family members But these activities at eye on their health. to visit. Ocean Ridge Assisted Living “We’re very, very watchful This has led to increased in Coos Bay all came to a halt for that population in those phone calls and video chats when the country began to facilities,” said Brian Leon of with loved ones while resi- slow down as the novel coro- Coos Health and Wellness. dents have taken to writing navirus continued to spread. As cases of coronavirus on white boards and sharing “Everything is on hold. We have broken out in senior messages with family mem- have no outside people com- homes across the country, bers on Facebook. ing in,” said Helen Stamate, Leon noted that the state is “They’re having fun with 90, who lives at Ocean Ridge. Courtesy of Ocean Ridge Assisted Living. ready to test these individu- it and of course they’ll be “I’m doing just fine. Kind With visitors no longer able to come to the assisted living facility, Jean shares a mes- als if anything comes up. anxious to see people again of bored, but otherwise sage with her family. “So in particular long term but they are having fun with doing just fine. The room facilities, we have guidance it,” said Mason. gets smaller and smaller.” attend, she is looking to fill gatherings so we’re finding that essentially says any type “They’re really being very With no more music in the her time. She has settled on things we can do with them of symptom, any type of positive about it. You know, afternoons – that was watching Law and Order and individually or also finding a concern we can essentially families and the residents. So Stamate’s favorite time to Golden Girls and taking vir- lot of word type puzzles and escalate very, very quickly it helps people from being mingle with other residents tual tours of museums. games and different things without – with very little red – and no brainiacs club to “We can’t have those big like that that we can pass out tape, getting a sample up to Please see SENIORS, Page A9 Safeway takes actions to protect customers, employees Local stores add floor groceries as COVID-19 cases continue to spread around stickers to guide the state. “We have stepped up how social distancing often we clean and disinfect all departments, restrooms AMANDA LINARES and other high-touch points The World of the store,” wrote Nicky Nielsen, the marketing pro- COOS COUNTY — Armed motional coordinator for with extra cart wipes on Safeway, in an email. “Cart hand, Plexiglas at checkout wipes and hand sanitizer windows and 6-foot spaced stations have been installed stickers placed throughout in key locations within the its grocery stores, Safeway is stores for your convenience.” ready to do its part in the According to Nielsen, battle against the spread of Plexiglas has also be installed the novel coronavirus. in checkout lanes as a pro- Like so many other stores tective barrier between around Coos County, customers and checkers as Safeway earlier this month well as stickers reminding Contributed photo implemented a number of Earlier this month, Safeway began installing Plexiglas to its cashier windows to protect customers and staff against COVID-19. safety precautions to protect its customers shopping for Please see SAFEWAY, Page A9 Photo gallery: Volunteers plant trees at native plant nursery. SOUTH COAST A2 COMICS A6 Photo gallery: Gorse Blossom Festival 2020. OPINION A4 WEATHER A9 AT THEWORLDLINK.COM OBITUARIES A5 SPORTS A10 D • Serving Oregon’s South Coast since 1878 • A Country Media Newspaper • Copyright 2015 Follow us online: facebook.com/theworldnewspaper twitter.com/TheWorldLink instagram.com/theworldlink A2 2 | WEDNESDAY, APRIL 1, 2020 NEWS THE WORLD BSD to put staff, students back to work AMY MOSS STRONG Education students will collecting student work Bandon Western World have Individual Education while wearing protective Plans to address profi- g e a r.” BANDON – Bandon ciency and out-of-district The student work will Schools Superintendent students also will be a part be taken to a room at Doug Ardiana couldn’t be of the survey. Individual Harbor Lights Middle more excited. He’s figured plans to accommodate School, where it will be out a plan to bring teach- out-of-district students scanned and sent directly ers back to work and get will be addressed. to the teacher via Google students on track for “The staff will use the classroom. The homework graduation or promoted to proficiency test as a pre- will then be placed in a the next grade level, test to guide instruction plastic trash bag to pre- despite the closure of for the remainder of the serve the packet for future schools until at least April school year,” Ardiana review if needed. 28 due to the coronavirus wrote in his Educational Students who have the crisis. Programming Overview. ability to be online will Ardiana rolled out the “The teachers will then send their work directly to plan at an emergency provide instruction to the teacher.