BANKRUPTCY DECISION HE’S BACK Judge gives Detroit OK to cut pensions, A7 Oregon quarterback will return, B1 Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 4, 2013 theworldlink.com I 75¢ NB school chief calls it a career I BJ Hollensteiner’s surprise departure lands in the middle of contentious union negotiations BY CHELSEA DAVIS The World NORTH BEND — North Bend school superin- tendent BJ Hollensteiner is retiring. Hollensteiner officially declared her intent to retire Tuesday morning, said school board chair Megan Jacquot. The retirement takes effect Dec. 31. By Lou Sennick, The World “I think she would be fine with me saying it’s a The hand of assistant director Gary LeBrun conducts members of the Oregon Coast Lab Band’s Evolution during their rehearsal Monday night.The Lab combination of family issues and health issues,” Band will have a concert Wednesday evening at the Hales Center for the Performing Arts. Jacquot said of Hollensteiner’s decision to retire. “It’s been coming for awhile; she was eligible to retire a couple of years ago.” She did not return multiple calls seeking comment. Putting the blues behind Hollensteiner has served as the district’s superintendent since July 2006. Nearly eight years is a long time for a superintendent to BY TIM NOVOTNY embezzlement of Lab Band funds, dis- serve, Jacquot said, since “three to The World Lab Band looks to covered in 2008, hung a fundraising four (years) is usually the average albatross figuratively upon the group’s tenure.” NORTH BEND — It’s been more than swing into new era neck for years. The announcement comes at a 20 years since the Oregon Coast Lab New administrative policy and new rocky time in the district, as Band taught their first band of young after challenges leadership has helped to create a fresh teachers and the school board are BJ Hollensteiner students to play. outlook and renewed optimism, but battling to settle the union con- The program, open to musicians from finding funding is still an issue. That’s tract. The first mediation session between the two ages 10 to 21, was started in 1992 with a Thirty-five young musicians are cur- why Ring is so pleased with two recent parties is set for Jan. 9, after months of meetings two-part mission: “preserving Jazz, rently tackling that challenge by playing developments. and back-and-forth over salary,health benefits and America’s original musical legacy, and for the Oregon Coast Lab Band. Some Larry Zimin, whose son had once language change requests. bringing an exciting extracurricular harsh realities have hit the program hard been a Lab Band member, came to them “I’m shocked,” Claudia Slack, president of the music program to Southern Oregon’s in recent years, but Ring sees brighter with an offer. North Bend Education Association, said of rural coast.” days ahead. John Zimin was just 21 when he died Hollensteiner’s retirement. “I was not expecting Jim Ring, current president of the It is a well-respected program within of cancer in 2001. He had bought a 1980 this at all. I don’t know what that means to us in board of directors, recently sat in their the state’s music circles that once boast- Corvette before he died, and his father negotiations. I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a cramped rehearsal space at 1875 Virginia ed well more than 100 members. Its top had held on to it in his memory. Now he bad thing or if we’ll start over at square one. I’m just Ave. in North Bend and made the case performing band, Evolution, is a 20- wanted to give it to the Lab Band to help going to be learning as we go here.” that this band is needed more than ever, piece Big Band that plays alongside them fulfill the mission that his son had once been a part of. Hollensteiner’s retirement comes as a surprise to and that their mission hasn’t changed. professionals at local and regional The Lab Band is selling 1,000 raffle many, including her school board. “We’re still going strong. We want events throughout the year. tickets, at $20 each, to raffle off the “I’m not surprised that it was coming, but I am “Greg and Patty Young started a fan- your young musicians to come and join us Corvette at its April 20th concert and surprised a little bit of the time,” Jacquot said. “I tastic thing here,”he said, “if you go and play and, just like our mission state- fundraiser at the Hales Center on the just didn’t know it would happen this soon. But I ment says, ‘Keep jazz alive,’”he said, back, OPB has a special on their website really respect her decision and we wish her the SWOCC campus. noting the concern that has grown that they did years ago and you can see Ring says the $20,000 that could be best.” stronger among jazz purists in recent what Greg and Patty started.” She doesn’t believe this year’s controversial raised would give them a nice cushion for years. Unfortunately, along with a brutal a couple of years, helping them meet negotiations triggered Hollensteiner’s retirement. “We’re kind of worried that our fan local economy, the Young’s are the rea- base is going away. A lot of people who son the program has had to fight so hard SEE RETIRING | A8 listen to traditional jazz are getting older.” to gain traction once again. The couple’s SEE LAB BAND | A8 Yarbrough found guilty; sentencing next week BY THOMAS MORIARTY Yarbrough pointed the rifle toward the ceil- The World ing and fired a single shot. Hailey told her mother to get out of the room, but April A self-professed “prepper,”whose home- Yarbrough said her husband followed her to made bunker was equipped for the the kitchen, pushed her to the ground and end-of-days, reached his own end in a Coos kicked her in the head. County courtroom Tuesday morning. According to all parties involved, 1 Following a 2⁄2-hour bench trial, Judge Yarbrough went back to the bedroom follow- Richard Barron found Jay Yarbrough guilty of ing the assault. His wife said she got friends two counts of menacing, three counts of to take him to the hospital shortly after. possession of a destructive device, posses- An explosive situation sion of a short-barreled rifle and two counts of fourth-degree assault. After the assault, April Yarbrough said she Barron said he’ll issue a written verdict on went to the Coos Bay Police Department and two remaining charges of unlawful use of a asked them to remove her husband’s weapon prior to sentencing. weapons from the home. The conviction caps one of the most Coos Bay Police Officer Darrell Babb testi- fied that that he immediately noticed the peculiar criminal footnotes in Coos County’s rifle’s short barrel when he found it inside history books. the house June 12. Domestic mayhem Oregon State Police forensic expert Shawn Malikowski testified by phone that the New Yarbrough’s troubles began June 11, when Frontier Armory LW-15 had been fitted with his wife, April Yarbrough, says he attacked By Alysha Beck, The World JayYarbrough sits in Judge Richard Barron’s court at the Coos County Courthouse on the first day of his trial a barrel that was 8.375 inches long. Under the her over her attempts to get medical atten- National Firearms Act, rifles with barrels less tion. She testified that on that morning Jay Tuesday.Yarbrough faces charges stemming from an incident in June when Coos Bay police found weapons than 16 inches in length are subject to a $200 Yarbrough was experiencing chest pain and and improvised explosive devices in a bunker under his home. tax and have to be registered with the Bureau difficulty breathing. When the wife and their of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and daughter, Hailey, tried to convince him to go die at home where he could be at peace,” and brandished a short-barreled AR-15-type to the hospital, he reacted violently. Hailey Yarbrough said. rifle he had kept with him. “He said if he was going to die he’d rather Eventually, they said, he lost his temper Both mother and daughter testified that SEE YARBROUGH | A8 Dorothy Wallace, San Antonio, Texas Thomas Brady, Tenmile What’s Up. A2 Sports . B1 Francis Godin, Powers T S S Jorita Farmer, Bandon E A H Joseph Fairchild, Coquille D Police reports . A3 Comics . B5 Donnie Brown II, Coos Bay I C T Lisa Gardner, Myrtle Point E A S South Coast. A3 Puzzles . B5 Donald Posekany, Bandon Sunny E R N Carole Dawson, Allegany Marvin Wright, Reedsport 44/26 I D Opinion. A4 Classifieds . B6 O Donald Bohanan, North Bend Obituaries | A5 F Weather | A8 WE CAN DELIVER YOUR Need to sell something? MESSAGE OVER 100,000 TIMES! Call Valerie Today! 541-267-6278 A2 •The World • Wednesday, December 4,2013 Three South Coast Three Executive Editor Larry Campbell • 541-269-1222, ext. 251 theworldlink.com/news/local Oregon Grown, DAYS ONLY Free wheeling Employee Owned! DAYS ONLY MEAT MEAT BONANZA!BONANZA! ANDA ANNDD Super Super Sale!Sale! Thurs., Fri. & Sat. • Dec. 5, 6 & 7 2013 • 7am - 6pm Available At: Gold Beach • Coos Bay • Empire • Lakeside • Reedsport • Lincoln City TWIN $ .45 Ground Fresh Daily! 1 lb. $ .99 Fresh, Bone-In 2 lb. Fresh 93%, 8-10 lb.