PREFONTAINE MEMORIAL SHIITAKE SUCCESS Complete list of results, B4-5 Northeast fungi find strong market, A5 Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2013 theworldlink.com I 75¢ CB schools are not aging gracefully BY CHELSEA DAVIS for the district. Some buildings func- immediately hazardous to people’s The World tion great, but some, like Blossom welfare,”he said. “There’s no imminent Gulch, are standing on their last leg.” worry of collapse. The major issues COOS BAY — Coos Bay’s schools are Walking through Blossom Gulch won’t become issues until the day they showing their age. Elementary Thursday morning, Coos do. The Coos Bay School District Facili- Bay schools maintenance supervisor “As it settles, doors stop closing, ties Task Force formed in August 2011 Joel Smallwood knelt down, examining windows get bound up ... as the floor to start a dialogue with the community the slightly warped hallways and floors. sinks the sewer lines sink so it doesn’t about its schools and what they should The 59-year-old building was built flow. At one point, it started stretching look like. over the former Mill Slough, which was electric lines through the building, so Task force chair Ariann Lyons said filled with material prior to construc- it’s been 75 percent rewired at one point when we started losing power.” the biggest obstacle is the community tion. Over the years, parts of the school Lyons’ goal is for the task force and understanding the state of the facili- have begun to shift, sink and crack. community to develop a “cohesive ties. But structural engineers have come community vision” to address the “We have some facilities that have in several times to evaluate the school’s infrastructure of the facilities, as well really served us well, but they’ve far integrity — most recently in 2007 — as funding and reconfiguration. exceeded their life expectancy,” Lyons and found that the building is in no risk By Alysha Beck, The World said. “No matter how well we maintain of collapse. Electrical panels in the Marshfield High School cafeteria are original to or upkeep, they don’t function as well “There are no problems that are SEE SCHOOLS | A8 the building, built in 1938. Fun was had by all Middle East the big topic Festivals ‘important at UN talks BY JULIE PACE for smaller The Associated Press NEW YORK — President Barack Obama opens towns, for meetings at the United Nations with diplomatic opportunities on three vexing issues: Iran’s disputed nuclear program, Syria’s chemical weapons use, and morale’ elusive peace between Israel and the Palestinians. All three pathways are fraught with potential pit- falls and hinge on cooperation from often unreliable BY CHELSEA DAVIS nations. Obama also risks being branded as naive The World and misguided if the efforts fail, particularly in Syria, where he’s used the prospect of diplomacy to COOS BAY — Festival-goers put off a military strike in retaliation for a chemical swarmed downtown Coos Bay this weapons attack. weekend, chowing down on food Still, the recent developments mark a significant from local vendors and enjoying live shift on a trio of issues that have long proved prob- entertainment. lematic for Obama at the United Nations. His former Bay Area Fun Festival chair Cindi Iranian counterpart used the annual U.N. General Miller launched the event 39 years Assembly meetings as a venue for fiery, anti-Ameri- ago. The festival, themed “Come can speeches. Failed Middle East peace talks led the Make the Scene” this year, brought Palestinians to seek statehood recognition at the people downtown to simply enjoy. U.N. despite staunch American objections. And the “I got the idea that we needed to Obama administration has been stymied on Syria at have a party, something fun for the the U.N. Security Council due to intractable Russian community that was affordable for opposition. families, a place where they could But this year, Iran has a new leader who is making have a good time, laugh, giggle,” friendly overtures toward Obama, raising the Miller said. prospect of a meeting at the United Nations. U.S.- Five years later, the festival became brokered peace talks between the Israelis and Pales- paired with the Prefontaine Memorial Run, which, at its first race, saw 400 runners. Now,about 1,200 participate SEE TALKS | A8 in the 10K, high school 5K and 2-mile fun walk every year, said Bob Hug- gins, executive director of the run. Huggins said while the run and the Navy Yard shootings festival are two separate organiza- tions, they feed off of each other, Photos by Lou Sennick, The World bringing thousands to the South Members of the local the Oregon Army National Guard unit, 1st Battalion, 186th Infantry, Obama: ‘We’re going Coast. march in the Fun Festival Parade on Saturday. The unit scheduled its weekend duty this “The fun festival itself is a commu- month to coincide with the Fun Fest so they could participate throughout the weekend. nity celebration,” he said. “Most to have to change’ towns on the coast have all sorts of celebrations to attract tourists. We Four youngsters joined BY JESSICA GRESKO plan the Pre Run around the event hundreds of others along The Associated Press that already existed because lots of the Fun Festival Parade people are already coming in to town.” route waiting for their WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama The festival adds something new chance to get some candy memorialized the victims of the Washington Navy every year and people always come thrown to the crowd from Yard shooting as patriots but also individuals — one back, Miller said. a passing float. See more with a talent for fixing cars,another who coached soft- “It’s grown from an event when the photos from the Fun ball and yet another who loved hockey and her cats. economy was down and it’s gotten Festival in a gallery at It’s not enough to cry over their deaths, Obama said. bigger and bigger every year,” she theworldlink.com. “If we really want to honor these 12 men and said. women, if we really want to be a country where we The weekend was packed with can go to work and go to school and walk our streets vendors, a food court, tractor show, free from senseless violence without so many lives live music, beer garden, a parade and being stolen by a bullet from a gun, then we’re going more. to have to change,”the president said. “The more people are involved in Speaking Sunday at the city’s Marine Barracks, it, the more variety of things that just blocks away from where the shootings hap- people can do,”she said. “It’s a great pened a week ago Monday, Obama called on Ameri- thing.” cans not to give up on trying to change gun laws that he argued are to blame for an epidemic of violence. Gun control measures Obama had backed failed to SEE FUN FEST | A8 SEE CHANGE | A8 Church suicide bombing Police reports . A2 Sports . B1 T S E D At least 78 people have been killed in Pakistan when A L D What’s Up. A2 I a suicide bomber detonated an explosive in a church. C Comics . B8 R E S Rain likely South Coast. A3 O More than 100 others were wounded. R N 66/55 W I Page A7 Opinion. A4 Puzzles. B8 O 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 • Monday, September 23,2013 South Coast Executive Editor Larry Campbell • 541-269-1222, ext. 251 theworldlink.com/news/local Facebook Thefts & Mischief COOS BAY POLICE Sept. 21, 3:01 p.m., unlawful Highway 42 and South Adams comments DEPARTMENT entry to a motor vehicle, East- Street. TODAY Comments are selected from The World’s page on Facebook. side boat ramp. Sept. 20, 9:59 a.m., theft, 500 Principle Power Town Hall Join the conversation at http://facebook.com/theworldnewspaper Sept. 21, 3:06 p.m., dispute 3000 NORTH BEND POLICE or post a comment on http://theworldlink.com. block of Bessie Street. Meeting 6-8 p.m., North block of Ocean Boulevard. DEPARTMENT Sept. 20, 1:12 p.m., burglary, 600 Bend Public Library, 1800 The World Newspaper The U.S. House of Representa- block of Sixth Avenue. Sept. 21, 7:25 a.m., theft from car Sept. 20, 2:18 p.m., threats, 1200 Sherman Ave., North Bend. wash coin boxes, 1100 block of block of Ford Lane. Deep-sea wind power pro- tives today bucked a veto threat from the White Sept. 20, 3:11 p.m., hit-and-run House. President Obama threatened to veto a similar posed WindFloat Pacific collision, 200 block of East Newmark Avenue. Sept. 20, 3:07 p.m., woman cited bill passed out of the Senate. The House bill, which Demonstration Project. Johnson Avenue. Sept. 21, 3:55 p.m., man arrested in lieu of custody for shoplifting, needs to be reconciled against the Senate version, 1600 block of Virginia Avenue. would boost timber harvest levels on federal lands in Sept. 20, 3:28 p.m., theft, Wal- for violation of a no-contact TUESDAY 18 Oregon counties. mart. order, 400 block of Hall Street. Sept. 21, 2:51 a.m., theft of serv- ices, 600 block of Tower Street. Coquille Valley Garden Club » U.S. House passes Rep. DeFazio's O&C Trust Act Sept. 20, 4:45 p.m., fraud, Wal- Sept.