C M C M Y K Y K PIRATES SWEEP MARINE BASE ATTACK Baseball and softball teams win, B1 Three die in Quantico shooting, A7 Serving Oregon’s South Coast Since 1878 SATURDAY, MARCH 23, 2013 theworldlink.com I $1.50 This 41-year-old war memorial in Coos Bay’s Mingus Park is at the Veterans want memorial center of a legal dispute between the city and a Wisconsin-based nonprofit, Freedom from Religion Foundation, to stay in Mingus Park which claims the presence of a cross on public land is a violation of the BY THOMAS MORIARTY only agenda item. Constitution. The World “The vets want to make a stand Have an opinion? and keep the cross where it’s at,” The Coos Bay City Council will hold a COOS BAY — Local veterans are Winders said. “It’s a matter of public hearing about the Mingus Park rallying to defend a cross-shaped principle.” cross at 7 p.m. April 2 in the Myrtle Room Vietnam War memorial in Coos Western Bank and the Bay Area of the Coos Bay Public Library. Public com- Bay’s Mingus Park. Jaycees donated the war memorial ments are welcome. “We do not see the cross as hav- in 1972, and it has stood in the park ing anything to do with religion,” ever since. Green and mossy, it The city received a letter in Feb- said Mark Winders, himself a Viet- blended into the park scenery until ruary from the Wisconsin-based nam veteran and director of Point- the city applied a fresh “skin” of Freedom from Religion Foundation, man Ministries. white grout in 2011. asking the city to move the cross immediately. The letter from foun- He expects local vets will show Now it has become the latest dation lawyer Rebecca Markert said up en masse at a special April 2 skirmish in America’s long-term Coos Bay City Council meeting, conflict over the separation of By Thomas Moriarty, The World where the memorial will be the church and state. SEE MEMORIAL | A8 Son of slain man hopes Flying with people will Allyson remember I Trial starts Monday for David Barker homicide BY GEORGE ARTSITAS The World NORTH BEND — Whenever Anthony Hajek wants to remember his father, he can just walk to the North Bend Boardwalk. By Alysha Beck, The World Hajek, 42, has placed a memorial bench on the boardwalk for his father, Allyson Wells, 7,prepares David Barker, who was killed last for takeoff during a summer. Saturday afternoon flight “I just want him to be remem- over Coos Bay with her bered,” Hajek said. “I don’t want people to forget him.” grandfather, Dave Beginning Monday, Ronald Courtney. Courtney owns Wayne Ambill will stand trial in Aerial Imaging Resources, Coquille for Barker’s death. Barker, a low altitude aerial 60, was found dead in his room at photography business in the Itty Bitty Inn on July 16. He had Reedsport. He takes been stabbed multiple times in the photos of ports, real estate chest and neck. property and lighthouses Ambill, then 47, turned himself in along the South Coast and at the Lincoln County jail two days makes large prints of his later. A grand jury indicted him on a murder charge. photos. Above: Dave A bicycle accident had put Barker Courtney leads his Cessna in a wheelchair for the last four years 172, single engine plane of his life. His son said Barker spent back into a hangar at his life paranoid and distrustful. Southwest Oregon That condition, compounded by a Regional Airport after a drinking problem, had divided him Saturday afternoon flight from his family. over Coos Bay. Barker never really had a job, Hajek said. He did some volunteer work, but he mostly drifted. Hajek rarely spoke to his father Photos by Alysha Beck, during his upbringing. He took his The World stepfather’s surname at age 7. The only time he remembers spending with Barker is a rafting trip when he Hobby becomes a passion, a business, and maybe a legacy was about 18. In the years before Barker’s death, however, Hajek saw him change. NORTH BEND — Late on a granddaughter enjoy the freedom pher. Flight is his passion. “I want (people) to remember him Sunday afternoon, Dave Court- of flight. “Had I been in high school and the way he was before he died. Being ney starts the engine of his Cess- Retirement liberated Courtney started learning to fly, I wouldn’t a nice guy who would go out of his na 172 and starts down the run- from the daily routine of his be an auto mechanic now. I way. Seven-year-old Allyson career as a truck mechanic for the wouldn’t have my own shop. I’d See video of Dave way to help others,”Hajek said. “I’m Courtney in flight just kind of proud of him, because I Wells pushes her face up against International Paper Company in be an airline pilot,”Courtney says. over the South knew him when I was younger, and the window, taking in the scenery Gardiner. Courtney, 65, was a reluctant Coast at he was kind of angry. And before he below. Now the Reedsport man is a pilot at first, but his brother-in- http://tinyurl.com died, he was still a drinker, sure, but Orange light bathes their faces. volunteer fire captain, an auto /a48stm2 he was a nice guy.” For an hour or so, grandfather and mechanic and an aerial photogra- SEE FLYING | A8 SEE BARKER | A8 What’s Up . Go! Sports . B1 Patricia Cady, Coos Bay Marlis Houghton, North Bend Jerene Davenport-Price, S E Edward Martin, Coos Bay Diane Wylie, North Bend Myrtle Point H D Police reports . A2 Comics . B6 I T Dorothy Brown, Coos Bay Joey Braden, Coos Bay Dennis Stanturf, Coquille A S South Coast. A3 Classifieds . C5 Vernon Ellis, North Bend E Vernon Kolen, Gold Beach Shirley Paradice, Coos Bay N I Opinion. A4 Puzzles. C6 D Edna Munson, Fairview Jason Strickland, Bandon Obituaries | A5 C M C M Y K Y K C M C M Y K A2 •The World • Saturday, March 23,2013 Y K South Coast City Editor Ryan Haas • 541-269-1222, ext. 239 theworldlink.com/news/local Police investigate shooting death THE WORLD REEDSPORT — Authorities are investigating the shooting death of a 73-year-old man in the Loon Lake area. Paul F. Coates was found dead Thursday morning at his home on Soup Creek Road. Douglas County sheriff’s deputies arrived about 10:45 and found that Coates had died from an apparent gunshot By James Casey, for The World wound. William Paul Cisneros appeared in court Thursday for a change of plea The Douglas County Major hearing. Cisneros faces child sex abuse charges. Crimes Team is conducting the investigation. An autopsy was scheduled for Friday, but the sher- Hearing continued iff’s office said no further informa- tion would be released Friday. The major crimes team includes in child porn case members of the Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, the THE WORLD Cisneros remains held on By Steve Lindsley, The World Roseburg Police Department, A Douglas County Sheriff's vehicle leaves the scene of a death investigation in western Douglas $100,000 bail. Oregon State Police and other local COQUILLE — A Coos Bay County on Thursday. police agencies. He was arrested Jan. 23 on man charged in a child four counts of using a child in pornography case will stay in a display of sexually explicit the Coos County jail for at conduct, four counts of least two more weeks. encouraging child sex abuse, William Paul Cisneros, four counts of possession of 50, appeared Thursday before Coos County Circuit child sex material, and three Court Judge Michael counts of third-degree sexu- Gillespie for a change-of- al abuse. plea hearing. The hearing An indictment alleges continued to April 4. No trial Cisneros made video record- date has been set, and ings of his victims. Shooting report temporarily locks down preschool BY GEORGE ARTSITAS Newmark Avenue. The World Staff members called the police and locked down the COOS BAY — Police school at 10:14 a.m. Thurs- received a report of a poten- day. Police arrived and tial shooting threat near the quickly determined that no South Coast Head Start pre- shooting had taken place. school Thursday; they soon The lockdown ended at determined no one had been about 11 a.m. in danger. Police said Head Start, “Our staff wanted to take located at the corner of Hull the right precautions just in Street and Newmark case,”said Amanda D’Souza, Avenue, was closed briefly public relations coordinator after a person entered the for Oregon Coast Communi- lobby and claimed to have ty Action, which administers been shot at while driving on the preschool. Thefts & Mischief COOS COUNTY NORTH BEND March 21, 7:12 a.m., criminal mis- March 21, 10:13 a.m., theft of doc- chief to vehicle, 63700 block of uments by caregiver, 1100 block Flanagan Road. of Ohio Street. March 21, 1:32 p.m., burglary, March 21, 1:20 p.m., criminal mis- found front door kicked in, chief at metal shop, 2300 block 68100 block of Collier Road. of Pacific Avenue. March 21, 5:33 p.m., theft, burgla- March 21, 2:21 p.m., criminal tres- pass, subject is advised he is ry of pressure washer from permanently banned from loca- pump house, 93400 block of tion, 1700 block of Sherman Colina Lane.